Dakota County
Dakota County Public Services & Revenue
In short
Dakota County Public Services & Revenue issues 9 permits we publish for Dakota County, last verified 2026-10-13. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License — exclusive liquor stores (outside city limits)only if it applies to you | Dakota County Public Services & Revenue | $800 a year, license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, as published on the county's intoxicating liquor page | annual; license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 | 2026-10-13 |
| Sunday On-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License (outside city limits)only if it applies to you | Dakota County Public Services & Revenue | $200 a year, license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, as published on the county's intoxicating liquor page | annual; license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 | 2026-10-13 |
| Retail Tobacco Licenseonly if it applies to you | Dakota County Public Services & Revenue | $944 for a two-year license; license period Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027 ("Partial period licenses are pro-rated.") | two years; the current license period runs Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027 | 2026-10-13 |
| 3.2% Malt Liquor License — On-Sale or Off-Sale (outside city limits)only if it applies to you | Dakota County Public Services & Revenue | $290 a year for each license type (on-sale $290; off-sale $290), January to December, as published on the county's 3.2% malt liquor page | annual; one year from January to December | 2026-10-13 |
| Consumption and Display Permit — County Board consent (outside city limits)only if it applies to you | Dakota County Public Services & Revenue | $297 county consent fee + separate State of Minnesota fee, as published on the county's intoxicating liquor page ("Fee: $297 + separate State of Minnesota fee"). | one year from April to March | 2026-10-13 |
| Precious Metal Dealer Licenseonly if it applies to you | Dakota County Public Services & Revenue | $84 per license, one year from issue — a county fee set by the County Board (Minn. Stat. §325F.733, subd. 2), as published on the county's precious metal dealer page | one year from the date it was issued | 2026-10-13 |
| Transient Merchant Licenseonly if it applies to you | Dakota County Public Services & Revenue | $150 per license, one year from issue — the fee set by statute (Minn. Stat. §329.11), plus a surety bond of $1,000 to $3,000 | one year from the date it was issued; valid at one sale location only | 2026-10-13 |
| On-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License (outside city limits)only if it applies to you | Dakota County Public Services & Revenue | $4,525 a year — the county page's "2026 fee", license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31; plus a $150 investigation fee for new applicants (Ord. 101) | annual; license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31; renewals are mailed three months before expiry | 2026-10-13 |
| Combination On- and Off-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License (restaurants in towns without §368.01 powers)only if it applies to you | Dakota County Public Services & Revenue | $4,981 a year, license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, as published on the county's intoxicating liquor page; plus a $150 investigation fee for new applicants (Ord. 101) | annual; license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 | 2026-10-13 |
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
Off-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License — exclusive liquor stores (outside city limits)
For a store outside city limits that sells packaged liquor. The county's intoxicating liquor page says the off-sale license "can be issued to store that only sells intoxicating liquor and 3.2 percent malt liquor at the licensed premises", and Ordinance 101 §9 subd. 1 confines it to exclusive liquor stores in the county's unorganized territory or in a town exercising powers under Minn. Stat. §368.01, subd. 1 or 1a, with the approval of the Commissioner of Public Safety. In a town, the town board must adopt a resolution supporting the license, a public hearing must be held (the county page: "A public hearing will be held by the Board of Commissioners before this license is approved."), notice must go to interested parties and to any city within three miles, and Ordinance 101 §12 requires a certified town-board consent resolution. The fee, as published on the county's intoxicating liquor page (last updated 07/17/2026), is $800 for the license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 — the maximum annual county off-sale fee under Minn. Stat. §340A.408, subd. 3(b). The State of Minnesota issues the license after county approval. The county published a recommended 2027 fee schedule (public notice dated Sept. 3, 2026; County Board public hearing Oct. 6, 2026; proposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2027); the figure here is the one the county's own page shows for the current period.
Sunday On-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License (outside city limits)
An on-sale intoxicating liquor license holder outside city limits that wants to sell on Sundays needs this additional license. The county's intoxicating liquor page states that with the permit an on-sale license holder "can sell intoxicating liquor on Sunday from 10 a.m. until midnight. An additional application is not required. Mark 'Sunday Sales' on the on-sale intoxicating liquor license application." Ordinance 101 §11 limits it to a restaurant, club, bowling center or hotel with seating for at least 30 persons that holds an on-sale intoxicating liquor license, and only if the voters of the town have authorized Sunday sales at an election held on the day of the annual election of township officers. The fee, as published on the county's intoxicating liquor page (last updated 07/17/2026), is $200 for the license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. The county published a recommended 2027 fee schedule (public notice dated Sept. 3, 2026; County Board public hearing Oct. 6, 2026; proposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2027); the figure here is the one the county's own page shows for the current period.
