To apply for a license, visit our office:

200 West Oak Street, 1st floor
Recording Department
Fort Collins, CO 80521

You will be given an application packet which our staff will review with you and explain the requirements that you must complete. The required documentation may vary depending on the type of license you are applying for and your business structure. In addition, all persons with at least 10% ownership interest in the business and any manager that is not an owner are required to be fingerprinted and are subject to a criminal background check. The fee for a background check is $100 per individual payable to Larimer County. Please see the Fingerprinting and Background Check page for information on fingerprinting services.

Once you have the application packet completed, including all supporting documentation, bring it to our office along with the required fees. A member of our staff will review your application packet with you to ensure all requirements have been met.

A public hearing before the County Commissioners will be scheduled at least 30 days from the date the application packet is submitted. Prior to your hearing, we will notify you to pick up a poster at our office that must be posted at the proposed license premises notifying the surrounding area of the pending liquor license application. This poster must be posted for at least 10 days prior to your hearing. You will need to take two pictures of the poster - the first on day one and the second on the last day the poster is posted. These photos must reflect the date taken, either by date stamp or by some other method, and will be submitted as exhibits during your hearing as evidence the poster was up for at least 10 days prior to your hearing.

Prior to your hearing our office will supply you with a petition that must be circulated in your surrounding neighborhood. The petition typically represents a ½ mile radius, but can be much larger if the area is rural. Your goal is to obtain a good representation of the surrounding neighborhoods. Do they, or do they not want an establishment selling alcohol in the proposed neighborhood?

Your hearing before the County Commissioners is a meeting where the Commissioners and County Attorney have the opportunity to meet you and have a conversation regarding the operation of the business. Questions regarding employee training, your history in the industry, and how you will conduct business are a few examples of the topics discussed.

Upon approval of the application by the County Commissioners, we will forward the application to the Colorado Department of Revenue for approval. The process can take up to six months for standard review. For an additional fee, applications may be submitted to the state for concurrent review which will significantly speed up the review process.