Restaurant Liquor License — Pennsylvania (PLCB)
Serving alcohol in Pennsylvania requires a Restaurant (R) liquor license from the PLCB, renewed annually with tax clearance.
What it is. The state Restaurant ("R") liquor license (PA is a control state). Retail liquor licenses include the Restaurant license for on-premises service.
Who issues it. Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) (State layer).
When you need it. Before serving alcohol. License availability can be limited (quota by county), and licenses are often purchased/transferred.
How to apply. Apply/transfer through the PLCB. A tax clearance from the Department of Revenue and Labor & Industry is required before renewal/validation.
Fees. Per the PLCB schedule — see source (⟢ VERIFY).
Renewal. Annual (validated yearly with tax clearance).
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
- Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board — https://www.lcb.pa.gov/Licensing — 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.