Licenses of drinking establishments
Verified 27 November 2025 - Entreprendre Public Service / Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
Any establishment that sells alcohol to be consumed on site or take-away must have a license. It can be a cafe, pub, bar, restaurant, nightclub, supermarket, grocery store, walking shop, etc. There is the license III, the license IV, the restaurant license and the small or large license to take away.
There are several categories of licenses depending on the type of beverage:
- Free sale without license for beverages with an alcohol content of less than 1.2 degrees: some fruit juices, kefir for example with very low fermentation
- The license III (license 3) allows to sell drinks with an alcohol content 18 or less° : wine, beer, cider, perry, port, blackcurrant cream, etc. (group 3 alcoholic beverages)
- The license IV (license 4) allows to sell drinks with an alcohol content greater than 18° : distilled alcohols such as liqueur, rum, calvados, cognac, armagnac, gin, pastis, vodka, whisky, etc. (alcoholic beverages of groups 4 and 5).
There are specific licenses for restaurants as well as for the sale of alcohol to take away.
The following table summarizes the different licenses according to the type of alcohol and according to the consumption on site or to take away.
Type of drinks | Beverage flow to be consumed on site | Beverage flow take-away | Specific licenses for restaurants (on site) |
|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 : beverages containing traces d'alcohol with a titration of less than 1.2 degrees (traces of fermentation possible in some lemonades, syrups, infusions, etc.) | Free sale | Free sale | Free sale |
Group 3 : undistilled fermented beverages with less than or equal to 18° alcohol : wine, beer, cider, perry, mead, natural sweet wine, blackcurrant cream, fruit or vegetable juices containing up to 3° alcohol, liqueur wine, wine-based aperitif, port, strawberry liqueur, raspberries, blackcurrant or cherries (the category of group 2 alcohols has been deleted and is classified in group 3) | License III, called restricted license | Small license to take away | Small license restaurant or small restore license |
Groups 4 and 5 : rums, tafias, distilled alcohols and all alcoholic beverages with a more than 18° alcohol : gin, vodka, whisky, pastis, etc. | License IV, called large license or full exercise license | Forbidden | Restaurant license or large restore license |
The restaurants have specific licenses.
Example :
A restaurant that wishes to sell alcohols with a titer of more than 18° must possess the restaurant license or large restore license. It is not necessary for him to possess license IV. A restaurateur who wishes to serve only (on site) alcohols measuring less than 18° (beer, wine for example), must possess the small license restaurant. He does not have to have license III.
FYI
For the takeaway of alcohol from night, between 10 pm and 8 am, it is necessary to follow a specific training on rights and obligations relating to the takeaway of alcoholic beverages at night.
Classification of beverages by categories
Different liquor licenses
Restaurant licenses
Small licenses restaurant to take away
Sale of alcohol to take away at night
General rule
Any natural person intending to open an establishment and sell of alcoholic drinks, as principal or incidental, must be licensed.
It may be a sales establishment:
- on-site : cafe, bar, pub, nightclub, restaurant, hotel-restaurant, bar-restaurant, camping, bed and breakfastetc.
- or take-away : street shopping (with certain restrictions), supermarket, grocery store, wine merchant, gas station, distance or internet sales, etc.
The license must be held by the operator the flow of tobacco and not by the company.
Special cases
Fuel stations
The fuel stations (gas station, service station) are limited in the use of their IV licenses.
They have theprohibition to sell alcoholic drinks (whatever the category) between 6pm and 8am.
They are also prohibited from selling alcoholic beverages chilled (whatever the time).
Outlets of traveling drinks
He is prohibited to beverage suppliers ambulant to sell, either to consume on site or to take away, beverages containing more than 18 degrees of alcohol.
They do not have the authorization to have an IV license. However, they can sell category 3 spirits.
For category 3 alcohols (less than or equal to 18 degrees), street traders must possess the "small take-away license" (or restricted license).
Restaurants
The restorers, if they serve only alcohol at regular meal and only in accompaniment of a food, do not need a license III or IV, the restaurant license enough.
