Michigan liquor license types, in plain words

Class C (full bar)

Allows a restaurant or bar to sell and serve beer, wine, mixed spirit drink, and spirits to customers. May be issued as a quota, resort, RDA, DDA, or special act license. Local legislative approval is required for new, previously unissued license, but not required to transfer ownership or location of an existing license.

Full bar in a restaurant or bar; the quota license that trades hands in Michigan.

Tavern (beer and wine)

Allows a restaurant or bar to sell and serve beer, wine, and mixed spirit drink products for consumption on the licensed premises. May be issued as a quota, resort, RDA, DDA, or special act license. Local legislative approval is required for new, previously unissued license, but not required to transfer ownership or location of an existing license.

Beer, wine and mixed spirit drinks by the glass; no spirits.

SDM (beer and wine to go)

Allows a convenience store, grocery store, or gas station to sell beer and wine to consumers for consumption off the premises. An on-premises retailer may also hold an SDM license to allow customers to purchase beer, wine, and mixed spirit drink products for takeout. May only be issued as a quota license with a number of exemptions from the quota requirements. No local legislative approval required for licensure.

Beer and wine to go; the party-store, grocery and gas-station license.

SDD (spirits to go)

Allows a convenience store, grocery store, or gas station to sell spirits to consumers for consumption off the premises. An SDD license is almost always held in conjunction with an SDM license. The only on-premises retailers that may hold an SDD license are Class C and B-Hotel licensees. May be issued as a quota or resort license. No local legislative approval required for licensure.

Packaged spirits to go; almost always paired with an SDM.

B-Hotel (full bar)

Allows a hotel that has a minimum of 25 rooms to sell and serve beer, wine, mixed spirit drink, and spirits to customers. May be issued as a quota, resort, RDA, DDA, or special act license. Local legislative approval is required for new, previously unissued license, but not required to transfer ownership or location of an existing license.

Hotel with a full bar.

A-Hotel (beer and wine)

Allows a hotel that has a minimum of 25 rooms to sell and serve beer, wine, and mixed spirit drink products for consumption on the licensed premises. May be issued as a quota, resort, RDA, DDA, or special act license. Local legislative approval is required for new, previously unissued license, but not required to transfer ownership or location of an existing license.

Hotel bar, beer and wine only.

Club (members only)

Allows a private, nonprofit organization to sell and serve beer, wine, mixed spirit drink, and spirits to its members only. This is not a quota license. Local legislative approval is required for new, previously unissued license, but not required to transfer ownership or location of an existing license.

Nonprofit club, members only, full bar.

G-1 golf club (full bar)

Allows a private, corporate golf club to sell and serve beer, wine, mixed spirit drink, and spirits to its members only. Must be reclassified from an existing quota on-premises license. Local legislative approval is required to transfer the classification to a G-1 license.

Private golf club with a full bar for members.

G-2 golf club (beer and wine)

Allows a private, corporate golf club to sell and serve beer, wine, and mixed spirit drink products to its members only. Must be reclassified from an existing quota on-premises license. Local legislative approval is required to transfer the classification to a G-2 license.

Private golf club, beer and wine for members.

Brewpub

Allows a Class C, Tavern, A-Hotel, or B-Hotel licensee to manufacture, sell, and serve its own beer to its customers. May also sell beer it manufactures to customers for off-premises consumption. This is not a quota license. Local legislative approval is required for new, previously unissued license, but not required to transfer ownership or location of an existing license.

Brews on site; rides on a Class C, Tavern or hotel license.

Retirement center

Allows a registered continuing care retirement center or home for the aged to sell and serve beer, wine, mixed spirit drink, and spirits for consumption by a resident or the bona fide guests accompanying the resident on the premises of the facility.

Senior residence bar for residents and guests.

Aircraft

Allows the sale and service of beer, wine, mixed spirit drink, and spirits on an airplane that has a specific route and timetable. This is not a quota license. No local legislative approval required for licensure.

Airline onboard service; no premises to call on.

Train

Allows the sale and service of beer, wine, mixed spirit drink, and spirits on a train. This is not a quota license. No local legislative approval required for licensure.

Train bar car.

Watercraft

Allows the sale and service of beer, wine, mixed spirit drink, and spirits on a boat that has a specific route and timetable. This is not a quota license. No local legislative approval required for licensure.

Boat bar.

Special license (one-day nonprofit)

A limited term license, generally only for one day, that can be issued to a nonprofit organization for fundraising purposes. Can be issued for beer, wine, and spirits sales and consumption and for a wine auction with wine donated by private individuals. An organization may only be issued twelve (12) Special Licenses each calendar year. This is not a quota license.

One-day fundraiser permit, not a new account.

Not in the feed: nobody sells to these the way they sell to a bar or store.

Beer festival special license

A limited term license that allows an association comprised of Brewer, Micro Brewer, or Brewpub licensees to hold a beer festival. The association is limited to six (6) events each calendar year. The events can be more than one day, generally two to three days in a row. This is not a quota license.

Beer festival permit.

