Liquor board waives nearly $28M in fees

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) recently voted to forgive approximately $27.7 million in license fees in 2021 for retail licensees impacted by the pandemic.

Licensees still will be required to timely file validation and renewal applications to keep licensees current.

The fees waived through 2021 include license fees, renewal fees, Sunday sales permit fees, renewal/validation surcharges, filing fees, validation fees, amusement permit fees, and extended hours food license fees. These fees vary from $30 to $700.

Safekeeping extension fees allow a licensee to preserve an inactive license beyond two years. These vary from $5,000 or $10,000 and also have been waived.

“Following the Governor’s request last week to waive license fees and provide some relief to struggling businesses, the PLCB did its due diligence in evaluating our authority to waive fees authorized by various state laws, as well as the fiscal impact of doing so,” Board Chairman Tim Holden said. “We believe it’s the right thing to do in support of our restaurants, bars, and gathering places, so we’re glad next year to ease the financial burden to some extent for these local businesses.”

Licensees will save an estimated $27.7 million in fees, while PLCB’s operating income will decrease approximately $23.8 million over two fiscal years.