Who sets closing time, how a liquor license is won or bought, what the bill and the team cost, and the nights that fill the city, for anyone running a club, lounge or bar in Miami or Miami Beach.
What the State of Florida, the City of Miami and Miami Beach ask of a licensed room, from the end of service to the door. Liquor licenses come from the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco.
The City of Miami ends sales at 3 a.m. for bars and lounges (nightclubs may open from 7 p.m.). Extending to 5 a.m. is allowed by right in the Urban Central Business District, the Omni CRA, the Central Design District and the Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA, and by exception elsewhere. Miami Beach lets on-premises venues sell from 8 a.m. to 5 a.m., and venues without a full kitchen must close at 5 a.m. On New Year’s Day and city-designated event days, 5 a.m. venues may serve to 7 a.m. under conditions. Both cities’ rules can be modified by other sections, so confirm your own 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. Only Class D, M or MB holders with a Class G license can carry a firearm.
Source: Florida StatutesSelling, serving or letting anyone under 21 drink on the premises is a second-degree misdemeanor, and a first-degree one on a second offense within a year.
MoreA careful check of a driver license, state ID, passport or military ID, relied on in good faith, is a defense. Staff under 21 can’t be served or drink at work.
Source: Florida StatutesA 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 StatutesA bar or nightclub needs a Certificate of Use, an Alcohol Reservation Letter, the State license and a Business Tax Receipt, in that order. The City says it can take several months.
MoreThe Miami-Dade County Local Business Tax Receipt is separate. An assembly area for 50 or more people should have an Occupant Load Certificate.
Source: City of MiamiA Miami Beach business license is the Certificate of Use, the Annual Fire Fee and the Business Tax Receipt. A bar or club also registers for resort tax.
MoreOver 49 seats needs an Occupant Load Certificate, and an occupant load above 200 adds a Nightclub Load Fee. The form asks whether there is dancing and entertainment.
Source: City of Miami BeachIn Miami Beach, tables or chairs on public property need a sidewalk cafe permit first. Several City departments review it, and fees apply.
MoreApply through the Finance Department’s BTR office or Public Works. Miami’s own program wasn’t confirmed.
Source: City of Miami BeachAlcohol service establishments sell from 11 a.m. (noon on Sundays) to 3 a.m.; nightclubs from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Restaurants and private clubs run 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.
MoreThe 5 a.m. extension is by right in the UCBD, Omni CRA, Central Design District and Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA, and by exception elsewhere. The City Commission can extend hours for special occasions.
Source: City of Miami (Municode)On-premises venues can sell from 8 a.m. to 5 a.m. Those without a full kitchen must close at 5 a.m. and stay closed, with no patrons until 8 a.m. Sidewalk cafes stop sales at 1:30 a.m.
MoreA 5 a.m. venue with a dance hall designation and an occupancy over 250 gives police 96 hours’ notice of a promoted event or concert. New Year’s Day and designated event days run to 7 a.m.
Source: City of Miami Beach (Municode)Florida’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.
MoreA venue whose main business is alcohol can’t be rented or used in the hours when sale is banned, unless a local ordinance allows it. The State leaves enforcing local hours to local police.
Source: Florida StatutesMiami Beach’s Special Events Office issues it. Applying takes your business tax receipt number, your insurance and sign-offs from neighbouring businesses or homeowner associations.
MoreSend it to events@miamibeachfl.gov. The office’s number is 305.673.7577.
Source: City of Miami BeachA temporary Miami Beach ordinance (2026-4793) swaps the Planning Board hearing for staff approval for qualifying restaurants and bars with indoor entertainment, capped at 750 people.
MoreOnly five corridors qualify, with no rooftops or outdoor entertainment. It ends on 31 December 2026 unless the Commission extends it.
Source: City of Miami BeachSelling alcohol takes a license from the State’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, on top of the City’s own approvals. In the City of Miami the City lists the path in this order.
The City of Miami contacts you within five business days of the application. Environmental Resource Management, Fire and Code Enforcement inspect, and inspections must finish within 90 working days of the application starting.
Source: Certificate of UseConfirms the address is eligible for an on-premises alcohol business before building permits. It takes a liquor survey of distances to other alcohol businesses, religious facilities, schools and residential zones. It’s valid three months and can be extended up to a year if progress is reasonable.
Source: Reservation LetterA 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 with the district office. 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 StatutesIn Miami, apply through the MiamiBiz portal with your EIN or SSN, the Certificate of Use and the State license. The City invoices after approval, and the County’s tax receipt is separate. In Miami Beach the CU and a fire inspection come first.
Source: Miami BTRSource: Miami Beach BTRIssued 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.
How a table’s bill adds up once tax and a service charge are on it, and what guests pay at the door.
| Minimum spend | $1,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Service charge 20%, added by the venue | $200.00 |
| Florida sales tax 6% of both lines | $72.00 |
| Miami-Dade 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 taxMiami-Dade adds a 1% discretionary sales surtax, for 7% in all. This is the 2025 table; the 2026 one wasn’t found.
