Alcohol Beverage Liquor Package ($7,000) Bond - City of Forsyth, GA in Georgia

Brief Summary

The $7,000 performance bond is filed with your retail package liquor application to the City of Forsyth and approved by City Council. You pay an annual premium instead of tying up $7,000, and the bond stays in place for as long as the license does.

The City of Forsyth in Monroe County, Georgia requires every applicant for a retail package liquor license to post a $7,000 personal performance bond with City Council under Sec. 4-201 of the city's alcoholic beverage ordinance. The bond must be written by a surety company licensed in Georgia, be payable to the city, and be conditioned on the licensee following Chapter 4 of the city code.

We can help with all Georgia bonds!

How to Apply for a Alcohol Beverage Liquor Package ($7,000) Bond:

• Confirm the business is inside the City of Forsyth limits, not unincorporated Monroe County or Forsyth County.
• Confirm the current bond amount and any city bond form with the Forsyth City Clerk.
• Complete the bond application in the exact legal name on the license application.
• Pay the premium and receive the signed $7,000 bond.
• File the bond in person with the sworn, notarized license application at the City Clerk's office.
• Pay the annual license fee within 30 days after Council approval.

Detailed Information About the Georgia Alcohol Beverage Liquor Package ($7,000) Bond:

Right city, right license

Two mixups are common. First, this is the City of Forsyth, the county seat of Monroe County. Forsyth County, Georgia, is a different government with its own alcohol ordinance. Second, the city's liquor package bond is $7,000, which is larger than the $5,000 bond for liquor by the drink and the $1,000 bond for malt beverage and wine licenses. If you sell beer and wine at the same store, those licenses carry their own bonds.

What the bond guarantees

Sec. 4-201 of the Forsyth Code says that before any retail liquor license is granted, the applicant must post with City Council, along with the application, a personal performance bond with a surety company licensed to do business in Georgia. It is conditioned on the applicant's faithful observance of, and compliance with, Chapter 4, is payable to the city, and must be approved by Council. Chapter 4 also covers the local excise tax on distilled spirits, set at $0.22 per liter under Sec. 4-221 and collected by wholesalers.

Under Sec. 4-18, if a licensee violates the chapter, Council may forfeit all or part of the bond based on how serious the violation is. The licensee must first get at least three working days' written notice and a hearing where it can appear with an attorney and present evidence.

Other conditions on a package license

Applicants must have been Georgia residents for at least six months, or be a corporation authorized to do business in the state, and must show financial responsibility. The store must be in a commercial area, more than 100 yards from a church or government alcohol treatment center, more than 200 yards from a school or college, and at least 500 yards from an existing package liquor store. The city caps package liquor licenses at four at one time.

Term and renewal

Licenses run for the calendar year and are renewed by paying fees and filing a renewal application with the City Manager before the license expires. Under Sec. 4-19, Council may change bond amounts and fees by resolution no later than January 31 each year, so confirm the current amount with the City Clerk before the bond is issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Georgia Alcohol Beverage Liquor Package ($7,000) Bond:

• Surety company licensed to do business in Georgia.
• Bond payable to the City of Forsyth in the amount of $7,000.
• Bond approved by City Council.
• Six months of Georgia residency, proved with two qualifying documents, or a corporation authorized in Georgia.
• Building plans or permit and proof of ownership or lease for the premises.
• Fingerprints for initial applicants and managers.

Georgia Alcohol Beverage Liquor Package ($7,000) Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Georgia Alcohol Beverage Liquor Package ($7,000) Bond: