Get An Alcohol Reservation Letter

Step 1.Confirm that You Need This

If you know that you need an Alcohol Reservation letter (you're opening an alcohol establishment), OR if you're unsure about your zoning requirements in regards to alcohol service, and would like full clarification of your allowances via this letter, move to step two below.

For Restaurants: If the sale of food is the primary use at your location, then you are excluded from the definition of Alcohol Service Establishment and thus do not need this letter.  In order to qualify as a food service establishment (rather than an alcohol service establishment), restaurants shall comply with the following:

• Derives at least fifty-one percent (51%) of its gross food and beverage revenue from the sale of food and non-Alcoholic Beverages during the firstsixty (60) day operating period and each twelve (12) month operatingperiodthereafter;
• Licensed by the State's Division of Hotels and Restaurants;
• Sells or offersforsale Alcoholic Beverages for consumption on the premises pursuant to a valid license issued by the State permitting such activity;
• Equipped to seat at least twenty (20) patrons at one (1) time; and
• Does not sell Alcoholic Beverages after the hours of serving or consumption of food have elapsed.

Step 2.Collect Documents

You will need the following in order to apply. 

• Letter of Intent (should include the following):
  1. Address
  2. Type of Use (Alcohol Serv. Est., Restaurant, Café, etc.)
  3. Type of License (2COP, 4COP, 3APS, etc.)
  4. Specialty or Entertainment District (if applicable)
  5. Specify if it is an initial request or extension of previously issued ARL. 
• Distance Liquor Survey addressing the below items. 
  IMPORTANT: surveyors, see this portion of City Code for clarification. You must include notes on your survey of how where the below measurements were taken from (door to door vs. door to parcel line.  The code clarifies this, above). NOTE: If you're applying for an extension, no survey is required.

1. Other Alcohol Service Establishments
2. Religious Facilities
3. Schools
4. District -proximity to Residential Zones

Prepare Your Documents for Digital Application

You must follow a standard naming convention (i.e. each part of the plans must be titled a specific way) in order to upload documents or your application will be delayed. You should name your document properly now. 

These names can not change once they've been given. Click here to view our standard naming convention.

NOTE: Any documentation prepared by a professional, that is required to be “signed and sealed” (see above checklist) will need a digital signature. Click here to learn how to obtain a digital signature.

Step 3.Apply Online 

• You will have to create an Eplan account or login to an existing account. 
• Select "alcohol reservation letter". You can name your application whatever you want (the first step), this does not refer to the standard naming convention. 
• After you complete the application, you will be asked if you'd like to submit your documents online. If you hit "yes" follow the instructions below for submitting documents.
  • If you select "no" you can present your documents to The Building Department in person at: 444 SW 2nd Ave, 4th Floor, and they will scan them for you.

Apply for Alcohol Reservation Letter

Step 4.Upload Documents

• After you have completed your initial submission, you will receive an email from eplans@Miamigov.com prompting you to upload your documents. To do this, log back into the portal, and this time select "manage my existing projects". 
• Select your project number, and go to the "applicant upload task" tab.  Be sure you have named your documents correctly (see above) and obtained a digital signature, if necessary. 
• Upload documents and submit.
• This is also where you can manage your project as the below process progresses. 

NOTE: Once you hit "upload complete - send to City of Miami", your ability to upload any more documents will be restricted until the completion of the City's application acceptance process. 

Step 5.Modify Documents, if Necessary

Your application will now be in pre-screen, and you may receive an email with comments from the City that require modifications. Address the comments/issues to the best of your ability. Once you have addressed the comments from reviewers, you will need to re-submit your revised documents (go to "manage my existing project").

Multiple cycles of comments may occur back and forth.

Revise your Documents

NOTE: You may modify the content of your file(s), but do not change the file names when you re-submit.

Step 6.Make Payment & Address 'Review' Comments

Once your application passes pre-screen, it will be moved to 'review'.

• At this time, you will be notified via email and an invoice (with a link to pay online) will be placed in your project folder. The fee is $200.
• You will also be given 'checklist items' in your reports tab that contains issues that require your review. Address these comments and send back to City.

Multiple cycles of comments & tasks may occur back and forth.

NOTE: If you hit 'return to City of Miami' but have not addressed comments, your application will simply be returned to you and will not advance.

Pay Online

Step 7.Await Completion

Once you've addressed all comments, your application will be sent for final review. If the application meets all requirements, a favorable Alcohol Reservation Letter will be issued.

Step 8.Obtain Proper Permits

The initial Alcohol Reservation Letter shall be valid for three (3) months from the date of issuance with the possibility of one (1) year extensions if the Zoning Administrator is presented with active building permits, submission of a Warrant application, lease agreement, or any other documentation which the Zoning Administrator deems to be evidence of reasonable progress.

1. If you find that you’ll need to request an extension, you can do so by submitting a letter of intent, the proposed evidence of reasonable progress, and payment of $200.00.  Reasonable progress is considered as submittal of active building permits, submission of a Warrant application, lease agreement, or any other documentationwhich the ZoningAdministrator deems to be evidence of reasonable progress in acquiring a Certificate of Use for an Alcohol Service Establishment atthe proposed location.
2. The Alcohol Reservation Letter will also advise you if you need to apply for any special permits such as a Warrant and/or an Exception.

Tips:

• We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the Alcohol Ordinance in the City of Miami Code of Ordinances. 
• Learn to identify when your subject property lands in a Specialty or Entertainment District, this is helpful because Specialty and Entertainment Districts have different distance requirements and also identifies number of available licenses and permitting process. (You can identify said Specialty and Entertainment Districts by using a combination of the City’s Miami Zoning WebGIS and the approved maps as exhibits to the Chapter 4 Alcohol Ordinance).