Who sets closing time, how a Florida liquor license is won or bought, what a nightclub needs from the City, what the bill and the team cost, and the nights that fill the city, for anyone running a club, lounge or bar in Fort Lauderdale.
Downtown, Himmarshee holds many of Fort Lauderdale’s bars and clubs. Las Olas Boulevard adds restaurants and wine bars on its way to the beach, where the area around Beach Place and A1A is an entertainment district of its own. Next door in Wilton Manors, the bars, nightclub, karaoke and cabaret of Wilton Drive make it the heart of South Florida’s gay nightlife. The year turns on its visitors. Spring break fills the beach, Las Olas and downtown, Tortuga puts a music festival on the sand in April, and the International Boat Show arrives in late October. Sunday to Thursday, sales end at 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights run to 3 a.m.
Those closing times are Fort Lauderdale’s own, written into the City Code, and the later hours belong only to venues a special entertainment district designates. Liquor licenses come from the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco.
The City sets its own hours in sec. 5-29 of its code, last amended on 3 February 2026. Clubs, nightclubs, cocktail bars, hotel bars and restaurant bars sell from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday to Thursday nights and to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and a drink served before the close can be finished within 30 minutes. The code has no extended-hours permit. Only venues that a district representative designates as late-night licensed establishments, inside a special entertainment overlay district, may sell until 4 a.m.; every other venue keeps the 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. close. The section sets no New Year’s Eve exception. The code names no district, and the City has drafted updates to the district rules, so confirm the current text for your address.
Florida’s Responsible Vendor Act is voluntary. A qualifying vendor trains servers within 30 days of hire and managers within 15, and holds an all-staff meeting every 4 months.
MoreIf trained staff make an illegal sale to a minor, the license can’t be suspended or revoked for it unless the vendor knew or took part.
Source: Florida StatutesAnyone who does a security officer’s work needs a Class D license and works for or owns a Class B agency. Class D takes 40 hours of training at a licensed school.
MoreHolders must be 18 and renew every 2 years.
Source: Florida StatutesSelling or serving alcohol to anyone under 21 is a second-degree misdemeanor on a first offense.
MoreA careful check of a driver license, a state ID from any US state, a passport or a military ID is a defense.
Source: Florida StatutesNo one under 21 may enter or stay in a bottle club, cocktail bar, hotel bar or nightclub. Exceptions cover staff, minors with a parent, bona fide restaurants, special restaurant licensees, hours when no alcohol is served, and active-duty military with ID.
MoreIf a minor gets in with a fake ID, it is a defense that the business made reasonable efforts to stop fraudulent IDs.
Source: Fort Lauderdale CodeA county can hold one full liquor license for every 7,500 residents. Extra licenses open as the population grows, by public drawing when there are more applicants than licenses.
MoreOtherwise a license comes with the sale of a business. A restaurant with 2,000 square feet, 120 seats and 51% of sales from food can use the special restaurant license outside the quota.
Source: Florida StatutesThe City counts a business as a nightclub when it operates after 11 p.m., serves food and alcohol with dancing or entertainment, and has at least 400 square feet prepared for dancing.
MoreBefore a nightclub opens, the board of adjustment must approve it, after notice to every property owner within 300 feet and a public hearing.
Source: Fort Lauderdale CodeThe code lets the City set up special entertainment overlay districts, each with a map and boundaries the city manager signs. An area must meet tests that include at least two contiguous acres, 50,000 square feet of floor area, a restaurant of 4,000 square feet, and at least 500 feet from residential land.
MoreInside a district there is no minimum distance between licensed venues, and security must be provided as the city manager approves. The code names no district, and the City has drafted updates to these rules, so ask which apply to your address.
Source: Fort Lauderdale districtsNo one may drink, or hold an open container of alcohol, on a public street or sidewalk unless inside premises licensed for sale and consumption.
MoreGuests can’t carry drinks out the door onto the street. Ask the City about outdoor sales in the entertainment districts.
Source: Fort Lauderdale CodeClubs, nightclubs, cocktail bars, hotel bars and restaurant bars sell from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday to Thursday nights, and to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
MoreA drink served before the close can be finished by 2:30 a.m. or 3:30 a.m. After that, sale, service and drinking all stop. The code has no extended-hours permit.
Source: Fort Lauderdale Code hoursInside a special entertainment overlay district, the district representative can designate venues as late-night licensed establishments by written notice to the city manager. Those venues can sell until 4 a.m., with drinks finished by 4:30.
MoreEvery other venue, inside a district or not, keeps the 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. close. Outdoor music in a district runs to midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and legal holidays.
