Florida Mobile Liquor License: 13CT, Fees, and TTB Registration

To run a mobile bar in Florida, you need a 13CT Caterer license from the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. There is no license in Florida called a mobile bar license; the 13CT is the authorization that lets a licensed catering business sell and serve beer, wine, and liquor at off-site events, provided the caterer is also serving prepared food at that event.¹ Getting there means stacking a Chapter 509 food-service license, federal TTB registration, sales tax registration, and local zoning approval on top of the state alcohol license itself.

What the 13CT Allows and Prohibits

The 13CT is authorized under Florida Statutes Section 561.20(2)(a)(5), which carves out an exception to the state’s quota on liquor licenses for caterers who meet specific food-revenue requirements.² It covers beer, wine, and liquor for on-premises consumption at catered events. It does not authorize package sales, and it does not allow a standalone bar operation without a food component.

The rule that catches most new operators: at least 51 percent of your gross food and beverage revenue at each individual event must come from food and non-alcoholic beverage sales. That is measured event by event, not averaged across your calendar. A single wedding where the bar tab dwarfs the food bill can put the license at risk. You must keep detailed records for every event, including contracts, customer names, event dates and locations, and itemized food, alcohol, and non-alcoholic beverage purchases and sales, for at least three years.² The license itself must be prominently displayed at every event where you serve alcohol.

Two boundaries worth knowing. If you already hold a quota liquor license such as a 4COP, Section 561.20 lets you serve at a catered event without a separate 13CT, provided a Chapter 509-licensed caterer is handling the food. A 3PS package-sales license will not substitute, because it prohibits on-premises consumption entirely.³ The temporary three-day permit under Section 561.422, which costs $25 and is capped at 12 per year, is only available to nonprofit civic or charitable organizations, municipalities, and counties, not to for-profit mobile bar businesses.⁴

Get Your Hotels and Restaurants License First

Before DBPR will process a 13CT, you need to be licensed by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants under Chapter 509. The 13CT application requires proof of that compliance up front.⁵

Florida administrative rules classify a caterer as a public food service establishment that prepares food for service elsewhere in response to a contract for a function or event.⁶ If your operation prepares potentially hazardous foods (anything beyond prepackaged items, coffee, or pastries), the DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants regulates you rather than the Florida Department of Agriculture.⁷ Plan on a sanitation and safety inspection of your commissary or food preparation space before that license issues.

Application Documents and Filing Order

The 13CT uses its own application form, DBPR ABT-6011, not the general ABT-6001 used for other beverage license types.⁵ The package requires:

Electronic fingerprints for every individual applicant, corporate officer, managing member, general partner, and any stockholder owning more than 0.5 percent of stock. Livescan is coordinated through PearsonVue; submit the receipt with your application.⁵
A Federal Employer Identification Number if you pay wages to one or more employees.
Registration with the Florida Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, if you operate as a corporation, LLC, or partnership.
Proof of Chapter 509 compliance from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants.
Certified copies of any arrest dispositions and any moral character mitigation documents.

Order matters. DBPR requires the licensure application to be filed before you submit fingerprints.⁸ Fingerprint first and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement may not process the results correctly. File, then get printed.

Fees

The annual state license fee for a 13CT is $1,820, a flat rate that does not vary by county.⁹ It is tied to the annual tax set in Section 565.02(1)(b) rather than to local population.

If you want to begin operating while your permanent license is being processed, you can request an initial temporary license for $455.⁵ Beyond the state fee, budget for your Hotels and Restaurants license, Livescan fingerprinting, corporate registration, and local zoning review fees, which vary by municipality.

Register With the Federal TTB

Before you serve your first drink, you must register with the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau as a retail beverage alcohol dealer. Catering services are specifically listed among businesses subject to this requirement.¹⁰ File TTB Form 5630.5d either online through Permits Online or on paper, before you begin business, at every location where you operate.¹¹

A valid EIN is required. If the IRS has not yet issued one, write “number applied for” on the registration and submit the EIN separately when it arrives. Changes to your business name, address, ownership, or EIN must be reported to the TTB by the following July 1, and you must file within 30 days of going out of business.¹¹

You Cannot Store Alcohol Between Events

This is the rule that most changes how a mobile bar actually operates. A 13CT licensee cannot store alcoholic beverages intended for sale at a catered event. There is no inventory between events. Every bottle you bring to a job must be purchased fresh from a licensed distributor under Sections 563.02, 564.02, or 565.02.² You cannot buy from another retail vendor and you cannot import alcohol from out of state.¹²

Leftover alcohol after an event must stay with the customer. The one exception is a return-for-credit arrangement with your distributor on unopened bottles, if the vendor agrees to accept them.² Price your events accordingly. You cannot roll leftover product into the next booking, so estimate carefully or negotiate return terms with your distributor up front.

