Alcohol sales require a license from the DBPR Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT). Fees depend on license type and county population; Pinellas is in the top population bracket. Beer/wine licenses are available to any qualified applicant; full liquor (4COP) quota licenses are capped at one per 7,500 county residents and are usually bought on the resale market or won in the annual quota drawing. Local zoning approval is part of the state application.
Bars, restaurants, package stores, breweries, and retailers selling alcoholic beverages in Pinellas County.
Pick the license type
Common types: 2APS (beer and wine, package sales only) $196/yr in Pinellas; 2COP (beer and wine, on or off premises) $392/yr; 4COP quota (beer, wine, liquor) $1,820/yr; SFS special restaurant license (traditionally called SRX) $1,820/yr. All fees shown are the top county-population bracket, which applies in Pinellas.
www2.myfloridalicense.com/abt/rules_statutes/license_types.pSpecial restaurant (SRX/SFS) requirements
Under FS 561.20(2)(a)4, a special restaurant license requires at least 2,000 square feet of service area, equipment and seats to serve 120 persons at one time, and at least 51 percent of gross food and beverage revenue from food and nonalcoholic beverages (measured over the first 120 days and first 12 months). No package sales; alcohol service must end when food service ends.
flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/561.20For full liquor: obtain a quota license
Quota licenses are limited to one per 7,500 residents per county (FS 561.20(1)). New ones are issued through ABT's annual double random selection drawing (FS 561.19): $100 entry fee, 45 days to file the full application if selected, and a one-time $10,750 fee on newly issued quota licenses. Most operators instead buy an existing license on the resale market (transfer via form ABT-6002).
www2.myfloridalicense.com/alcoholic-beverages-and-tobacco/quFile form ABT-6001 with zoning approval
Submit the application to the local ABT district office. Zoning approval must be executed by the city or county zoning authority where the premises sits (your city zoning office, or Pinellas County for unincorporated areas). Also required: Department of Revenue clearance, health approval for consumption-on-premises (from DBPR H&R or FDACS depending on food type), notarized affidavit, FDLE Livescan fingerprints for owners/officers/shareholders over 0.5 percent, Sunbiz registration, and a premises sketch.
www2.myfloridalicense.com/abt/forms/documents/ApplicationPacOptionally operate on a temporary license
A temporary license costs $100 or one quarter of the annual license fee, whichever is greater, paid at application (Rules 61A-5.010 and 61A-5.056 FAC).
www2.myfloridalicense.com/abt/forms/documents/ApplicationPac| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2APS (beer/wine package only), Pinellas | $196.00/yr | Top population bracket |
| 2COP (beer/wine on or off premises), Pinellas | $392.00/yr | |
| 4COP quota (liquor), Pinellas | $1,820.00/yr | Matches FS 565.02(1) for counties over 100,000; license itself limited by quota |
| SFS/SRX special restaurant, Pinellas | $1,820.00/yr | 2,000 sq ft / 120 seats / 51% food revenue requirements |
| Quota drawing entry | $100.00 | One-time $10,750 fee on newly issued quota licenses (FS 561.19) |
| Temporary license | $100 or 1/4 annual fee (greater) |
Fee amounts change, the linked official schedule always controls.
Older references citing 2,500 sq ft / 150 seats for the special restaurant license are outdated; current law is 2,000 sq ft / 120 seats / 51 percent. Resale prices for quota licenses are a private market matter with no official figures.