Local festivals and events
Beverage outlets temporary (on a fair, a local festivaletc.) are not required to have a license. An authorization from the town hall is enough. An association is entitled to a maximum of 5 authorizations per year. In such events, only alcohols with a maximum titre of 18° are permitted. In the departments of Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique, strong alcohols are allowed for 4 events per year.
It is also allowed to open a temporary category 4 beverage outlet, to be consumed on site during a fair or exhibition organized by the State, a public authority or an association recognized as being in the public interest, during the duration of the event.
Direct sales by producers
The producers Alcoholic beverages (wine growers, etc.) that sell directly to consumers, regardless of where they are sold (e.g. in a fixed premises, or at the place of production or at a market) do not require a license.
Street shops: sale of strong alcohols prohibited
Fuel stations: alcohol sales restrictions
Exploitation of the restaurant license
Direct sales by producers of alcoholic beverages
Temporary Alcohol Rates
Temporary flows of events organized by the State, a public authority
There are places in the public space where it is prohibited to open an alcoholic beverage outlet.
These are zones created for protect the health of minors and consumers.
This is about perimeters determined around of the following establishments:
- Stadium, private or public sports field, swimming pool
- Hospital, clinic, medical center, addiction care or reception center
- Recreation center or collective accommodation for youth
- Educational institution (public and private, of any educational level from school to university) or training institution.
Please note
Restaurants that sell alcohol only during meals are not affected by these bans.
These areas are protected by prefectural decree.
The prefectural decree determines the extent of the protection zone and the forbidden distance defined from the "protected" facility.
FYI
A drinking place already settled in a place, which became a protected area after its creation, has the right to remain open.
For any information, it is possible to contact his prefecture:
Protected areas
The opening a new liquor outlet is highly regulated.
The creation of any New license IV is prohibited. The only possibility of opening a new establishment with an IV license is therefore to buy back a license from an owner wishing to transfer it.
In addition, the number of licenses III per municipality is limited. It is forbidden to issue a license III (also called restricted license) in a commune where the total of establishments with a license III and those with a license IV exceeds the proportion of one throughput per 450 inhabitants.
Please note
In tourist municipalities, quotas are more flexible. They are calculated by taking into account the number of tourists who can be accommodated in the municipality (hotels, tourist residences, furnished tourist accommodation, campsites, holiday villages, etc.).
When the creation of a license is not possible, it is possible to buy back an existing license.
Change of owner or manager of a licensed establishment is a transfer. It's a change of license holder. The new beverage outlet manager must then make a declaration. This declaration must be made at least 15 days in advance. In the event of transfer by death, this period shall be extended to one month from the date of death.
Please note
A rate of 3 alcoholic drinkse or 4e category that has ceased to exist for more than 5 years is considered deleted; its license can no longer be transmitted.
Opening, mutation, translation and transfer (L3332-11 especially for transfer)
Limited number of licenses per municipality: L3332-1
Termination and non-transfer of license
Transfer to a tourist municipality
When an establishment that sells alcoholic beverages moves, the license associated with it can be moved but according to certain geographical restrictions.
Moving a license can be done in the following 2 ways:
- either in the same municipality (translation),
- either to another commune in the department (transfer) . The transfer to a commune of a neighboring department may be authorized exceptionally. The transfer of a drink bar to be consumed on site can be moved to a commune of another department of tourist establishments (classified hotel or campground or caravan). The premises in which the flow will be opened must not open directly on the public road. In addition, this beverage outlet must not be advertised.
The transfer requires the authorization of the prefect of the reception department. The future operator must then make a declaration to the mayor of the host municipality, at least 15 days before the start of the actual operation.
Transferring a license in the same department
Conditions for transfer to another department
Nationality
There is no nationality requirement to obtain a license to sell drinks.
However, the foreigners entrepreneur in France must respect certain rules to build a business company.
Warning
In the departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle, alone persons of French nationality or nationals of a State of the European Union (EU) or theEuropean Economic Area (EEA)may obtain authorization to operate a license.