Retail Tobacco License
A license is required to sell tobacco, vapes and nicotine products to adults 21 and older. Ordinance 125 applies "in the County's unorganized territory and in the County's cities and townships that do not license and regulate retail sales of tobacco products", and the county's tobacco page states: "Dakota County currently issues tobacco licenses in a township or unincorporated area of the county and in the following cities: Coates, Empire, Hampton, Miesville, Vermillion." Ordinance 125 §3.01 excludes a town or statutory city that has retained licensing authority under Minn. Stat. §461.12, subd. 1; a store there is licensed by that city. As published on the county's tobacco license page (last updated 07/03/2026), the fee is $944 for a two-year license; the page states: "The two-year license period runs from Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027. Partial period licenses are pro-rated." Ordinance 125 §3.04 issues every license for two years and §3.02(B) sets the fee by the County Board's adopted fee schedule. Applicants file the state retail tobacco application, the county's applicant information form and (first-time applicants) the workers' compensation certificate with Public Services & Revenue in Hastings. Staff training is required: Ordinance 125 §3.10 requires an instructional program, and first-time applicants must provide a copy of the training materials used to teach employees how to sell tobacco products. The county published a recommended 2027 fee schedule (public notice dated Sept. 3, 2026; County Board public hearing Oct. 6, 2026; proposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2027); the figure here is the one the county's own page shows for the current period.
3.2% Malt Liquor License — On-Sale or Off-Sale (outside city limits)
For a business outside city limits selling only 3.2-percent malt liquor (malt liquor of no more than 3.2 percent alcohol by weight). The county's 3.2% malt liquor page states that on-sale licenses "are only issued to: Drugstores, Restaurants, Hotels, Clubs, Establishments that only sell 3.2-percent malt liquor along with tobacco and soft drinks", and that "Businesses that have an intoxicating liquor license do not need an additional license to sell 3.2-percent malt liquor." As published on that page (last updated 06/04/2026), the on-sale license is $290 and the off-sale license is $290, each for one year from January to December. Ordinance 101 §12 requires a certified town-board consent resolution for any county retail license within an organized town, and under Ordinance 101 §7 and Minn. Stat. §340A.408, subd. 1(b) one-half of the county's 3.2 percent malt liquor license fee is paid to the town board where the business is located. The county published a recommended 2027 fee schedule (public notice dated Sept. 3, 2026; County Board public hearing Oct. 6, 2026; proposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2027); the figure here is the one the county's own page shows for the current period.
Consumption and Display Permit — County Board consent (outside city limits)
A business or club outside city limits without an on-sale liquor license that lets customers bring and drink their own alcohol, or serves set-ups or mixers for intoxicating liquor, needs a consumption and display permit. The county's intoxicating liquor page states that "A Consumption and Display Permit is required if alcoholic beverages are consumed — but not sold — on-site without a liquor license." The permit itself comes from the Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety (Ordinance 101 §10 subd. 1), and under §10 subd. 3 "A permit issued under this section is not effective until approved by the County Board"; §10 subd. 4 has the business pay the County Board's fee to obtain that consent. As published on the county's intoxicating liquor page (last updated 07/17/2026), the fee is $297 plus a separate State of Minnesota fee, for one year from April to March. A restaurant that allows BYOB, or a fitness studio or other venue that allows guests to drink brought-in alcohol, is the typical case. The county published a recommended 2027 fee schedule (public notice dated Sept. 3, 2026; County Board public hearing Oct. 6, 2026; proposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2027); the figure here is the one the county's own page shows for the current period.
Precious Metal Dealer License
A precious metal dealer that buys used or secondhand items made of gold, silver or platinum needs this county license. The county's page describes a dealer as any person, partnership or corporation — "like pawn shops, coin shops, or jewelry stores" — that buys used items containing precious metals, meaning anything made of at least 1 percent gold, silver or platinum, and the license allows buying only at the addresses listed on it. Under Minn. Stat. §325F.736 the dealer must hold each purchased item for at least 14 days before selling or altering it, and during that time the item must stay at the dealer's shop or another safe spot within Dakota County. The fee is a county fee: §325F.733, subd. 2 provides for "a license fee in an amount determined by the board of county commissioners", and the county's precious metal dealer page (last updated 06/04/2026) states "Fee: $84", with a term of one year from the date of issue. The county published a recommended 2027 fee schedule (public notice dated Sept. 3, 2026; County Board public hearing Oct. 6, 2026; proposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2027); the figure here is the one the county's own page shows for the current period.
