(A) All licenses issued for the sale of alcoholic liquors shall expire June 30 following their issuance.
(B) A liquor license may only be issued to persons who qualify under one of the following:
(1) The applicants are residents of the county;
(2) The applicants are owners of the premises for which the license is being sought; or
(3) The applicants are long-term leasees who provide proof of a verified lease for not less than one year of the location the license is being sought with documentation properly recorded with the County Recorder’s office.
(C) The applicant shall identify the specific location of the dispensing and sale of liquor and/or beer by physical address and parcel number(s).
(D) An applicant who applies for and receives a license between July 1 and January 1 shall pay a full year’s fee.
(E) An applicant who applies for and receives a license between January 1 and July 1 shall pay one-half of a year’s license fee.
(F) A licensee applying for an annual renewal of his or her license must apply for and receive a renewal license prior to July 1.
(G) Licenses for the sale of alcoholic liquors are not transferable.
(H) No refunds of any license fees shall be made under any circumstances.
(I) These licenses only apply to unincorporated areas of the county and to municipalities that do not issue liquor licenses.
(J) In the case of a partnership, the application and license requirements shall apply to all individuals of interest in the business enterprise.
(K) In the event the applicant is a corporation, a certificate of “good standing” with the Secretary of State must be provided with the initial application, as well as a copy of the charter and by-laws, the identified corporate officers and board of directors, corporate minutes of approval and identification of the party or parties authorized to sign legal documents.
(L) At the time of application, or after the effective date of this chapter, the applicant shall furnish proof of dram shop insurance by an state-licensed insurance company with the liability limits required by the state and a certificate provided with the county as an additional insured party. The term of the insurance must be concurrent with the term of the local license issued by the county. All licenses issued by the county will be revoked in the event that dram shop insurance is cancelled for any reason.
(M) No liquor license shall be issued to any individual having a criminal record containing a conviction of a crime with a state or federal felony classification.
(N) An application for a license when applying for a transfer or creating a new license will be subject to a fee of $500.
(O)
A license to sell alcoholic liquors shall not be issued by the county to any person or persons who owe any personal taxes or real estate taxes that are delinquent. A license shall not be issued to any person or persons when there are any personal property taxes or real estate taxes that are delinquent on the personal property or real estate proposed to be used by the license as a tavern or place of business to sell alcoholic liquors, even though the taxes were assessed to a person or persons other than the applicant or applicants. No license shall be issued to a person with active tax liens on file or who is otherwise delinquent in the payment of taxes to the State of Illinois through the Department of Revenue or the federal government through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Neither shall a license be issued to a person or persons with unpaid fines or costs assessed by the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Jersey County.
(Ord. passed 2-9-2021; Ord. passed 9-13-2022)
Penalty, see § 133.99