A. No license provided for in the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Control Act shall be issued except pursuant to an application filed with the ABLE Commission. The ABLE Commission may, however, provide for a form of simplified application for renewal of a license. Payment of the prescribed fee shall accompany each application for a license. B. Every applicant for an original license, except applicants for an employee, charitable event, special event or airline/railroad beverage license, shall also furnish the following: 1. A tax receipt proving payment of ad valorem taxes, including real and personal taxes, or furnish to the ABLE Commission satisfactory evidence that no taxes are due or delinquent; 2. A certificate of zoning issued by the municipality in which the applicant proposes to locate the applicant's principal place of business under the license, or by the county if the principal place of business is located outside the incorporated limits of a municipality, certifying that the applicant's proposed location and use thereof comply with all municipal zoning ordinances or county zoning regulations if applicable; 3. A certificate issued by the municipality in which the applicant proposes to locate the applicant's principal place of business under the license, or by the county if the principal place of business is located outside the incorporated limits of a municipality, certifying that the applicant's existing or proposed operations under the license comply with all municipal or county fire codes, safety codes, or health codes, if applicable; 4. Authorization, on forms furnished by the ABLE Commission, for complete investigation of the applicant's current financial status as it relates to the application for a license, including but not limited to access to bank accounts, loan agreements and financial statements; 5. A deed, management agreement, purchasing agreement or lease; and 6. Proof of liability insurance covering both bodily injury and property damage. C. The certificates required by paragraphs 2 and 3 of subsection B of this section shall be signed by the mayor of the municipality or the chair of the board of county commissioners issuing same, unless the municipality, by ordinance, or the county designates some other officer or entity to issue the certificates. Applications for such certificates shall be in writing and shall contain information in such detail as the municipality or county may reasonably require describing the location and nature of operations to be conducted under the license. Municipalities and counties shall be required to act on all applications for such certificates within twenty (20) days of receipt of the written application. D. Municipalities and counties may grant conditional certificates for premises proposed for licensed operations for which construction, modification or alteration is not completed. Conditional certificates shall indicate that the proposed premises will comply with the municipal or county zoning, fire, safety and health codes. The granting of conditional certificates shall not relieve the applicant of the duty of obtaining the certificates required by paragraphs 2 and 3 of subsection B of this section after completion of the construction, modification, or alteration. E. A municipality or county shall issue the certificates required by paragraphs 2 and 3 of subsection B of this section within ten (10) days after all final inspections are completed. Thereafter if a licensee fails to maintain compliance with municipal or county zoning ordinances and codes, the mayor or chair of the board of county commissioners or their designee, shall forthwith notify the ABLE Commission in writing setting forth details of the noncompliance. F. Within ten (10) days of the receipt of all information required in subsections B through E of this section, the ABLE Commission shall notify the applicant in writing of any deficiencies in the application with a description of what actions need to be taken to cure the deficiencies. The applicant shall then have a reasonable period of time to provide the additional information sufficient to complete the application. Upon a completed application, the ABLE Commission shall issue or deny the license within twenty (20) days of the applicant's final submission. The ABLE Commission's denial of issuance of a license shall be in writing and shall state with specificity the reasons for the denial. G. Upon issuance of any license, the ABLE Commission shall furnish the Oklahoma Tax Commission with a list of such licenses. H. In the event of denial of an application for a license, the ABLE Commission shall refund to the applicant the amount of the tendered fee, less ten percent (10%), which it shall retain as cost of processing the application. I. Any licensee, except an employee licensee, who fails to renew the license prior to the expiration date of the license, shall be subject to a late renewal penalty as provided by rules of the ABLE Commission. Further, any licensee, except an employee licensee, who fails to renew the license within sixty (60) days of the expiration of the license shall be required to submit a new license application. An employee licensee who fails to renew prior to the expiration of the license shall be required to submit a new license application; provided, however, that under no circumstances shall any licensee, including an employee licensee, whose license to serve or sell alcoholic beverages has expired, continue to serve or sell alcoholic beverages. J. The requirements in this section shall be required for a public event license applicant, except for those certificates required by paragraphs 2 and 3 of subsection B of this section as the events are temporary in nature and the locations are not permanently licensed. Added by Laws 2016, c. 366, § 54, eff. Oct. 1, 2018. Amended by Laws 2025, c. 3, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2025. NOTE: Laws 2016, c. 366, was conditionally effective upon passage of State Question No. 792, Legislative Referendum No. 370, which was adopted at election held on Nov. 8, 2016.
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