Special event liquor permits the sale, by the drink only, of malt beverages or the sale, by the drink only, of malt, spirituous, or vinous liquors. A special event permit may be issued to an organization which has been incorporated under the laws of the state of Colorado for purposes of a social, fraternal, patriotic, political, or athletic nature, and not for pecuniary gain, or which is regularly chartered branch, lodge, or chapter of a national organization or society organized for such purposes and being nonprofit in nature, or which is a regularly established religious or philanthropic institution, and to any political candidate who has filed the necessary reports and statements with the secretary of state. A special event liquor permit is required if alcohol is to be sold on premises that do not hold a liquor license or is to be sold by a qualifying organization or club or arts liquor licensed premises. Sandwiches or food snacks must be available at all times that alcohol beverages are being sold. A special event permit may not be issued to the same applicant for more than ten days in one calendar year.
A. Application (Click here for Special Events Permit Application)
1. Process. Applications for special event permits shall be made no later than thirty (30) days before the date of a desired event. Applications shall be filed with the Department of Excise and Licenses on forms provided by the state licensing authority. The application forms shall be verified by oath or affirmation of an officer of the organization or the political candidate making application. No action will be taken by the department until the application is complete to the satisfaction of the department. The Director of the Department may exercise discretion to waive the thirty (30) day requirement for filing in instances where an applicant has within the previous two years been qualified for a special event liquor permit. Applications for special event permits must be accompanied by:
• a diagram of the area to be licensed which clearly depicts the bar and alcohol service areas; and
• a copy of a deed, lease, or written permission of the owner for use of the premises; and
• a certificate of good standing from the Secretary of State within the past year or a nonprofit charter or copies of reports and statements filed with the Secretary of State if a political candidate.
2. Duplicate Copies. Applications for special event liquor permits and accompanying documents must be filed in duplicate and must be signed by the president or secretary of the applicant.
B. Application Fees
At the time application is made for a special event permit, the applicant must be accompanied by appropriate application and daily licensing fees. The fees must be paid by cash, check or money order. Checks and money orders for the local authority must be made payable to the Manager of Finance. State licensing authority fees should be made payable to the Colorado Department of Revenue.
Local Fee State Fee
Special Events Permit (Liquor) per event $100 $25 per day
Special Events Permit (3.2%) per event $100 $10 per day
C. Review of Application Forms and Documents
The Department of Excise and Licenses will review application forms and accompanying documents for accuracy and completeness. Failure to correct identified problems with the license application will result in delay in processing the desired permit. In reviewing an application, the Department shall apply the same standards for approval and denial applicable to the state licensing authority.
D. Posting Notice
After license application forms and accompanying documents are complete to the satisfaction of the Department of Excise and Licenses, the applicant will be instructed to post notice of desire to have a special event permit. Such notice shall be posted on the premises where the special event is proposed and shall be posted in accordance with department policies and procedures. Failure to properly post notice of an application will result in denial of the application.
E. Public Hearing
The Department of Excise and Licenses will schedule a public hearing on the permit application. A period of ten (10) days will be provided to accommodate objections to the license application. If the Department receives objections, a hearing will be held at which time both sides may present evidence and argument. After testimony and evidence is presented; the presiding party will issue a written Recommended Decision. A copy of the Recommended Decision will be sent to the applicant and to the Assistant City Attorney who participated in the license hearing. An applicant and the City Attorney’s Office will have ten (10) calendar days from the date of issuance of a Recommended Decision to file objections to the Recommended Decision. Any party who files objections has responsibility to mail a copy of written objections to any party who requested such notice at the hearing. The Director may grant ten days from the date of the filing of the written objections in which to file a written reply to the objections. The Director will then issue a final written decision which will be mailed to the representatives for each side. The Director may deny the license if its issuance would be injurious to the public welfare by reason of the nature of the special event, its location within the community, or the failure of the applicant at a past special event to conduct such event in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The Director may also order conditions to be placed on the license if the evidence at a hearing warrant conditions. The Director’s decision is subject to judicial review by the Denver District Court.
If no protests are received to the application, the hearing will be vacated and the application will be approved if the department is satisfied that the applicant is qualified pursuant to C.R.S. Sec. 12-48-102 and satisfied that the applicant will conduct the event lawfully. If the application is approved, the applicant must forward the city approval to the state for approval at least ten days prior to the event.