No license shall be issued under the terms of this chapter to:
(A) An importing distributor, or distributor, except only for the premises in which he or she conducts his or her business as an importing distributor, or distributor, in which event only one license shall be issued;
(B) Any person, association or corporation that, for any reason, is not eligible for a state liquor dealer’s license;
(C) A person who fails to comply with § 113.037;
(D) Any person who is delinquent in the payment of any debt, fee or charge owed to the city;
(E) A person who refuses to cooperate in providing necessary information on the application, or to a person for whom the background check reveals information which would disqualify such person from receiving a license hereunder;
(F) Any partnership, unless any general partnership or limited partnership thereof owning in the aggregate more than 5% shall be qualified to obtain a license pursuant to this chapter;
(G) ny corporation, if any officer, manager, or director thereof, or any stockholder or stockholders owning in the aggregate more than 5% of the stock of such corporation, would not be eligible to receive a license pursuant to this chapter for any reason;
(H) A person who is not a person of good character and representation in the community in which such person resides;
(I) A person who has been convicted of a felony under any federal or state law, unless the local liquor control commissioner determines that such person has been sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust after considering matters set forth in such person’s application and the local liquor control commissioner’s investigation. The burden of proof of sufficient rehabilitation shall be on the applicant. However, a criminal conviction of a corporation is not grounds for the denial, suspension or revocation of a license applied for or held by the corporation if the criminal conviction was not the result of a violation of any federal or state law concerning the manufacture, possession or sale of alcoholic liquor; the offense that led to the conviction did not result in any financial gain to the corporation; and the corporation has terminated its relationship with each director, officer, employee or controlling shareholder whose actions directly contributed to the conviction of the corporation. The local liquor control commissioner shall determine if all provisions of this subsection have been met before any action on the corporation’s license is initiated;
(J) A person who has been convicted of being the keeper or is keeping a house of ill fame;
(K) A person who has been convicted of pandering or other crime or misdemeanor opposed to decency and morality;
(L) A person whose license issued under this chapter has been revoked for cause;
(M) A person who has been convicted of a violation of any federal or state law concerning the manufacture, possession or sale of alcoholic liquor;
(N) A person who does not own the premises for which a license is sought, or does not have a lease thereon for the full period for which the license is to be issued;
(O) A law enforcing public official, or member of the city council;
(P) An entity doing business in Illinois as a corporation without being incorporated in Illinois or qualified to do business in Illinois if a foreign corporation:
(Q) A person who has been convicted of gambling offense as proscribed by any of subsections (a)(3) through (a)(11) of section 28-1 of, or as proscribed by section 28-3 of, the “Criminal Code of 1961.” approved July 28, 1961, as heretofore or hereafter amended, or as proscribed by a statute replaced by any of the aforesaid statutory provisions;
(R) A person that does not otherwise meet all requirements of applicable law for the issuance of a liquor license consistent with the Liquor Control Act, ILCS Ch. 235, Act 5 et seq.; or
(S) A corporation, unless that corporation has designated a local manager who would be eligible to receive a license under this chapter, and who is a resident of Knox County, or a county bordering Knox County.
(1990 Code, § 3-59) (Ord. 84-940, passed 4-18-1984; Ord. 88-1242, passed 11-7-1988; Ord. 94-1589, passed 8-1-1994; Ord. 16-3530, passed 11-7-2016)
Statutory reference:
Eligibility, see ILCS Ch. 235, Act 5, §§ 6-2, 6-11, 6-12 and 6-25