Douglas County Board of Commissioners

Retail Liquor License, County Board role (premises outside city and village limits)

Nebraska retail liquor licenses are issued by the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, and for premises outside the corporate limits of any city or village the Douglas County Board of Commissioners is the local governing body. The Clerk's Liquor and Tobacco Licenses page sets out the steps: the applicant obtains and returns the application to the Commission, the Commission forwards it to the Clerk, and the Clerk asks the Board to set a public hearing and notifies the applicant in writing of the date. Under 53-131(2) the Commission notifies the county clerk, and the Board has 45 days to make its recommendation; under 53-134 the Board holds the hearing and records a resolution recommending issuance or refusal, and receives license fees for payment to the treasurer. Under the Board's Resolution 2006-375, as set out on the Clerk's page, an applicant for a new location, a transfer to a new location, an addition to premises or an upgrade of retail privileges submits a list of all property owners within 500 feet prepared and certified by a registered abstractor, notifies each of them in writing at least 10 business days before the hearing, files a notarized affidavit of that notice before the hearing, posts a notice on the premises at least 10 business days before the hearing, and bears all costs. The annual class fee is set by state statute, not by the county: 53-124.01 sets Class A $100, Class B $100, Class C $300, Class D $200, Class I $250, Class J $50 and a bottle club license $300, and 53-124(6)(b) and (9) require it to be paid to the county treasurer for premises outside city/village limits. The Commission's own $400 application fee and $45 renewal fee are state fees (53-131). For premises inside Omaha, Ralston, Waterloo, Valley or Bennington, that municipality's governing body is the local governing body. Contact the Douglas County Clerk/Comptroller, Omaha-Douglas Civic Center, 1819 Farnam Street, H08 (Harney St level), Omaha, NE 68183.