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 restaurantsMiami Beach adds a 2% resort tax on food and drink sold in bars and clubs. It isn’t in this example: whether it applies to a service charge wasn’t confirmed.
Source: City of Miami BeachA 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.
Source: Florida StatutesRough estimates for tickets and bottle-service tables, from public listings and venues’ own pages.
$20 to $60
Typically about $30
The lowest ticket on one downtown club’s own show pages for Thursday to Saturday club nights, before later releases and door prices. Headliner nights cost more.
$1,000 to $2,000
A typical table, about $1,500
Where tables start, as the Greater Miami tourism board and one Park West club put it. Both are “and up” figures; most rooms quote tables privately.
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. Price sources: Club Space, Miami tourism board, E11EVEN Miami.
Hourly wages for the roles a night runs on, and the 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 | |
| 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. This guide gives no tipped cash wage because the State’s own published rate wasn’t confirmed.
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
The nights that fill a room, or empty it, month by month.
The morning after New Year’s Eve.
A long weekend.
The dinner and date crowd. When it falls midweek, couples book the weekend before too.
A long weekend, close to Valentine’s Day.
Four days of food and spirits events in Miami Beach.
Official siteTwo weeks of visitors at Hard Rock Stadium.
Official siteOne of the year’s biggest bar nights, whatever the weekday.
Bayfront Park, and the nights around it.
Official siteClub and party nights across the city.
Official siteNo city-wide dates
Race weekend, one of the biggest hotel and club weekends of the year.
Fashion week events and parties.
Official siteA long weekend, with extra planning by Miami Beach.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
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.
When it falls midweek, the parties run the weekend before.
The Wednesday before is a heavy bar night; the weekend after is busy.
Art week fills hotels, restaurants and clubs.
Official siteWhen it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
One of the year’s biggest nights.
Miami’s nightlife districts and the rooms each is known for.
Dining, shopping and galleries among Art Deco buildings, with clubs, lounges and hotel bars on Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue.
Luxury hotels and acclaimed dining along the shoreline, with hotel nightclubs and lounges.
An arts and culture scene with upscale restaurants and lively bars, including rooftops and cocktail lounges.
A multifaceted arts scene and global dining, with large clubs and bars around the arena.
One of Miami’s hippest neighborhoods, known for street murals, bars, breweries and live music.
Fashion, art, architecture and fine dining, with cocktail bars and restaurants.
The center of Cuban culture: Cuban restaurants, ventanitas and street festivals, with live music and Cuban bars.
Miami’s oldest neighborhood, with a laid-back, tropical feel and waterfront bars.
Who visits the city. These describe Greater Miami and Miami Beach’s 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 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% Miami-Dade surtax, per the 2025 table. A mandatory service charge is part of the sale price, so it is taxed too. Miami Beach adds a 2% resort tax on food and drink sold in bars and clubs.
Apply to the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco through its online system. In the City of Miami the steps run through a Certificate of Use, an Alcohol Reservation Letter, the State license and a Business Tax Receipt, and the City says it can take several months. 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.
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. This guide gives no tipped cash wage because the State’s own published rate wasn’t confirmed, so check with the Florida Department of Commerce.
In the City of Miami, bars and lounges sell alcohol until 3 a.m., and nightclubs run from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Extending to 5 a.m. is allowed by right in the UCBD, Omni CRA, Central Design District and Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA, and by exception elsewhere. Miami Beach lets on-premises venues sell until 5 a.m., and sidewalk cafes stop sales at 1:30 a.m. Florida’s own default of midnight to 7 a.m. applies only where no local ordinance sets other hours.
The annual State fee for a full liquor license in a county over 100,000 people, which includes Miami-Dade, 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. The City of Miami charges $200 for the Alcohol Reservation Letter and $50 for the Certificate of Use.
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.
Not for venues in the sense of an early closing: on-premises venues can sell alcohol from 8 a.m. to 5 a.m., and a venue without a full kitchen must close at 5 a.m. and stay closed until 8 a.m. Sidewalk cafes stop sales at 1:30 a.m. A 5 a.m. venue with a dance hall designation and an occupancy over 250 gives police 96 hours’ notice of a promoted event.
The City of Miami and Miami Beach noise ordinances for amplified music could not be confirmed for this guide, so no limits are given. In Miami Beach, an ambient entertainment permit takes a business tax receipt number, insurance and neighbour sign-offs, and is issued by the Special Events Office.
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.
Yes. A mandatory service charge is part of the sale price, so sales tax applies. A gratuity stays untaxed only when it is itemized separately and the business gets no monetary benefit from it. Whether Miami Beach resort tax applies to a service charge wasn’t confirmed.
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.
New YorkNew York, United States
Closing time, getting an SLA liquor license, temporary permits, the noise code, sales tax on service charges, door staff, wages and the year’s big nights.
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ChicagoIllinois, United States
Closing times and the Late Hour license, the City and state liquor licenses, the amusement license and tax, BASSET training, sales tax, the tipped wage and the year’s big nights.
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Las VegasNevada, United States
Clark County and City of Las Vegas liquor licenses, the City nightclub license, work cards, noise, sales tax and the Live Entertainment Tax, wages and the year’s big nights.
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