This bill facilitates the transfer and sale of inactive plenary retail consumption liquor licenses to qualifying smart growth municipalities in New Jersey. It aims to address the shortage of available liquor licenses in these communities, which are often hindered by existing laws that restrict the issuance of new licenses based on population ratios. The bill allows for the purchase of inactive licenses from municipalities that have a surplus, enabling them to be utilized in smart growth areas where there is demand for such licenses, particularly for restaurants and bars. The bill outlines the process for transferring these licenses, including the requirement for resolutions from both the sending and receiving municipalities, and stipulates that the licenses can only be transferred to establishments within the same real estate development project.

Additionally, the bill amends existing law to clarify that municipalities with urban enterprise zones or designated metropolitan planning areas can acquire inactive licenses by purchase, provided they have been inactive for more than three years. It also repeals previous provisions that allowed the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue special permits for alcoholic beverage service in smart growth projects. The bill establishes a fee structure for the transfer of licenses, ensuring that a portion of the fees collected is distributed to the sending municipality, the director, and existing license holders in the qualifying smart growth municipality. Overall, the legislation aims to promote economic development in smart growth areas by streamlining the process for obtaining necessary liquor licenses.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 33:1-24.3