Liquor License Applications
***process takes effect 3-2-2023***
LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION PROCESS
We encourage applicants to read Gearhart's Liquor ordinance found below. We also encourage the application process to be completed electronically. Download the .pdf form to your computer when completing it. DO NOT complete it from a web window tab, or you cannot sign. Please give us a call or email if you have any questions!
Contact
City Administration
Ph: 503-738-5501
Email Address: info@cityofgearhart.com
PO Box 2510
698 Pacific Way
Gearhart, OR 97138
Who needs a liquor license?
Anyone who sells or offers to sell alcoholic beverages. Oregon Revised Statutes state the requirement of holding a liquor license in order to sell alcohol (ORS 471.405) and define various activities that constitute a "sale" (ORS 471.406).
How do I get a liquor license?
Complete OLCC app --> give OLCC app to City with completed City app --> pay City fees --> both apps go through City public review and recommendation --> continue with OLCC submission --> OLCC approval grants a liquor license
The process starts with you visiting the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) webpage for Liquor Licensing and completing their Liquor License Application. If you have any questions on how to fill out their application, you need to contact OLCC. We cannot advise you on what license type to select or what information to provide. Once you have your OLCC application complete, save it to your computer.
What do I need from the City of Gearhart?
First, please confirm the address of your establishment is within Gearhart City limits, HERE. A Gearhart address may fall within the unincorporated Clatsop County jurisdiction. If the map shows the address lies within the city limit boundary, continue the process.
Second, if you have not already, apply for a City of Gearhart Business License. The turn-around time for a business license is pretty quick! If you have any questions about the zoning of your business location, please contact the City's Planning Department at 503-738-5501 x106, or email Planning at planning@cityofgearhart.com.
Third, the City of Gearhart requires its own application form and you will submit your OLCC application to us along with it. There are two application forms below. Select what you need: Liquor License application, or Liquor License Special Event application.
Last, return both your Gearhart application and OLCC application to the City at info@cityofgearhart.com with the subject "Liquor License Submission". Once your application packet is received, we will give you a call to take your payment over the phone. You may also bring your application packet along with a check or credit card to City Hall, Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 12:00PM / 1:00PM to 5:00PM. Call us at 503-738-5501 if you have additional questions.
Are there fees involved?
Gearhart requires the following processing fees for Liquor License applications. Please make checks payable to: The City of Gearhart; credit/debit cards are also accepted and City staff will call to collect payment if you submit electronically.
- New Application: $100
- Ownership Change: $100
- Location Change: $75
- Privilege Change: $75
- Renewal Application: $35
- Special Event (Temporary): $25
The OLCC may have additional fees.
How long does it take to receive an endorsement from the City?
Once received, your application will be reviewed by the City Administrator for recommendation, and forwarded to the City Council for final recommendation. The City Administrator has 45 days to make a recommendation to the City Council. You as the applicant, or any affected party, may request a public hearing prior to final recommendation. A notice advertising a requested public hearing would be published in the newspaper. If no hearing is requested, public notice of an agenda item regarding request for a liquor license within the City of Gearhart will be posted based on ORS and City Charter rules. You will be contacted once your application has appeared before City Council and the City Administrator has signed your application.
We can email you the final City-endorsed liquor license application packet, or you may pick it up from City Hall. Once your application packet is complete with the City of Gearhart, you will proceed with OLCC for final approval.
Do I need to RENEW my license through the City?
The majority of Gearhart businesses with a liquor license expire with the OLCC at the end of March. Once the City receives a renewal list from OLCC, you will receive a letter from us letting you know it's time to renew. The Council reviews the renewal list at the February or March Council meeting, depending on the OLCC's deadline date for Council to make an unfavorable renewal recommendation. (No recommendation action by Council grants OLCC permission to automatically renew your license.) You will be given an opportunity to update the information we have on file for your establishment using the Liquor License application below selecting "Renewal" on the form. The City's renewal fee is $35; the app and fee are due prior to your OLCC expiration date. Please keep in mind that past due (late) applications and fees could be grounds for an unfavorable recommendation by Council the following year.
What if I need a Liquor License for a Special Event (Temporary License)?
The OLCC has a Special Event/Temporary Sales License Forms & Guides section. Select the appropriate application for your needs and fill it out. If your event is within the City of Gearhart's jurisdiction, you will follow the same process outlined above. Please keep this in mind when event planning and submitting your paperwork - allow enough time to get through the process prior to your event! The City's Special Event (Temporary) fee is $25.
REMINDER: Do not complete an application from a web window tab or you won't be able to sign it. Download it, open it from where you saved it, and then complete the form including signatures.