Restrictions according to nationality in Alsace Moselle: article L3332-5
Capacity and judicial record
To operate a beverage outlet, the following 3 conditions must be met:
- Be of age or emancipated minor
- Not to be under guardianship
- Not having been convicted criminal certain offenses. The crimes and the offenses of pimping definitively prohibit the possession of a license. It is forbidden to operate a beverage outlet for 5 years from the conviction for one of the following offenses:
- Theft
- Scam
- Abuse of trust
- Concealment, stealing
- Concealment of criminals
- Public outrage to modesty
- Holding a playhouse
- Taking clandestine bets on horse racing
- Sale of falsified goods or goods harmful to health
- Narcotics Offense
- Recurrence of assault and public intoxication.
This prohibition ceases after 5 years in the absence of a new sentence of imprisonment.
Prohibitions on practicing the profession of beverage distributor
The approach is different if the sale is for consumption on site or to take away.
Only on-site consumer establishments must have an operating license.
However, prior notification is common to all types of alcohol trade (at least 15 days before opening). The declaration receipt proves the possession of a license.
Regarding the take-away sale the approach differs if it takes place day or night.
We explain the formalities and the documents to be attached as the case may be:
Consumption on site
The operator shall:
- Be the holder of the operating license. The attestation is provided by the organization of the training taken.
- Make the prior declaration to the town hall (in Paris and Alsace-Moselle with the prefecture)
- Send the permit and the declaration to the town hall (to the prefecture for Paris and for Alsace-Moselle)
- Keep the receipt issued by the services of the town hall justifying the possession of the license of the requested category.
1.Obtain the operating permit
The operating license is obtained following a mandatory training.
The training covers the regulation of the operation of a drinking place, the prevention and control of alcoholism, the protection of minors, the repression of public intoxication, the legislation on narcotic drugs, the principles of civil and criminal liability, the resale of tobacco, the fight against noise, the fight against discrimination.
She is fee-based . Its cost varies depending on the training organization and the region (up to around €1,000).
This training has a minimum duration of 8 p.m and must be spread over at least 3 days. It can be done in person or by videoconference, depending on the organization chosen.
The list of recognized organizations differs according to whether the sale of alcoholic beverages is made on-site or take away at night.
The permit consists of a form completed by the training organization and issued to the future operator, provided that he has completed the training.
License to operate a beverage outlet or restaurant
The operating license is valid for 10 years. It is then renewable for the same period by performing a new training of a minimum duration of 6 hours.
Please note
For the rents of bed and breakfastHowever, 7 hours of light training is mandatory.
The training to obtain the operating license is paid. However, all the licenses themselves are free (license III and all restaurant licenses), except licenses IV. The cost of purchasing an IV license is generally high. It varies over time and by region.
2. Make the prior declaration
To receive the license (license III, license IV or restaurant license), a declaration must be made regardless of the reason for holding the license: transfer, mutation, translation or new license.
This administrative declaration must be made at least 15 days before the opening, transfer or translation of the license.
To do this, you must fill in the Cerfa form n° 11542, then forward it to the town hall or the prefecture of the place of the activity.
This form must be accompanied by proof of identity and a valid operating license certificate.
Declaration of a restaurant or a bar for drinks to be consumed on site or to be taken away
Please note
In the case of a change of owner or manager (mutation(c) a license following a death, the reporting period is one month from the death.
3. Forward the permit and declaration to the town hall
Depending on the location of the establishment, the file must be sent to the town hall or prefecture (in the prefecture for Paris and for the departments of Alsace-Moselle).
The own rules the three departments of Alsace-Moselle are available either in the prefecture or on the websites of these departments:
4. Keep the receipt
After submitting this declaration, the operator shall immediately receive a receipt which constitutes the evidence that he owns a license.
This is cerfa number 11543. The operator must keep it.
This receipt does not give the right to operate a beverage outlet (this is the purpose of the operating license). It also does not prove the validity of the title of owner or manager (these are the identifiers and documents proving thecompany registration at RNE: titleContent).
Operating permits and specific training
Training for the renewal of the operating license
Prior declaration
Declaration following a transfer of license by death
Consumption to take away
The steps to follow are different depending on whether the operator wants to sell alcoholic beverages by day or night (between 10pm and 8am).
