A Florida 2COP license lets a business sell beer and wine for consumption on the premises and in sealed containers to go. It is issued by the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and unlike the full-liquor 4COP, it is not capped by county population. Annual fees run from $168 to $392 depending on where you operate.1Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Beer and Wine Consumption on Premises (2COP)
What You Can and Cannot Sell
The license covers malt beverages (beer) and wine, including sparkling and fortified wines. You can pour drinks by the glass for customers to drink in your establishment and sell sealed bottles, cans, or growlers for them to take home, provided local ordinances allow package sales in your area.1Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Beer and Wine Consumption on Premises (2COP) Some cities restrict off-premises sales even where state law would permit them, so check your municipal rules before promising six-packs to go.
Distilled spirits are off limits. You cannot sell, serve, or keep liquor on the premises under a 2COP. Possessing alcohol your license does not authorize, with intent to sell, is a second-degree misdemeanor carrying up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 562.12 – Beverages Sold With Improper License or Without License3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines Actually selling spirits escalates the charge to a third-degree felony with a mandatory fine of $5,000 to $10,000, and the Division can revoke the license on top of the criminal case.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 561.29 – Revocation and Suspension of License
How the 2COP Compares to 1COP and 4COP
Florida assigns series numbers based on what each license authorizes.5Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Florida License Types A 1COP covers beer only. A 2COP adds wine. A 4COP covers all alcoholic beverages, including spirits, but it is a quota license capped at one per 7,500 county residents, which pushes most buyers to the secondary market where existing 4COPs can sell for roughly $20,000 in rural counties and well into six figures in Miami-Dade or Broward.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 561.20 – Limitation Upon Number of Licenses Issued For a café, small restaurant, taproom, or wine bar, the 2COP skips the lottery and the purchase price.
What a 2COP License Costs
Annual fees scale with your county’s population, including a 40% surcharge built into each tier:7Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Annual License Fees
- Over 100,000 residents: $392
- 75,001 to 100,000: $336
- 50,001 to 75,000: $280
- 25,000 to 50,000: $224
- Under 25,000: $168
Most applicants in metro counties pay $392. If you need to open before the permanent license is issued, you can request a temporary license at one-quarter of the permanent fee or $100, whichever is greater.1Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Beer and Wine Consumption on Premises (2COP) The temporary authorization covers you while the Division completes its background checks and field inspection.
How to Apply
The application is DBPR Form ABT-6001, the standard form for any new alcoholic beverage license. Every person with a financial interest in the business must be disclosed, including Social Security numbers and residential history, and each of those individuals must submit fingerprints electronically through a Florida Department of Law Enforcement-approved Livescan vendor. The vendor charges its own fee at the time of fingerprinting.8Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Application for New Alcoholic Beverage License
The state will not process your application until several local approvals are attached:
- A signed lease or recorded deed showing you have legal control of the premises.
- Written zoning approval from local authorities, including any required distance from schools, churches, or other protected structures.
- A health sign-off from the Department of Health or the Division of Hotels and Restaurants verifying the facility meets sanitation standards. Serving food triggers additional kitchen and dining-area inspections.
- A premise sketch showing the floor plan of the licensed area.
- A Federal Employer Identification Number from the IRS, obtainable online at irs.gov or by mailing Form SS-4.9Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Things to Know When Filing an Alcohol or Tobacco Application
Each local agency works on its own timeline. A missing endorsement is the most common reason applications stall, and an incomplete package will either be rejected or returned for supplemental materials, adding weeks.
Submission, Inspection, and Issuance
Submit the completed package to the regional District Office of the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Once the Division confirms the paperwork is complete and fees are paid, it assigns an agent to conduct a field investigation. The agent visits in person to verify that the physical layout matches the sketch and that the space meets state safety codes. If the background checks and inspection come back clean, the Division issues either a temporary permit or your permanent certificate. The license must be displayed in a visible spot inside the establishment; Florida law requires it.10Florida Senate. Florida Code 561.23 – License Display
Renewal Dates and Late Consequences
Alcoholic beverage licenses renew annually, and your expiration date depends on your county. Northern and central counties generally run October 1 through September 30; southern and coastal counties run April 1 through March 31.11Legal Information Institute. Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 61A-3.0101 – License Renewals, Fixing Dates by Counties, Exceptions Duval, Hillsborough, Orange, and Pinellas expire September 30; Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Sarasota expire March 31. The Division sends renewal notices before the deadline. Miss it, and a delinquent renewal penalty is added on top of the regular fee.12Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Alcoholic Beverage License Renewal Ignore the renewal entirely and your selling privileges can be suspended.
Transferring a 2COP When Buying an Existing Business
Because the 2COP is not a quota license, transfers are more straightforward than 4COP transfers, but they still involve a full application. The buyer files Form ABT-6002 and submits most of the same documentation required for a new license: fingerprints, zoning approval, health sign-off, proof of occupancy, and a Department of Revenue clearance.13Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Transfer of Ownership of an Alcoholic Beverage License
While the transfer application is pending, you are entitled to a temporary license of the same series as the seller’s, so you can keep operating.14Florida Senate. Florida Code 561.331 – Temporary Licenses Upon Application for Transfer or Change of Location One catch: during that temporary period, you must pay cash for your alcohol purchases unless you buy through a pool buying agent or already hold another state license covering the same products.
Ongoing Rules Once You Are Licensed
Age-21 Sales and Employee Age
Selling or serving alcohol to anyone under 21 is a first-degree misdemeanor for the licensee or any employee of the licensed business, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.15The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 562.11 – Selling, Giving, or Serving Alcoholic Beverages to Person Under Age 213The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines The Division can also suspend or revoke the license for the same violation.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 561.29 – Revocation and Suspension of License Employees at a licensed establishment must be at least 18, with narrow exceptions for places like grocery stores or drugstores that sell beer or wine for off-premises consumption only.16Florida Senate. Florida Code 562.13 – Employment of Persons Under Age 18 For a 2COP serving drinks on-premises, plan on staffing only adults.
Responsible Vendor Program
Florida does not require server training, but it offers a voluntary Responsible Vendor program that provides meaningful legal protection if a violation occurs. To qualify, you must train every new server within 30 days of hire and every new manager within 15 days on topics like recognizing underage buyers, the effects of alcohol, and the laws governing your license. All employees must attend a refresher at least once every four months.17The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 561.705 – Responsible Vendor Qualification Accredited programs from providers like TIPS or ServSafe typically cost under $20 per employee.
Federal Registration With TTB
State licensing is not the only regulatory step. Federal law requires every retail seller of beer, wine, or spirits to register with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau before opening. Register by filing TTB Form 5630.5d, which can be completed online through the TTB’s Permits Online system. Register separately for each location and update your registration by July 1 of any year in which the information changes. TTB also requires you to keep records of every shipment of beer and wine you receive, which are typically just your purchase invoices kept on site. Selling 20 wine gallons or more to a single buyer at one time triggers additional recordkeeping and can lead TTB to presume you are operating as a wholesaler, though that threshold rarely applies to a typical 2COP serving individual customers.18Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Beverage Alcohol Retailers