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 to support proposed real estate development projects, particularly those involving restaurants and bars. The bill allows for the purchase of inactive licenses from municipalities that have a surplus, enabling them to be utilized in areas where demand exceeds supply. The Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is tasked with determining the eligibility of these transfers, ensuring that they align with the needs of the smart growth communities.

Key provisions include the requirement for the purchaser to pay a fee to the sending municipality, which is distributed among the sending municipality, the director, and existing license holders in the qualifying municipality. The bill also repeals previous provisions that allowed the director to issue special permits for alcohol service in smart growth projects, emphasizing the need for a structured transfer process. Additionally, it specifies that transferred licenses can only be used within the same real estate development project, ensuring that the licenses are effectively integrated into the community's development plans.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 33:1-24.3