Atlanta’s alcohol-license application fee hike returns to committee agenda Oct. 12

A proposal to double Atlanta’s initial alcohol-license application fee for licenses effective in 2027 is on the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee’s Oct. 12 agenda. The measure remains held—not approved.⁠[1]

Councilmember Andrea L. Boone’s ordinance would raise the charge from the existing $300 identified in the legislation to $600 for licenses effective during 2027, $900 during 2028 and $1,700 during 2029 and afterward. At the final step, an initial application would cost $1,400 more than the fee the ordinance says is now required.⁠[1]

The proposal targets the initial application charge, not annual license charges. Its schedule covers beer and wine for consumption or packaged sale, and distilled spirits for consumption or packaged sale. The phase-in depends on the year the license would be in effect.⁠[1]

The ordinance frames the increase as cost recovery rather than a way to raise general revenue. It says the fee has not risen at least since the city code was readopted in 1977, and that investigating and processing an application now costs more than the fee brings in. Those are the proposal’s stated justifications for the increase.⁠[1]

The ordinance cites a fee study, but the study’s underlying cost calculation has not been independently verified for this report.⁠[1]

Full Council returned the ordinance to the committee as held on Oct. 5, according to the legislative history included in the packet. That action did not enact the higher charges.⁠[1]

The Oct. 12 committee meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. The agenda lists the proposal for continued consideration but does not establish whether members will vote on it or leave it on hold.⁠[1]