Source: Fort Lauderdale districtsFlorida’s default bars alcohol sales between midnight and 7 a.m. unless a county or city ordinance says otherwise. A violation is a second-degree misdemeanor.
MoreFort Lauderdale’s ordinance sets its own hours, to 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. The State leaves enforcing local hours to local police and code enforcement.
Source: Florida StatutesApart from nightclubs, no licensee may allow music, singing or other entertainment after 11 p.m. in a room where alcohol is sold unless the room is soundproofed.
MorePlan soundproofing before booking late acts, or go through the nightclub approval.
Source: Fort Lauderdale CodeOutdoors at a commercial property the limit is 65 dBA or 75 dBC around the clock; at homes it is 60 dBA or 70 dBC by day and 50 dBA or 60 dBC from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Amplified sound from commercial property can’t pass 60 dBC from noon to 10 p.m., or 55 dBC from 10 p.m. to noon, inside a complainant’s premises.
MoreOutdoor readings are taken at the complainant’s property line: three readings of at least 30 seconds within an hour, on the maximum level. No noise permit for venues appears in the chapter.
Source: Fort Lauderdale noise codeIn a special entertainment overlay district, measured 5 feet from the building: 85 dBA or 95 dBC from noon to midnight on Monday to Thursday, then 70 dBA or 80 dBC to 2 a.m. On Friday to Sunday and legal holidays, 85 dBA or 95 dBC from noon to 1 a.m., then 70 dBA or 80 dBC to 3 a.m.
MoreAfter that the limit is 65 dBA or 75 dBC until noon. Penalties follow the City’s general penalty rules.
Source: Fort Lauderdale noise codeSelling alcohol takes a license from the State’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. A nightclub also needs the City’s board of adjustment to approve it before it opens.
A full liquor license comes from the quota: when licenses open and applicants outnumber them, a public drawing picks, with a $100 filing fee. The winner has 45 days to file the full application and the license issues within 180 days. A license can also be bought with a business. A restaurant that meets the special restaurant tests applies outside the quota.
Source: Florida StatutesSource: Florida StatutesSource: Florida StatutesFile a sworn application through the Division’s online system. List every officer, shareholder and director with an interest, who may be fingerprinted. Add proof of your right to occupy the whole premises and a health authority certificate that the place meets sanitary requirements.
Source: Florida StatutesA room that will operate after 11 p.m. with dancing or entertainment, on at least 400 square feet prepared for dancing, is a nightclub. The board of adjustment must approve it before it opens, after notice to every property owner within 300 feet and a public hearing.
Source: Fort Lauderdale CodeIssued by the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
General information, not legal advice. Laws and license conditions change and vary by venue. Confirm with the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco or the City before acting on it.
With weeknights closing earlier, the Friday and Saturday tables are the ones to get right. Broward adds its own surtax to Florida’s sales tax, and a mandatory service charge is taxed with the rest.
| Minimum spend | $1,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Service charge 20%, added by the venue | $200.00 |
| Florida sales tax 6% of both lines | $72.00 |
| Broward County surtax 1% of both lines | $12.00 |
| Guest pays | $1,284.00 |
| Tip the guest chooses to add | No tax |
Florida charges 6% sales tax on food and drinks, mixed drinks, beer and wine included.
Source: DOR alcohol taxBroward County adds a 1% discretionary sales surtax, for 7% in all. This is the 2025 table, so check the current rate with the Florida Department of Revenue.
Source: DOR surtaxA mandatory service charge is part of the sale price, so tax applies. A gratuity stays untaxed only when it is itemized separately and the business gets no monetary benefit from it.
Source: DOR restaurantsA cover charge or ticket carries 6% admissions tax on its price. Ticket service charges added to an established price and stated separately are left out. Ask the Florida Department of Revenue whether the county surtax applies to admissions.
Source: Florida StatutesRough estimates for tickets and bottle-service tables, from public listings and venues’ own pages.
$15 to $40
Typically about $25
No Fort Lauderdale venue’s own club-night prices were collected, so this is generalized from the Miami guide, where one club’s own pages start at $20 to $60, and the Tampa guide’s estimate of $15 to $40. Spring break, boat show and holiday nights run higher.
$400 to $1,200
A typical table, about $600
No Fort Lauderdale venue’s own table minimum was collected, so this is generalized from the Miami guide, where tables start at $1,000 to $2,000, and the Tampa guide’s estimate of $300 to $900. Before tax and gratuity.
