Retail Liquor License (Local) — Denver
Denver restaurants serving alcohol need a local Hotel & Restaurant liquor license from Excise & Licenses, paired with the state license.
What it is. The local portion of the retail liquor license (Hotel and Restaurant license for a restaurant), paired with the Colorado state license.
Who issues it. City and County of Denver — Department of Excise and Licenses (the Local Licensing Authority) (City layer); the state Liquor Enforcement Division issues the state portion.
When you need it. Before serving alcohol. Plan for a minimum of ~120 days.
How to apply. Apply through Denver Excise and Licenses alongside the state application.
Fees. Per the local + state schedules — see source (⟢ VERIFY).
What SpoonSeal tracks. The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
References
- City and County of Denver, Liquor Licenses — https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Business-Licensing/Business-Licenses/Liquor-Licenses/New-Liquor-License — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.