McHenry County
McHenry County Liquor Control Commissioner and Law & Government/Liquor Committee
In short
McHenry County Liquor Control Commissioner and Law & Government/Liquor Committee issues 5 permits we publish for McHenry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Retail Liquor License (Classes A, B, C, D, E, W)only if it applies to you | McHenry County Liquor Control Commissioner and Law & Government/Liquor Committee | $100–$1,500 annual license fee by class: A $1,500, B $1,500, C (caterer) $1,500, D $100 (requires a current Class A), E $800 (150 consecutive days), W (brewpub/winemaker/distiller) $1,500; plus a one-time, non-refundable $1,000 application fee for new applicants (not charged on renewals by the same licensee) | license year May 1 – April 30 (County Code §5.08.090.A); Class E runs 150 consecutive days | 2026-10-07 |
| County Video Gaming Terminal Licenseonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Liquor Control Commissioner and Law & Government/Liquor Committee | A per-terminal annual fee is set by Ordinance O-202602-18-017 (§5.20.070); contact the McHenry County Liquor Control Commissioner's office (815-334-4041) for the current amount. | license year June 1 – May 31; every license expires May 31 regardless of issue date | 2026-10-07 |
| Coin-Operated Amusement Device Licenseonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Liquor Control Commissioner and Law & Government/Liquor Committee | $75 per device per license year (May 1 – April 30); $37.50 per device for the six-month period after October 30 to April 30; plus a one-time, non-refundable $100.00 application fee for each new application | license year May 1 – April 30; half-year license available after October 30 | 2026-10-07 |
| Class S Special Event Liquor Licenseonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Liquor Control Commissioner and Law & Government/Liquor Committee | $150 per 24-hour period | 24 hours; no more than 10 per license year | 2026-10-07 |
| BYOB Corkage Permitonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Liquor Control Commissioner and Law & Government/Liquor Committee | $50 per year | annual, on the county license year May 1 – April 30 | 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
County Retail Liquor License (Classes A, B, C, D, E, W)
County Code §5.08.080.A requires a county license to sell alcoholic liquor outside the corporate limits of any city, village or incorporated town, and the county's liquor page says the Law & Government/Liquor Committee issues licenses for use in unincorporated McHenry County. Per §5.08.090 the annual fees are $1,500 for Class A (on-premises or packaged), Class B (packaged), Class C (caterer) and Class W (brewpub, winemaker or distiller); $100 for Class D (consumption beyond the premises but within the property lines, available only to a current Class A holder); and $800 for Class E, which runs 150 consecutive days. Section 5.08.100.C adds a one-time, non-refundable $1,000 application fee for new applicants of every class except F and S, not charged on renewal by the same licensee. For Classes A, B, C and W, §5.08.090 states that new, full and complete applications received on or after December 5 of each year "may, in the discretion of the Liquor Commission, receive a reduced application fee of $800.00"; this does not apply to renewals. A $100 fee applies for each new corporate officer (§5.08.100.D.1). The county page lists the same figures. The State retailer license under 235 ILCS 5/5-3 is required as well.
County Video Gaming Terminal License
The County Board adopted the Video Gaming Regulation and Licensing Ordinance, Ordinance O-202602-18-017, on February 17, 2026; the county's Strategic Plan Report Card states that in February 2026 the Board approved an ordinance regulating and imposing fees for video gaming terminals in unincorporated areas. Under §5.20.030 a premises licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board may operate video gaming terminals in unincorporated McHenry County only after also obtaining a county license for each terminal. Except for truck stop establishments, the applicant must hold a county liquor license under Chapter 5.08 and a State liquor license (§5.20.040). Applications go to the Liquor Control Commissioner, terminals are registered annually, each licensed terminal carries a non-transferable county sticker, the license must be displayed on the premises, and fees are non-refundable and not prorated. The county's liquor license page states that any liquor license holder with video gaming terminals must also obtain a Video Gaming Terminal License.
Coin-Operated Amusement Device License
County Code §5.04.020.A imposes a privilege fee on every coin-in-slot amusement device operated outside the corporate limits of any city, village or incorporated town in McHenry County that returns no money or property to the player, such as arcade games or pinball machines. The fee is $75.00 per device for the one-year license period from May 1 through April 30, or $37.50 per device for the six-month period after October 30 to April 30. Section 5.04.020.B adds a one-time, non-refundable $100.00 application fee for each new application. A business that owns devices for public play, or leases them to a premises owner, applies to the Liquor Commissioner, who is the Chairman of the County Board (§5.04.020.C, §5.04.030). The figures are from the codified ordinance (Ord. O-9603-1200-32; Ord. 7471, passed March 19, 2019).
Class S Special Event Liquor License
A Class S license authorises on-premises retail sale of alcoholic liquor for a 24-hour period at an event in unincorporated McHenry County. Per County Code §5.08.090.A.7 it is issued only to an organisation or corporation that already holds a current State of Illinois liquor license and a license from the county or a municipality in McHenry County substantially similar to a county Class A, B or C license. The fee is $150.00 for each 24-hour period, a holder may receive no more than 10 per license year, and the event needs a temporary use permit or other zoning authorisation from Planning and Development. The $1,000 new-applicant application fee does not apply to Class S (§5.08.100.C).
BYOB Corkage Permit
Under County Code §5.08.090.A.10 a restaurant in unincorporated McHenry County that has no liquor license may not allow customers to consume alcoholic beverages on the premises without a corkage permit. The permit authorises restaurants or banquet facilities without liquor licenses to let patrons bring their own wine or beer, and the fee is $50.00 annually, subject to the ordinance's application, renewal and eligibility requirements. Conditions include a limit of 750 ml of wine or 48 oz of beer per patron aged 21 or over, consumption only by seated patrons who are served a meal, uncorking only by restaurant staff between noon and 11:00 p.m., BASSET training and dram shop insurance.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- McHenry County
- Phone
- 815-334-4041
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.
- Liquor/Raffle/Amusement LicensesMcHenry County Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- McHenry County Code §5.08.080–5.08.100 (liquor license classes, fees and application fee)McHenry County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- McHenry County Code Chapter 5.04 (coin-operated amusement devices)McHenry County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Strategic Plan Report Card (published September 15, 2026)McHenry County Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Video Gaming Regulation and Licensing Ordinance, Ordinance O-202602-18-017 (adopted February 17, 2026)McHenry County Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Other offices serving McHenry County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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