Figures are estimates from the sources and samples listed. They change often and may be wrong. Check with the venue or the relevant authority before relying on them. Venues and events named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide.
Those weekend tables need a floor staffed until the last drink is finished. BLS doesn’t publish Fort Lauderdale on its own, so these are the Miami-area rates, with Florida’s rules on tips.
| Role | Range, low to high | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Bartenders$13.35 to $29.04 | $16.68 | |
| Servers$13.11 to $30.61 | $17.34 | |
| Hosts$13.50 to $21.99 | $15.52 | |
| Security and door$14.46 to $21.97 | $17.33 | |
| Cooks$13.99 to $22.67 | $17.75 | |
| Bar and floor leads$14.96 to $35.00 | $21.88 | |
| Managers$24.07 to $64.37 | $39.02 |
Minimum wage $15.00 an hour, since 30 September 2026Source: Florida Constitution
Bar: lowest to highest wage reported. Dot: median. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Florida lets employers count tips toward the minimum wage, up to the federal tip credit of 2003. Check the State’s published tipped cash wage with the Florida Department of Commerce.
Source: Florida ConstitutionFrom 2027 the minimum wage is adjusted each year for inflation. The first adjusted rate takes effect on 1 January 2028.
Source: Florida ConstitutionA mandatory service charge is taxable as part of the sale price. A gratuity is only untaxed when separately itemized and the business gets no monetary benefit from it; payroll tax withholding and card fees on the tip don’t count as a benefit.
Source: DOR restaurants
Spring break brings the City’s own rules to the beach and Las Olas. In the fall, the International Boat Show takes over Bahia Mar, Las Olas Marina and the Convention Center.
The morning after the biggest night of the year.
A long weekend.
A long weekend.
Crowds on the beach, Las Olas and downtown. The City sets its own rules for those weeks, which have included a curfew for unsupervised minors, suspended sidewalk cafe permits and no amplified music on the beach.
A beach festival on Fort Lauderdale Beach, with hotel and bar demand across the weekend.
Official siteA long weekend.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
A long weekend. When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
No city-wide dates
The last long weekend of summer.
A long weekend.
Wednesday to Sunday across seven locations, including Bahia Mar, the Convention Center, Las Olas Marina and Pier Sixty-Six.
Official siteCostume nights, sometimes in boat show week. When it falls midweek, the parties run the weekend before.
A long weekend.
A slow period. When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
One of the year’s biggest nights. The City’s hours section has no New Year’s Eve exception.
Las Olas Boulevard runs all the way to the beach. Himmarshee holds many of the city’s bars and clubs, and over the city line, Wilton Drive is the center of South Florida’s gay nightlife.
The city’s main boulevard of restaurants and wine bars, boutiques and galleries, running all the way to the beach.
The beachfront area around Beach Place and A1A, one of the city’s entertainment districts.
A separate city next door, where Wilton Drive is the center of South Florida’s gay nightlife, with bars, a nightclub, karaoke and cabaret.
Himmarshee and Wilton Drive both make the list, but the room guests search for most is Tin Roof, downtown.
| Rank | Venue | Nights | Music | Published price | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tin RoofClubDowntown · 219 S Andrews AveSource: Search estimatesSource: Tin Roof | Thu and Fri to 3 a.m., Sat noon to 3 a.m. | A DJ in the Green Room every weekend night, bands on the main stage | Not listed | 1,600 |
| 2 | HuntersClubWilton Manors · 2232-2238 Wilton DriveSource: Search estimatesSource: Hunters | Daily, to 3 a.m. Fri and Sat | DJs, a Sunday T Dance and Wednesday country dancing | Not listed | 900 |
| 3 | RamrodClubWilton Drive, Fort Lauderdale side · 1508 NE 4th AveSource: Search estimatesSource: Ramrod | Daily, to 3 a.m. Fri and Sat | DJs Tuesday to Sunday | Not listed | 700 |
| 4 | KemistryClubHimmarshee · 307 SW 2nd StSource: Search estimatesSource: Kemistry | Dated weekend nights, listed into January | Not listed | Not listed | 600 |
| 5 | Blue MartiniLoungeEast Sunrise Boulevard · 2432 E Sunrise BlvdSource: Search estimatesSource: Blue Martini | Wed to Sun, to 2 a.m. | Not listed | Not listed | 500 |
| 6 | O LoungeLoungeLas Olas Boulevard · 333 E Las Olas BlvdSource: Search estimatesSource: YOLO | Fri and Sat, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. | Weekend DJ takeovers | Not listed | 150 |
| 7 | SwayClubHimmarshee · 111 SW 2nd AveSource: Search estimatesSource: Sway | Thu to Sat, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. | Not listed | Not listed | 150 |
| 8 | The WilderLoungeDowntown · 701 East Broward BlvdSource: Search estimatesSource: The Wilder | Fri and Sat, 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. | DJ sets from 10 p.m. | Not listed | 100 |
| 9 | Club EuroClubDowntown · 120 Nugent AveSource: Search estimatesSource: Club Euro | Thu to Sat, from 11 p.m. | Top 40, house, reggae, hip-hop and reggaeton | VIP bottle packages $350 to $1,500 | 70 |
| 10 | BackyardClubHimmarshee · 100 SW 3rd AveSource: Search estimatesSource: Backyard | Seven nights, 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. | Not listed | Not listed | 30 |
Ranked by monthly Google searches in the United States for each venue’s name with the city, as Ahrefs estimates them, so this measures demand, not size. Only rooms that their own site shows open are listed.
