How to Complete the RI LI-1 Liquor License Application: Fees and Hearing

The Rhode Island LI-1 liquor license application is the initial retail-license form you file with your town or city clerk, not with the DMV and not directly with the state. Rhode Island handles retail liquor licensing at the municipal level: the local licensing board (usually the town or city council) holds a public hearing, votes on your request, and sends an approved application to the Department of Business Regulation for final state sign-off before you can sell alcohol.¹

Pick up the form at your clerk’s office and ask whether a downloadable version is available. DBR posts applications online for the license classes it issues directly (manufacturers, wholesalers, caterers, and vessel licenses), but retail LI-1 filings run through the municipality. Every applicant also has to complete DBR’s Email Communication Form, which lives on the DBR liquor page.

Pick the Right License Class First

Form LI-1 asks you to check a box for the class of retail license you want, and choosing the wrong one will get the application rejected. Rhode Island recognizes more than a dozen retail classes, each tied to a specific style of business.

Class A is a package store license for off-premise sales of sealed bottles and cans.
Class B-V is the standard restaurant license, requiring a working kitchen and a menu showing food is a substantial part of the business.
Class B-T covers taverns and additionally requires reasonable sleeping accommodations.
Class BM is the brewpub license, allowing on-premise brewing and retail sale of malt beverages; applicants must file a floor plan and proposed menu.
Class BH is for hotels, Class C for private clubs serving pre-packaged food, and Class D for clubs established before 1900.
Class N covers nightclubs and carries extra public-notice requirements.
Classes F, F-1, and F-2 are short-term special event licenses for beer and wine, full spirits, and auctions, and are not issued regularly to the same party or location.

The full catalog sits in DBR’s liquor regulations and in Rhode Island General Laws Title 3, Chapter 7.² Call your clerk before you commit if there is any doubt about which class fits. Filing under the wrong class costs you the filing fee and sends you back to the start.

Eligibility Rules That Can Disqualify You

Who Can Hold a License

Individual retail licenses are limited to U.S. citizens who reside in Rhode Island. If a business entity holds the license, the entity must be organized in Rhode Island or registered to do business here through the Secretary of State. When the entity is the license holder, individual owners, directors, and officers do not have to be Rhode Island residents, but they still have to clear background checks.³

No Manufacturer or Wholesaler Interests

Manufacturers and wholesalers cannot hold any direct or indirect interest in a retail license or in the business operating under one. The prohibition reaches ownership stakes, subsidiary relationships, stock, interlocking directors, and loans or guarantees to a retailer.³ Any financial tie to an alcohol manufacturer or distributor has to be unwound before you file.

Location Buffers

Class B, C, N, and I licenses cannot be issued for a building within 200 feet of a public, private, or parochial K–12 school or a place of public worship. The owner of the majority of land within 200 feet of any point of the building can also block a license by filing a written objection with the local licensing authority. East Providence imposes a stricter 500-foot buffer on Class A package stores from schools and houses of worship.⁴

Two carve-outs matter. The proximity rules do not apply to Class B or C licenses originally issued before January 1, 1978, and they do not block the transfer of a Class B or C license when the licensed location predates the school or house of worship.⁴

Documents to Gather Before You Fill Anything Out

Pulling these together first saves you from the back-and-forth of an incomplete filing.

Certificate of Good Standing from the Rhode Island Secretary of State, confirming your entity is organized and current.
Tax clearance from the Division of Taxation. Some municipalities will not process or renew a license until Taxation signs off.⁵
Zoning approval for the proposed location. Some towns want a special-use permit from the Zoning Board rather than a simple zoning certificate.⁶
BCI background check from the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office for every owner, officer, and director. The fee is $5 per person. Criminal history is reviewed under the Fair Chance Act, so a record is not an automatic bar; DBR applies the statutory factors before deciding.⁷³
Floor plan or premises sketch showing where alcohol will be stored, served, and consumed. Brewpub applicants are specifically required to submit a floor plan and a proposed menu.⁸
Articles of Incorporation or Organization. Class D club applicants also need the current Non-profit Corporation form (N-13) filed with the Secretary of State.²

Call your clerk to confirm the local checklist. Many towns add their own requirements, such as a building inspection, a fire inspection, or proof of insurance, that the state form does not spell out.

