Forgot to Renew Your Ohio Liquor Permit? You Still Have Time Thanks to Ohio H.B. 404

If you have been tracking Ohio liquor permit renewal updates amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, then you may have seen my recent article detailing how Ohio liquor permits initially due by June 1, 2020 and Oct. 1, 2020 were extended to Dec. 1, 2020.  However, in true 2020 fashion, things have changed again on a dime, and Gov. DeWine signed into law H.B. 404, which extended various Ohio license renewal deadlines to July 1, 2021.

There were questions initially about whether this would apply to liquor permits, so the Ohio Division of Liquor Control has provided guidance to make it expressly clear that H.B. also applies to Ohio liquor permits which were due for renewal since June 1, 2020.

Regardless, the Division of Liquor Control still encourages permit holders to file their renewal application that was previously sent to them as soon as possible to avoid processing delays.  If you already filed a renewal before Dec 1, 2020, then your renewal is processing and you should receive documentation once processed.

Please note that if a permit holder opts to delay filing their 2020-21 renewal until June 30, 2021, they will still be required to file/pay the 2020-21 renewal, along with the 2021-22 renewal, which will be due on 7/1/21 for “June renewals” and 10/1/21 for “October renewals”.

As we have already seen, things change quickly in a pandemic.  Please be sure to stay tuned for updates and connect with an attorney experienced in Ohio liquor law with questions.