By day
The operator shall:
- Make the prior declaration to the town hall (in Paris and Alsace-Moselle with the prefecture)
- Send the declaration to the town hall (to the prefecture for Paris and for Alsace-Moselle)
- Keep the receipt issued by the services of the town hall justifying the possession of the license of the requested category.
1. Make the prior declaration
To receive the license (small or large take-away license), a declaration must be made regardless of the reason for holding the license: transfer, mutation, translation or new license.
This administrative declaration must be made at least 15 days before the opening, transfer or translation of the license.
To do this, you must fill in the Cerfa form n° 11542, then forward it to the town hall or the prefecture of the place of the activity.
This form must be accompanied by proof of identity and a valid operating license certificate.
Declaration of a restaurant or a bar for drinks to be consumed on site or to be taken away
Please note
In the case of a change of owner or manager (mutation(c) a license following a death, the reporting period is one month from the death.
2. Forward the declaration to the town hall
Depending on the location of the establishment, the file must be sent to the town hall or prefecture (in the prefecture for Paris and for the departments of Alsace-Moselle).
The own rules the three departments of Alsace-Moselle are available either in the prefecture or on the websites of these departments:
3. Keep the issued receipt
After submitting this declaration, the operator shall immediately receive a receipt which constitutes the evidence that he owns a license.
This is cerfa 11543. The operator must keep it.
This receipt does not give the right to operate a beverage outlet (this is the purpose of the operating license). It also does not prove the validity of the title of owner or manager (these are the identifiers and documents proving thecompany registration at RNE: titleContent).
Prior declaration
At night
The operator shall:
- Take specific training to obtain the take-away alcohol license between 10pm and 8am
- Make the prior declaration to the town hall (in Paris and Alsace-Moselle with the prefecture)
- Send the declaration to the town hall (to the prefecture for Paris and for Alsace-Moselle)
- Keep the receipt issued by the services of the town hall justifying the possession of the license of the requested category.
1. Undergo specific training in the take-away of night alcohol
To sell alcohol to take away at night between 10pm and 8am, the operator must have the sales license for that activity. For this he must follow a specific training.
2. Make a prior declaration
To receive the license (small or large take-away license), a declaration must be made regardless of the reason for holding the license: transfer, mutation, translation or new license.
This administrative declaration must be made at least 15 days before the opening, transfer or translation of the license.
To do this, you must fill in the Cerfa form n° 11542, then forward it to the town hall or the prefecture of the place of the activity.
This form must be accompanied by proof of identity and a valid operating license certificate.
Declaration of a restaurant or a bar for drinks to be consumed on site or to be taken away
Please note
In the case of a change of owner or manager (mutation(c) a license following a death, the reporting period is one month from the death.
3. Forward the declaration to the town hall
Depending on the location of the establishment, the file must be sent to the town hall or prefecture (in the prefecture for Paris and for the departments of Alsace-Moselle).
The own rules the three departments of Alsace-Moselle are available either in the prefecture or on the websites of these departments:
4. Keep the issued receipt
After submitting this declaration, the operator shall immediately receive a receipt which constitutes the evidence that he owns a license.
This is cerfa number 11543. The operator must keep it.
This receipt does not give the right to operate a beverage outlet (this is the purpose of the operating license). It also does not prove the validity of the title of owner or manager (these are the identifiers and documents proving thecompany registration at RNE: titleContent).
Permit to sell alcohol to take away at night
Prior declaration
The license, unlike the operating license, has a term of indefinite validity.
However, in the event ofshutdown of the establishment, the license is canceled after 5 years.
This five-year period is valid if the shutdown is the result of the operator's wishes.
In case of closure for bankruptcy, the license is canceled automatically at the end of the procedure.
Validity of license
Openings, transfers and transfers of a beverage outlet
Classification of beverages by category (1, 3, 4 and 5)
Prohibitions on the exercise of a drinking place
Beverage manufacturing and trade
Conditions for the local establishment of a beverage outlet
Protected areas
Penalties for non-compliance
Expiry of licenses
Prefecture of Moselle