We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, it’s hard to find PA Liquor License information. At PA Liquor License Company, we aim to simplify the buying and selling process. So we did some digging to find the information and statistics you need to know about PA liquor licenses.
Liquor License Statistics for Pennsylvania
Restaurant Licenses are the most common type of liquor license in Pennsylvania (To learn more about PA Liquor Licenses, read this article). According to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB), there are 8,768 active “R” licenses in 2020. Additionally, there are 788 licenses in safekeeping, 346 pending transfer and, 1226 expired licenses.
Licenses vary in prices due to supply and demand from $15,000-$25,000 in Cameron, Forest, Fulton, and Mifflin Counties up to 550,000-$650,000 in Cumberland County, according to our compiled prices.
What county has the most liquor licenses? Allegheny County, where the city of Pittsburgh is located, takes the lead with about 1,300 licenses, followed closely by Philadelphia County with 1,097 licenses. (We also have the most Superbowl rings😉) Fulton County only has 3 licenses, the fewest in the state!
Interestingly, over a quarter of PA municipalities have alcohol bans making them partially or fully dry. Eleven municipalities in Franklin County are dry, over half of their total municipalities.
Interested in purchasing or selling a PA Liquor License? Contact us!
PA Liquor License Activity
At PA Liquor License Company, we’ve had a record year for Liquor License activity. We’ve noticed trends of what counties are seeing the most activity and interest. It is no surprise that Allegheny County and Philadelphia County see a lot of activity because they have the highest populations and subsequently the most licenses. Transfers occur frequently in both counties. Some counties, like Butler and Chester for example, see a lot of interest because of new development but have very few transfers because the licenses are high priced and limited in supply.
Even though 2020 was not an average year, we’ve seen sustained activity with PA Liquor Licenses. Prices have remained consistent regardless of economic uncertainty. At most, we’ve seen a slight decrease in prices depending on the county. The PACLB transfer process has slowed because of Covid19 restrictions; however, some licenses have moved entirely through the transfer process in the last 6 months.
Want to learn more about the Liquor License Process? Read our explainer.
Interested in purchasing or selling a PA Liquor License? Contact us!
Save and share the full image below to keep this PA Liquor License information in mind!