Opening or running a restaurant or bar? Start with your state's official pages
Independent owners say the hardest part of opening is not knowing which agency does what, or in what order. This directory gathers the official alcohol-license, food-service, business-registration and tipped-wage pages for all 50 states and D.C. in one place. Every link comes from a federal agency directory and shows the date it was last checked.
Plan for local rules. Cities and counties add their own zoning, building, fire, health and alcohol approvals. Treat this as a map to the official pages, not as advice. See disclaimers.
| State | Alcohol authority (first listed by TTB) | Food-service program (first listed by FDA) | Min. cash wage, tipped staff (DOL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board | Department of Public Health Division of Food, Milk & Lodging | $2.13 |
| Alaska | Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office | Department of Environmental Conservation Food Safety & Sanitation Program | $14.00 |
| Arizona | Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control | Department of Health Services Food Safety & Environmental Services | $12.15 |
| Arkansas | Alcohol Beverage Control | Department of Health Food Protection Program | $2.63 |
| California | California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control | California Department of Public Health Food Safety Program | $16.90 |
| Colorado | Colorado Department of Revenue-Liquor Enforcement Division | Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment Retail Food Program | $12.14 |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection | Department of Consumer Protection, Food and Standards Division | Varies (see state page) |
| Delaware | Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner | Department of Health & Social Services Office of Food Protection | $2.23 |
| District of Columbia | Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration | $10.30 | |
| Florida | Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco | Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Food Safety | $11.98 |
| Georgia | Georgia Department of Revenue Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Division | Department of Agriculture Food Safety Retail Program | $2.13 |
| Hawaii | Department of Liquor Control County of Hawaii | Department of Health Sanitation Branch | $14.75 |
| Idaho | Idaho State Liquor Dispensary | Department of Health & Welfare Food Protection Program | $3.35 |
| Illinois | Illinois Liquor Control Commission | Department of Public Health Foods, Drugs & Dairies | $9.00 |
| Indiana | Alcohol and Tobacco Commission | Department of Health Food Protection Program | $2.13 |
| Iowa | Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division | Department of Inspections & Appeals Food & Consumer Safety Bureau | $4.35 |
| Kansas | Kansas Department of Revenue Alcohol Beverage Control | Department of Agriculture Food Safety & Lodging | $2.13 |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control Department | Cabinet for Health & Family Services Food Safety Branch | $2.13 |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Department of Revenue Alcohol and Tobacco Control Office | Louisiana Department of Health Retail Food Program | $2.13 |
| Maine | Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations | Maine Department of Health and Human Services Health Inspection Program | $7.55 |
| Maryland | Maryland Field Enforcement Division | Maryland Food Service Facilities | $3.63 |
| Massachusetts | Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission | Department of Public Health Food Protection Program | $6.75 |
| Michigan | Michigan Liquor Control Commission | Department of Agriculture Food Safety & Recalls | $5.49 |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Department of Public Safety Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division | Department of Health Food Safety | $11.41 |
| Mississippi | Alcoholic Beverage Control Office | Department of Health Food Safety Division | $2.13 |
| Missouri | Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control | Department of Health & Senior Services Food Safety | $7.50 |
| Montana | Montana Liquor License Bureau | Department of Public Health & Human Services Food & Consumer Safety Section | Varies (see state page) |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Liquor Control Commission | Department of Agriculture Food Division | $2.13 |
| Nevada | Nevada Department of Taxation | Department of Health & Human Services Environmental Health Services | $12.00 |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire State Liquor Commission | Department of Health & Human Services Food Protection | $3.27 |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control | Department of Health & Senior Services Food & Drug Safety Program | $6.05 |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department | Environment Department Food Program | $3.00 |
| New York | New York State Liquor Authority Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control | Department of Agriculture & Markets Division of Food Safety & Inspection | Varies by region and employer type |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission | Department of Health and Human Services Food Protection and Facilities, Division of Public Health | $2.13 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Office of the State Tax Commissioner | Department of Health Division of Food & Lodging | $4.86 |
| Ohio | Ohio Department of Commerce | Department of Health Food Safety Program | $5.50 |
| Oklahoma | Alcoholic Beverage Law Enforcement Commission (ABLE) | Department of Health Consumer Protection Division | $2.13 |
| Oregon | Oregon Liquor Control Commission | Department of Human Services Foodborne Illness Prevention Program | Varies (see state page) |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board | Department of Agriculture Bureau of Food Safety & Laboratory Services | $2.83 |
| Rhode Island | Division of Commercial Licensing and Regulation Liquor Enforcement and Compliance | Department of Health Office of Food Protection | $3.89 |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Department of Revenue & Taxation | South Carolina Department of Agriculture | $2.13 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Revenue | Department of Health Office of Health Protection | $5.93 |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission | Department of Health Division of General Environmental Health | $2.13 |
| Texas | Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission | Department of State Health Services Food Establishments Group | $2.13 |
| Utah | Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control | Department of Agriculture Division of Regulatory Services Department of Health Environmental Sanitation Program --> | $2.13 |
| Vermont | Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery | Department of Health Food & Lodging Program | $7.21 |
| Virginia | Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority | Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Food Safety & Security Office | $2.13 |
| Washington | Washington Department of Revenue | Department of Health Food Safety Program | $17.13 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commission Enforcement & Licensing Division | Department of Health & Human Resources Public Health Sanitation Division | $2.62 |
| Wisconsin | Department of Revenue | Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection Division of Food Safety | $2.33 |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Liquor Commission | Department of Agriculture Consumer Health Services Section | $2.13 |
Last verified 2026-10-17. Sources: TTB, FDA, IRS, U.S. DOL. Full list on the sources page.