New Jersey towns could keep dormant liquor licenses

In New Jersey, a vacant liquor license can become a dead end for a redevelopment deal. Assembly Member Luanne Peterpaul’s bill would make permanent a temporary carveout that lets municipalities keep certain inactive Class C retail liquor licenses from expiring, so a town does not lose a tool it may want to use later for a project.

The measure also would keep in place the state’s temporary permission for certain sale and delivery privileges tied to alcoholic beverages. In plain terms, it turns a short-term rule into something local officials and license holders can plan around instead of treating it as a stopgap.

A smaller pour, drawn in statute

The bill spends unusual attention on a small word: sampling. Under the proposal, sampling would mean either selling malt alcoholic beverage for a nominal charge or offering it free in an open container no larger than four ounces. That gives the term a hard ceiling and keeps the exception narrow.

Available key vote records show the bill advanced without recorded no votes.