In the first week of June, the MLCC modified its recently adopted policies that govern the protocol for new liquor license issuance requests and request for transfer of ownership and/or location of retail liquor licenses.  Most will recall that the MLCC previously modified the procedure for the consideration of requests for the issuance of a new license or license transfers.  Under the 2012 revised protocol, an applicant for a new or transferred retail license was required to first obtain approval from the local governing body having jurisdiction over the licensed premises before the Commission would consider the application.  Thus, the MLCC would not recognize a request until the Commission received proof that the applicant obtained local police and city or township approval.

Effective July 1, 2012, the new policy has been modified.  Under the revised rules, the MLCC will recognize applicants for the transfer of an existing on-premise license without approval of the local city or township, regardless of whether the license will be relocated or retained in its current approved location, thus eliminating the local approval process. 

There are caveats that must be addressed.  Applicants who require certain permits, such as dance, entertainment, dance-entertainment, topless or extended hours must still secure local approval before the transfer of an existing or the issuance of a new license will be effective.  Moreover, the applicant must still adhere to all local approval requirements adopted by local code or ordinance.  Therefore, applicants seeking a license in communities that have adopted their own license approval process must still complete the separate local governmental process.