Transient Merchant License
A transient merchant, as the county's page defines one, is "A person who sells and delivers goods from a temporary location. This could include a building, structure, vacant lot or railroad car." A retail seller running a temporary sale needs this license; peddlers and solicitors (door-to-door sellers) are directed by the county page to the city instead. The license is valid at one sale location only, is not valid for more than one person unless that person is a member of a co-partnership, and is valid only in Dakota County. The fee of $150 is set by statute (Minn. Stat. §329.11) and the county's transient merchant page (last updated 07/03/2026) shows the same $150 with a one-year term; §329.11 also requires a surety bond of not less than $1,000 nor more than $3,000. The county page states that anyone who does business as a transient merchant without a license is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
On-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License (outside city limits)
The county's liquor page states: "Businesses within the city limits must apply for a liquor license to that city where it is located. Businesses outside the city limits must apply to Dakota County." It adds: "If approved, the State of Minnesota issues the license. Please allow 60 days to complete this process." The county page describes the on-sale license as one that "can be issued to hotels, bowling centers, clubs and restaurants"; Ordinance 101 §8 lets the County Board issue it within the unorganized or unincorporated area to a restaurant or club with the approval of the Commissioner of Public Safety. The fee is the county page's "2026 fee: $4,525" for the license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Under Ordinance 101 §12 the county will not issue a retail license within an organized town unless the applicant shows a certified town-board resolution consenting to it, and the Sheriff and County Attorney must give a written recommendation first. New applicants also pay an investigation fee under Ordinance 101 §13: $150 when the investigation is conducted within the state, and actual cost up to $10,000 when conducted outside the state. Minn. Stat. §340A.408, subd. 2(d) lets the town board of the town where the establishment is licensed impose an additional fee of up to 20 percent of the county license fee. The county published a recommended 2027 fee schedule (public notice dated Sept. 3, 2026; County Board public hearing Oct. 6, 2026; proposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2027); the figure here is the one the county's own page shows for the current period.
Combination On- and Off-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License (restaurants in towns without §368.01 powers)
A restaurant outside city limits that both serves liquor on site and sells it in original packages to take away. Ordinance 101 §9 subd. 1(c) lets the County Board issue a combination off-sale and on-sale license, with the approval of the Commissioner of Public Safety, "to restaurants within a town that may not exercise powers under Minn. Stat. § 368.01, Subd. 1 or Subd. 1a." The town board must adopt a resolution supporting the license and a public hearing must be held before it is issued (§9 subd. 2); the county page also states that "A public hearing will be held by the Board of Commissioners before this license is approved." The fee, as published on the county's intoxicating liquor page (last updated 07/17/2026), is $4,981 for the license year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31; the page lists it as its own fee for the combination license. A new applicant also pays the Ordinance 101 §13 investigation fee: $150 for an in-state investigation, or actual cost up to $10,000 if conducted outside the state. The State of Minnesota issues the license after county approval. The county published a recommended 2027 fee schedule (public notice dated Sept. 3, 2026; County Board public hearing Oct. 6, 2026; proposed to take effect Jan. 1, 2027); the figure here is the one the county's own page shows for the current period.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Dakota County
- Phone
- 651-438-4372
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.
- 3.2% Malt Liquor License (last updated 06/04/2026)Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Intoxicating Liquor Licenses (last updated 07/17/2026) — on-sale, off-sale, combination, Sunday and consumption-and-display feesDakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Liquor Licenses — city businesses apply to the city, businesses outside city limits apply to Dakota CountyDakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Minn. Stat. §325F.733 — precious metal dealer license application filed with the auditor of the county in which the dealer does businessMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
- Minn. Stat. §340A.408 — retail liquor license fees (county 3.2% fee shared with the town; town surcharge up to 20% on county on-sale fee; $800 off-sale cap)Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Minn. Stat. §461.12 — municipal and county tobacco licensingMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Minnesota Statutes §329.11 — Transient merchant license, bondMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Ordinance 101 — Regulating the Licensing and Sale of 3.2% and Intoxicating Liquor (approved 7/18/2023)Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Ordinance 125 — Tobacco (§§1.02, 3.01, 3.02, 3.04, 3.07, 3.10)Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Precious Metal Dealer License (last updated 06/04/2026) — $84Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Public notice: 2027 Fee Schedule (recommended schedules; hearing Oct. 6, 2026; proposed effective Jan. 1, 2027)Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Tobacco License (last updated 07/03/2026) — $944 for a two-year license, Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Transient Merchant License (last updated 07/03/2026) — $150Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
Other offices serving Dakota County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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