Brewer (over 60,000 bbl)

A manufacturer of beer which manufactures more than 60,000 barrels of beer a year. Can sell beer to Wholesaler licensees to sell to retailers. May also sell beer to consumers under an On-Premises Tasting Room Permit at the location where it manufactures beer.

Large brewery.

Micro brewer

A manufacturer of beer which manufactures 60,000 or fewer barrels of beer a year. Can sell beer to Wholesaler licensees to sell to retailers. May also sell beer to consumers under an On-Premises Tasting Room Permit at the location where it manufactures beer. May also self-distribute beer it manufactures to retailers if it sells fewer than 2,000 barrels of beer a year.

Craft brewery; taproom sales and small self-distribution.

Wine maker (over 50,000 gal)

A manufacturer of wine which manufactures more than 50,000 gallons of wine a year. Can sell wine to Wholesaler licensees to sell to retailers. May also sell wine to consumers under an On-Premises Tasting Room Permit at the location where it manufactures it and also through an Off-Premises Tasting Room license or Joint Off-Premises Tasting Room license. May self-distribute wine it manufactures to retailers.

Large winery.

Small wine maker

A manufacturer of wine which manufactures 50,000 or fewer gallons of wine a year. Can sell wine to Wholesaler licensees to sell to retailers. May also sell wine to consumers under an On-Premises Tasting Room Permit at the location where it manufactures it and also through an Off-Premises Tasting Room license or Joint Off-Premises Tasting Room license May self-distribute wine it manufactures to retailers.

Small winery with tasting-room and self-distribution rights.

Distiller (over 60,000 gal)

A manufacturer of spirit products that contain more than 10% alcohol by volume which manufactures more than 60,000 gallons of spirits a year. Can sell spirits it manufactures to the Commission to sell through Authorized Distribution Agents to retailers.

Large distillery; sells through the state.

Small distiller

A manufacturer of spirit products that contain more than 10% alcohol by volume which manufactures 60,000 or fewer gallons of spirits a year. Can sell spirits it manufactures to the Commission to sell through Authorized Distribution Agents to retailers. May self-distribute spirits it manufactures to retailers if it sells less than 3,000 gallons of spirits a calendar year to retailers.

Craft distillery with tasting room and small self-distribution.

Brandy manufacturer

A manufacturer that manufactures brandy from wine that it manufactures. The Brandy Manufacturer licensee must also be licensed as a Wine Maker or Small Wine Maker licensee.

Winery that also distills brandy.

Mixed spirit drink manufacturer

A manufacturer of mixed spirit drink products that contain 10% or less alcohol by volume. Can sell mixed spirit drink products it manufactures to Wholesaler licensees to sell to retailers.

Canned-cocktail and RTD producer.

Off-premises tasting room

A license that may be held by a Wine Maker, Small Wine Maker, Distiller, Small Distiller, or Brandy Manufacturer license at a location that is not on the manufacturer's licensed manufacturing premises. Under an Off-Premises Tasting Room license, the manufacturer may only sell the spirit, wine, or brandy products it manufactures at its licensed manufacturing premises.

A winery's or distillery's satellite tasting room.

Direct shipper (wine)

A license held by a Wine Maker or Small Wine Maker licensee that allows the Wine Maker or Small Wine Maker to sell and ship wine directly to a consumer in Michigan or another state. An Outstate Seller of Wine located in another state may hold this license if it is the manufacturer of the wine it ships into Michigan.

Winery shipping direct to consumers; often out of state, no premises to call on.

Not in the feed: nobody sells to these the way they sell to a bar or store.

Wholesaler (distributor)

A license that allows the distribution of beer, wine, or mixed spirit drink products produced in or brought into Michigan by licensees in the supplier tier to sell to licensees in the retailer tier. Wholesaler licensees are often referred to as "distributors". No local legislative approval required for licensure.

Beer and wine distributor.

Not in the feed: nobody sells to these the way they sell to a bar or store.

Catering permit

Allows for the sale, deliver, and service of beer, wine, and spirits to a customer for a private event. No alcohol can be sold by the drink to guests at the event; the host must buy all the alcohol and it is served to the guests for no charge.

Add-on for private events; rides on a retail license.

Dance permit

Allows for dancing on the premises of a licensee that has on-premises consumption.

Add-on permit; not a new account.

Entertainment permit

Allows for monologues, dialogues, motion pictures, still slides, closed circuit television, contests, or other performances for public viewing on the premises of a licensee that has on-premises consumption.

Add-on permit for live entertainment.

Sunday sales, morning

Allows for the sale of beer, wine, mixed spirit drink, or spirits from 7:00am to 11:59am on Sunday for applicable license types in local governmental units that allow Sunday morning sales of alcohol.

Add-on permit for Sunday morning sales.

Sunday sales, afternoon and evening

Allows for the sale of mixed spirit drink or spirits from 12:00pm on Sunday to 2:00am on Monday morning for applicable license types in local governmental units that allow Sunday afternoon and evening sales of alcohol.

Add-on permit for Sunday spirits sales.

Outdoor service

Allows an on-premises licensee to sell and serve alcohol in a well-defined and clearly marked area adjacent to the licensed premises.

Patio or sidewalk service add-on.