Venues named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide. Details come from each venue’s own pages and can change; a venue can ask us to correct or remove its entry.
Fort Lauderdale’s visitors are counted for the whole county, and its cruise port keeps a count of its own.
Who visits the area. These describe Greater Fort Lauderdale (Broward County) and its visitors, not any venue’s guests.
Sell tickets, take table bookings with deposits, run the guest list and check guests in at the door, in one place. Built for clubs, lounges and bars.
$15.00 an hour since 30 September 2026. From 2027 it is adjusted yearly for inflation, with the first adjusted rate taking effect on 1 January 2028. In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro area, BLS data for May 2025 puts the median bartender wage at $16.68 an hour.
7% on food and drinks: 6% Florida sales tax plus a 1% Broward County surtax, per the 2025 table. A mandatory service charge is part of the sale price, so it is taxed too.
Apply to the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco through its online system, listing every officer, shareholder and director with an interest. A full liquor license comes from the quota, by a public drawing or with the sale of a business; a qualifying restaurant can use the special restaurant license. In Fort Lauderdale a nightclub also needs the board of adjustment’s approval after a public hearing.
Anyone who performs a security officer’s services needs a Class D license, held through a Class B agency. It takes 40 hours of training at a licensed school, holders must be 18, and it renews every 2 years.
Florida lets employers count tips toward the minimum wage, up to the federal tip credit of 2003. Check the State’s published tipped cash wage with the Florida Department of Commerce.
The annual State fee for a full liquor license in a county over 100,000 people, which includes Broward, is $1,820, plus $1,000 for more than three bar rooms. A new quota license adds $10,750 once, and the drawing has a $100 filing fee.
Server training in Florida is voluntary under the Responsible Vendor Act. A qualifying vendor trains servers within 30 days of hire and managers within 15, and if trained staff make an illegal sale to a minor, the license can’t be suspended or revoked for it unless the vendor knew or took part.
Sales end at 2 a.m. on Sunday to Thursday nights and at 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and a drink served before the close can be finished by 2:30 a.m. or 3:30 a.m. The City Code has no extended-hours permit and no New Year’s Eve exception in its hours section.
Only venues that a district representative designates as late-night licensed establishments, inside a special entertainment overlay district, may sell until 4 a.m., with drinks finished by 4:30. Every other venue keeps the 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. close. The code names no district, so ask the City which apply to your address.
Outdoors at a commercial property the limit is 65 dBA or 75 dBC around the clock, and at homes it is 50 dBA or 60 dBC from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Amplified sound from commercial property can’t pass 55 dBC inside a complainant’s premises from 10 p.m. to noon. In a special entertainment overlay district the limit is 85 dBA or 95 dBC, measured 5 feet from the building, until midnight on Monday to Thursday and 1 a.m. on Friday to Sunday.
Not as a rule. No one under 21 may enter or stay in a bottle club, cocktail bar, hotel bar or nightclub, with exceptions for staff, minors with a parent, bona fide restaurants, special restaurant licensees, hours when no alcohol is served, and active-duty military with ID.
Trade shorthand for a full liquor license under the county quota of one per 7,500 residents. New licenses open as the population grows, by public drawing when applicants outnumber them, and a new one costs $10,750 on top of the annual fee. A license can also change hands with the sale of a business, with the Division’s approval.
VenueStack publishes this guide for general information. We take care to keep it accurate and list our sources and review dates, but we can’t guarantee it is complete, current or correct, and we aren’t responsible for decisions made on it. Nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Prices, minimums and wages are estimates from the samples described and don’t represent any particular venue. Venues, events and organisations named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide.
Data gathered in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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