Sales Tax

Alcoholic beverages sold in Florida, including mixed drinks, are subject to state sales tax plus any county discretionary sales surtax, for a combined rate ranging from 6 to 8 percent depending on where the event takes place.¹³ Register with the Florida Department of Revenue before you start operating. The Department issues an Annual Resale Certificate that expires each December 31.¹⁴

Mixed drinks are calculated using effective tax rate multipliers rather than a flat percentage, and the multiplier depends on whether you tell customers that tax is included in the drink price.¹³ Pull the Department of Revenue’s published rate tables before setting event pricing.

Local Zoning, Hours, and Dry Counties

Your state application will not move without local zoning approval. The county or municipality where your business is physically based has to sign the application, confirming your location complies with local land-use rules. Without that signature, the state will not issue the license.

Local ordinances can go beyond state law. Florida’s default statute prohibits alcohol sales between midnight and 7 a.m., but counties and municipalities can set their own hours.¹⁵ At least one Florida county prohibits hard liquor sales within its borders, and several others impose proximity restrictions near churches or schools. Check the ordinances in every county where you plan to work events, not only the one where your commissary sits.

Dram Shop Liability and Insurance

Florida’s dram shop statute is relatively protective of alcohol sellers. Under Section 768.125, serving an adult of legal drinking age generally does not expose you to liability for injuries that person later causes. The protection falls away in two situations: willfully and unlawfully serving a minor, or knowingly serving a person habitually addicted to alcohol. In either case you can be held civilly liable for resulting injuries or property damage.¹⁶

Liquor liability insurance is a practical requirement even with the statute in your favor. Many venues require proof of coverage before letting you set up. Coverage for mobile bartending commonly runs $100,000 to $1,000,000 per occurrence, with aggregate limits up to $2,000,000. General liability for things like a guest tripping over your equipment or damage to the venue is separate and typically runs $1,000,000 per occurrence. Most commercial policies also cover the scenario operators worry about most: a customer served at your bar causing injury on the drive home.

Train Your Staff Under the Responsible Vendor Act

Florida’s Responsible Vendor Act applies to establishments that serve alcohol, caterers included. Non-managerial employees who serve alcohol must complete a state-approved responsible vendor training program within 30 days of starting work, covering identification checks, spotting underage or visibly intoxicated patrons, and refusing service when required. The training is not a condition of initial licensure, but it is the main thing standing between your business and the two dram shop liability triggers, because both defenses turn on whether your staff knew.

Penalties for Operating Without the Right License

Pouring without a 13CT, or outside its terms, is not treated as a technical paperwork problem in Florida. The penalties under Section 562.12 escalate quickly:

Possession with intent to sell without a commercial establishment is a second-degree misdemeanor.¹⁷
Unlawful sale at a commercial establishment is a third-degree felony with a mandatory fine between $5,000 and $10,000.¹⁷
A second or subsequent violation is a second-degree felony with a mandatory fine between $15,000 and $20,000.¹⁷

Selling outside the scope of your license carries the same penalties as having no license at all. A mobile bar showing up to a wedding and pouring cocktails without a 13CT, or while violating its food-ratio or storage terms, falls directly into this framework. Operators who book events and plan to “get the license later” are the ones who end up with a felony charge and a five-figure fine.

1
Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Caterer License for Beer, Wine and Liquor Consumption on Premises (13CT)
2
Justia Law. Florida Code 561.20 – Limitation Upon Number of Licenses Issued
3
Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Beer, Wine and Liquor Package Sales (3PS)
4
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 561.422 – Nonprofit Civic Organizations, Charitable Organizations, Municipalities, and Counties; Temporary Permits
5
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. ABT 6011 – Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Application for Caterers License
6
Florida Administrative Code. Florida Administrative Code R. 61C-1.002 – Licensing and Inspection Requirements
7
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Mobile Food Establishments
8
MyFloridaLicense.com. Fingerprinting
9
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. 2025 Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Licenses and Permits for Alcoholic Beverages
10
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Beverage Alcohol Retailers
11
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Alcohol Dealer Registration
12
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 561.14 – Vendors
13
Florida Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax on Alcoholic Beverages
14
Florida Dept. of Revenue. Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax
15
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 562.14
16
Florida Senate. Florida Code 768.125 – Liability for Injury or Damage Resulting From Intoxication
17
Florida Senate. Florida Code 562.12 – Beverages Sold With Improper Licenses or Permits