Lake County
Lake County Liquor Control Commission / County Board Office
In short
Lake County Liquor Control Commission / County Board Office issues 6 permits we publish for Lake County, last verified 2026-10-07. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video Gaming Terminal Permit Stickeronly if it applies to you | Lake County Liquor Control Commission / County Board Office | $250 per video gaming terminal per year, payable in full when the application is filed | stickers expire June 30 next (Code § 115.03(A)) | 2026-10-07 |
| County Liquor License (Classes A, B, C, E, G, H, I)only if it applies to you | Lake County Liquor Control Commission / County Board Office | $500–$1,750 annual renewal fee by class, plus an initial application fee for new licenses: Class A $1,500/yr + $1,000 initial; Class B (beer garden add-on for Class A holders) additional $500/yr; Class C $1,750/yr + $750 initial; Class E $850/yr + $1,150 initial; Class G $1,750/yr + $750 initial; Class H (caterer) $500/yr renewal; Class I $850/yr + $1,150 initial; $10 per-day penalty for payment July 2–31 | expires the next June 30 after issuance (Code § 111.045(A)); fees due on or before July 1 (§ 111.047) | 2026-10-07 |
| County Liquor License Application Feeonly if it applies to you | Lake County Liquor Control Commission / County Board Office | $250 per application, applied to the license fee if the applicant is approved; non-refundable if the application is denied or not completed | one-time, per application | 2026-10-07 |
| Liquor License Transfer to Different Premises — Hearing Feeonly if it applies to you | Lake County Liquor Control Commission / County Board Office | $200 per transfer application | one-time, per transfer | 2026-10-07 |
| Amusement Device License (Unincorporated)only if it applies to you | Lake County Liquor Control Commission / County Board Office | $50 per machine per license year (July 1 – June 30); distributor or lessor $200 per year; $10 per-day penalty for payment July 2–31; not prorated or refunded | license period July 1 – June 30 (Code § 110.39(B)) | 2026-10-07 |
| Massage Establishment License (Unincorporated)only if it applies to you | Lake County Liquor Control Commission / County Board Office | $100 per applicant per year; refunded if the application is denied | one year from the date of issuance (Code § 114.06) | 2026-10-07 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Video Gaming Terminal Permit Sticker
County Code § 115.03(A) requires an "annual video gaming terminal permit sticker … for each video gaming terminal", applied for to "the Liquor Control Commissioner or his or her designee", with an "annual fee of $250 per video gaming terminal payable in full at the time the application is filed"; stickers expire June 30 next. A licensed establishment under § 115.01(B) is one holding a county liquor license for on-premises consumption and an Illinois Gaming Board license, or a fraternal, veterans or truck stop establishment licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board. The Liquor Commission page states: "Applicants for gaming permits must contact the County Board Office at 847-377-2300."
County Liquor License (Classes A, B, C, E, G, H, I)
The county's Liquor Commission page states that "Bars, restaurants, liquor stores, convenience stores and grocery stores located in unincorporated Lake County must apply for a liquor license", and that the County Board Chairman heads the Liquor Commission. Under County Code § 111.042, as amended by Ord. 26-0423 (passed 5-12-2026), the annual renewal fees and initial application fees are: Class A $1,500 annually and $1,000 initial; Class B, a beer garden add-on for Class A holders, an additional $500 annually; Class C $1,750 annually and $750 initial; Class E $850 annually and $1,150 initial; Class G $1,750 annually and $750 initial; Class I $850 annually and $1,150 initial. For Class H (catering in unincorporated areas), § 111.042(G) states "The renewal fee for the license shall be $500 annually." A new applicant whose license expires less than 12 months before June 30 pays the initial application fee plus the renewal fee, prorated by the months remaining in the license year. Licenses expire on the next June 30 (§ 111.045(A)); fees are due by July 1, with a $10 per-day penalty from July 2 to July 31 (§ 111.047). Section 111.043 caps Class A, C, E, G, H and I licenses at 117 in the aggregate. A separate $250 application fee applies (see that record). The Commission page adds that an approved applicant must also apply for a State of Illinois liquor license (235 ILCS 5/5-3).
County Liquor License Application Fee
County Code § 111.037 states that an application for a county liquor license "shall include a $250 application fee (to be applied to the license fee if applicant is approved)". The Liquor Commission page states: "An application fee of $250 is due at the time of application. This fee will be applied to the License fee upon approval. If the license application is denied or if the application is not completed, the fee is non-refundable." The application file must include approvals from other agencies, fingerprints, PB&D certification that the premises conforms to its regulations, references, proof of possession of the premises for the July 1 – June 30 license period and liquor liability insurance before it is scheduled for a hearing.
Liquor License Transfer to Different Premises — Hearing Fee
A county liquor licensee in unincorporated Lake County that wants to move its license to different premises applies under County Code § 111.019(B), which states that "the licensee shall make written application to the Commissioner and pay a hearing fee of $200". The fee is set in the codified ordinance (history: Ord. passed 6-14-2005 and Ord. passed 8-13-2013). This applies only to existing licensees changing premises; a new applicant uses the application fee and class fees in the other liquor records.
Amusement Device License (Unincorporated)
County Code § 110.37(A), as amended by Ord. 26-0424 (passed 5-12-2026), sets "an annual license fee of $50 for each machine" for amusement devices displayed "outside the corporate limits of any city, village, or incorporated town" in Lake County. A distributor or lessor of devices pays an annual license fee of $200 (§ 110.37(B)). Fees are due to the Chair of the County Board on or before July 1; from July 2 to July 31 the original fee and a $10 per-day penalty apply (§ 110.37(C)). Under § 110.39(B) the license period runs from July 1 to June 30, and there is "No refund … and no license fee shall be prorated".
Massage Establishment License (Unincorporated)
County Code ch. 114 regulates massage establishments, and § 114.01 states: "This chapter shall apply only in the unincorporated areas of Lake County, Illinois." Under § 114.05, "The annual license fee shall be $100 for each applicant. This fee shall accompany the application and shall be refunded in those cases where the application for a license is denied." The license "will terminate at the expiration of one year from the date of its issuance" (§ 114.06), and the Chair of the County Board acts as License Officer (§ 114.07). Section 114.05 also allows the Health Department and PB&D to charge reasonable fees for their inspections.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Lake County
- Phone
- 847-377-2300
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Lake County Code § 111.019 (transfer to different premises)Lake County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Lake County Code §§ 110.37–110.39 (amusement devices)Lake County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Lake County Code §§ 111.035–111.052 (liquor license application, classes and fees)Lake County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Lake County Code ch. 114 (massage establishments)Lake County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Lake County Code ch. 115 (video gaming; § 115.03 permit sticker)Lake County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Liquor CommissionLake County Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Other offices serving Lake County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Illinois jurisdictions
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