Licensing Board

We grant and regulate various types of alcohol and food licenses for restaurants, nightclubs, and other establishments in Boston. We also hold hearings on violations and license applications. Learn more about the Licensing Board.

Page Sections

Bottle Service: The Board has issued an Advisory regarding bottle service. Read the Advisory. Licensees may request Bottle Service with this application then submit it online.
Service Dog Policy: Licensees may post this policy at their establishments. Details regarding service and assistance animals may be found on the Mass.gov website. Licensees may request a variance to allow for dogs on outdoor patios via Inspectional Services with this application.
Alcohol Petition Online Form: For alcohol-related petitions and transactions, submit your application through the Licensing Board's new online form. You may email alcohol@boston.gov with questions. Please note: Do not submit renewal applications on this form.
Read the Advisory issued on March 2, 2023, regarding the Closed Captioning Ordinance for public facing televisions at licensed establishments.
Read the Advisory issued on March 17, 2023, regarding drink spiking in nightlife establishments. This is an update to the previously issued Advisory from November 22, 2021.

More Licensing Board advisories

Contact

617-635-4170
send an email
1 City Hall Square
Room 809

Boston, MA 02201-2035
United States
Office hours by Appointment

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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2023 license renewals

Inspection Certificates:

If your licensed premise has any seats, the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) is requiring all licensees to get a valid Inspection Certificate. Invoices are mailed and emailed for the building permits two months before the expiration date.

Who to contact at ISD:

If you need an invoice or to schedule an inspection, please contact your building inspector. There is a list online of all the inspectors' contact information, including phone and email. The best time to schedule an appointment for inspection is at 1010 Mass. Avenue (5th floor) at 8 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 4 p.m. when the inspectors are in the office. Once your inspection has passed, send an email to the following people and they can send you a scanned copy of the updated Certificate: megan.baker@boston.gov, melissa.darosa@boston.gov and silvia.rivera@boston.gov

Please note: To completely submit your renewal application, you will be required to submit an application on the below application links and also submit payment online.
Pay for your Alcohol, Package Store, Common Victualler, and Entertainment licenses online . The license number (for example, LB-###### or CAL-######) is located at the top right of your license or renewal application. Verify the total amount before paying! If submitting back-to-back payments, due to browser issues, a previous payment fee may appear again, you can select "remove fee" to remove the duplicate payment.

License Type (Click for instructions)	Renewal Period	Online Renewal Form	Contact Email
Common Victualler (No Alcohol) 2023	October 1, 2022 - October 31, 2022 (Late fee: Double current bill)	Common Victualler (No Alcohol) renewal app	RenewCV@boston.gov
Lodging House 2022-2023	April 1, 2022 - April 30, 2022 (Late fee: $10/month)	Lodging House renewal app	RenewLodging@boston.gov
Lodging House 2023-2024	April 1, 2023 - April 30, 2023 (Late fee: $10/month)	Lodging House renewal app	RenewLodging@boston.gov

Apply for or make changes to a license

Common forms and applications

Get a common victualler license

Get a special one-day alcohol license

Hearing Information

Licensing Board Hearings

Licensing Board hearings are typically held during the first and last week of the month at either 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. You may contact the Board to verify the upcoming hearing dates at LicensingBoard@boston.gov.

Violation hearings: Tuesdays
Transactional (application) hearings: Wednesdays
Voting hearings: Thursdays