SERVICES:

Liquor Licenses

The State of Michigan requires that any establishment that sells liquor must acquire licensing through the MLCC that authorizes the establishment to sell liquor. Any establishment in the City of Ferndale that sells liquor to be consumed on-site must receive local government approval.

Zoning Determination Request

Prior to requesting approval from the City of Ferndale, it is highly recommended that all applicants complete a Zoning Determination Request (ZDR) with the Ferndale Community & Economic Development Department. This process will help the applicant determine the feasibility of opening a liquor-selling establishment in their desired location.

CONTACT

City Clerk

300 E Nine Mile Rd. Ferndale, MI 48220

248-546-2381 ext. 107

dlent@ferndalemi.gov

Application Process

All new Class C liquor licenses and new Development District Liquor Licenses in the City of Ferndale must be approved by the Ferndale City Council. As part of that approval process, the individual looking to obtain approval must submit an application to the City Clerk’s Office and pay the $500 associated fee. The application will be reviewed by the Liquor License Review Board, which consists of representatives from the City Manager’s Office, Community and Economic Development Department, Department of Public Works, Police Department, Fire Department, Downtown Development Authority (if the license falls within the DDA District), and one member of City Council. The City Attorney and a representative from the City Clerk’s Office will also be present. The Liquor License Review Board meeting must occur during an open meeting where a quorum of its members must be present. It is highly recommended that the applicant attends the meeting to answer any questions and provide clarification, when needed. In most cases, the board will make a recommendation to the City Council to approve or deny the request.

Any information submitted on the application will be made public. Prior to submitting, your application, please redact/remove any private information that you would not like shared with the general public. 

If the proposed location for the liquor license lies within the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), members of the DDA may choose to review the application at the next regularly scheduled DDA meeting (note: the DDA meets regularly once a month). Should the DDA choose to review the application, a minimum of fifteen (15) days must lapse before their report is formally presented during a public hearing at a regularly-schedule City Council meeting.

Once the Liquor License Review Board has made a recommendation, and the DDA has reviewed the application (if appliable), the public hearing date will then be scheduled during a regularly scheduled City Council meeting. Enough time must lapse so that the City Clerk’s Office can notify all residents within 300 feet of the establishment, as well as all existing Class C license holders within the City of Ferndale.

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Additional Resources