Filling Out the LI-1

Applicant Information

Enter the legal name of the business exactly as it appears in Secretary of State filings. A missing “LLC” suffix or a trade-name variant will slow processing while the board reconciles the discrepancy. Include the entity’s mailing address, phone number, and the physical address of the proposed licensed location.

Ownership Disclosure

List every individual with a financial interest in the business: shareholders, members, officers, and directors. The names here must match the people who submitted BCI checks. The public hearing notice later published in the newspaper must name any person owning more than ten percent of the proposed license holder, so get this right the first time.⁸

License Class

Check the box for the exact class you want. If you are applying for a Class B, be specific about B-V versus B-T. The board evaluates your application against the standards for the class you checked, not the one you meant.

Premises Description

Translate your floor plan into a written description that defines the boundaries of the area where alcohol will be stored and served. The licensing board uses this description to set the legal limits of your licensed space. Service outside those boundaries is a violation, so cover patios, outdoor seating, and private dining rooms you plan to use.

Signatures and Notarization

All relevant parties, typically the owners or authorized officers, must sign in front of a notary public. Call ahead to your bank or a shipping store to confirm a notary will be available before your filing deadline.

Fees and Filing

File the notarized LI-1 with your local licensing board through the clerk’s office. Some municipalities, including Johnston, have moved to an online portal that handles document uploads and payment; others still take filings in person.⁹

Expect a non-refundable processing fee at the time of filing. South Kingstown, for example, charges $25 for processing and requires the full annual license fee to accompany the application.⁶ Annual license fees vary by municipality and class, so get the current number from the clerk before you write the check. A wrong or missing fee can keep the board from scheduling your hearing.

The Public Hearing

Filing triggers a public hearing before the local licensing board. Beforehand, the municipality must advertise the hearing once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of local circulation, with the first ad appearing at least 14 days before the hearing date.⁶ The notice must include your name (plus anyone owning more than ten percent), the business name, the proposed address, and the date, time, and place of the hearing.⁸

Neighbors, competing businesses, and other residents can speak for or against the application at the hearing. Boards commonly weigh compliance with local ordinances, citizen reaction, proximity to residential areas and schools, traffic impact, parking, and the applicant’s qualifications to run the licensed business.⁶ Show up with your floor plan, zoning approval, and anything else that speaks to those factors. Most municipalities require you or an authorized representative to appear in person.

State Review and Timeline

If the local board votes to approve, the application goes to DBR for final state-level review. DBR confirms the application meets the Title 3 requirements, checks background results, and verifies that no prohibited manufacturer or wholesaler interests exist. Once DBR signs off, the license issues and you can begin sales at the approved location.

Start to finish, the process commonly runs 30 to 120 days when nothing goes wrong. Incomplete paperwork, neighborhood objections, or zoning disputes stretch the timeline further. The best protection against delay is a complete filing with every required document attached from the start.

If Your Application Is Denied

A denial can be appealed to the DBR director within ten days of the local decision. The local board must notify you of its decision within 24 hours, and the decision takes effect immediately unless the DBR director grants a stay. On appeal, the director holds a hearing and can confirm or reverse the local board’s decision in whole or in part. The same appeal right belongs to anyone who protested the application below, so opponents can seek review of an approval as well.¹⁰

1
Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. Liquor Enforcement and Compliance
2
Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. Rhode Island Liquor Control Administration Regulations
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Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. Liquor Enforcement and Compliance Frequently Asked Questions
4
Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code Title 3-7-19 – Objection by Owner of Land Near Premises
5
City of Providence. City of Providence Liquor License Renewal
6
Town of South Kingstown. South Kingstown Liquor License Rules and Regulations
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Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office. Get a Background Check
8
Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. Rhode Island Liquor Control Administration Rules and Regulations
9
Town of Johnston. Business Licenses
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Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code Title 3-7-21 – Appeals