This bill aims to facilitate the transfer and sale of inactive plenary retail consumption liquor licenses to qualifying smart growth municipalities in New Jersey. It recognizes the challenges faced by these municipalities, which often lack sufficient licenses due to existing restrictions that limit the issuance of new licenses based on population. The bill allows for the purchase of inactive licenses from municipalities with a surplus, enabling their use in smart growth areas where development projects, such as restaurants, are proposed. The bill outlines the definitions of key terms, including "inactive license," "qualifying smart growth municipality," and "real estate development project," and establishes the process for transferring these licenses, which includes obtaining resolutions from both the sending and receiving municipalities.

Additionally, the bill amends existing law to clarify that municipalities with urban enterprise zones or designated planning areas can acquire inactive licenses and retain them for up to five years, even if the director has not issued a special ruling or the license holder has not paid renewal fees. It also specifies that the transfer of licenses must occur within the same real estate development project and prohibits the issuance of special concessionaire permits for locations eligible for licenses under this act. The bill repeals certain sections of previous legislation that allowed for special permits for alcoholic beverage service in smart growth projects, thereby streamlining the process for license transfers and ensuring that they align with the goals of smart growth development.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 33:1-24.3