When service ends, how the Pennsylvania liquor license and its quota work, what the bill and the team cost, and the nights that fill the city, for anyone running a club, lounge or bar here.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania sets the hours, the license and its quota through the Liquor Control Board, and the City of Philadelphia adds its own nightlife license, taxes and noise rules. Liquor licenses come from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
The hours are the Liquor Code’s, in a PLCB guide that says it is guidance and not binding on enforcement. No separate city hours rule turned up. Certain holidays have special hours that the guide does not list, so confirm them with the PLCB. The permit lets a room stay open from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. to serve food only; it does not extend alcohol sales.
Anyone who serves or sells alcohol, or checks IDs, and was hired on or after 8 August 2016 must complete RAMP server and seller training within six months of being hired, and retrain before it expires. Training lasts two years. Newly approved managers of certain license types need owner and manager training within 180 days.
MoreRAMP certification for the venue is separate and voluntary. It needs a trained owner or manager, at least half your alcohol staff trained, an orientation for each new hire within 30 days and two signs on ID and refusal. It costs nothing, lasts two years and may lower liability risk, insurance cost or fines.
Source: PLCB RAMPA minor is anyone under 21. Bartenders and servers of alcohol must be 18. Staff aged 16 and 17 may only serve food and clear tables, and entertainers may be 18. Accepted ID is a photo license or ID from any state, a military ID, a passport or visa with photo, or Canadian ID.
MoreNothing requires guests to carry ID inside, but you are strictly liable for selling to a minor. A signed age card, a photo of the ID or a valid scan is a defense, and carding everyone is allowed.
Source: PLCB IDThe PLCB issues the license. A bar or nightclub normally holds a Restaurant (R) license, and a hotel an H license. Each county gets one license for every 3,000 residents. Most counties are over quota, so a new operator buys an existing license and moves it, or bids at a PLCB auction.
MorePhiladelphia was not among the counties offered in the last three auctions, so a license here comes from a private holder through a PLCB transfer. Resale prices aren’t published.
Source: PLCB quotaThe PLCB auctions expired restaurant licenses to the highest bidder, and a winner has 30 days to pay and six months to apply. In one auction, top bids ran from $26,500 to $361,100, averaging $113,214. A newer annual excess auction lets a license move to another county for a further $50,000 or $25,000, depending on the county.
MoreAuction prices are the only official price data for a license. Standard auctions keep a license in its original county, and Philadelphia wasn’t offered.
Source: PLCB auctionsA business that offers dancing, live or recorded music or DJs, in a room with a lawful occupancy of 50 or more, needs the City’s Special Assembly Occupancy license from the Department of Licenses and Inspections. It costs $253 to start and $253 every two years, and review can take up to 45 days.
MoreIt needs zoning approval, a lawful occupancy sign, a fire safety inspection, posted notice on every street side, a Pennsylvania criminal background check and current City taxes. Anyone who produces events at these rooms also registers as an event promoter.
Source: City nightlife licenseThe City charges 10% of the sale price of every alcoholic beverage sold by bars, hotels, restaurants, clubs and caterers. It replaces sales tax on alcohol. You pay it monthly and file quarterly, online, by the 25th of the month for the prior month.
MoreLate payment earns 0.5% monthly interest and a 1% monthly penalty, and the commercial license can be suspended. Service charges aren’t in the base, and complimentary drinks aren’t taxed.
Source: City liquor taxThe City charges 5% of the admission charge for any amusement in Philadelphia, night clubs included. The person who provides the amusement collects it and files by the 15th of each month for a permanent venue. The City’s page says the Amusement License is eliminated, but the tax stays.
MoreThe page doesn’t say whether bottle minimums, table fees or cover charges count as admission, so ask the Department of Revenue.
Source: City amusement taxHappy hour discounts can run up to four hours a day and fourteen hours a week, never between midnight and closing. Post the hours seven days ahead. One free standard drink per visit is allowed, but no all draft or all well specials and no two for one.
MoreThis is a PLCB guide updated in 2017, so confirm nothing has changed.
Source: PLCB discountsRestaurant and hotel licenses may sell from 7 a.m. on a weekday to 2 a.m. the next day. All patrons must leave within half an hour after service ends, so the room is empty by 2:30 a.m.
MorePlan last call well before 2 a.m. Club (C) licenses run later, to 3 a.m., but a bar or nightclub normally holds an R license.
Source: PLCB hoursSunday sales need a Sunday sales permit, which costs $300. With it, a restaurant or hotel license may sell from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day.
MoreA permit holder or anyone eligible for one can also apply for the extended hours food permit.
Source: PLCB feesA license holder with a Sunday sales permit, or eligible for one, and an extended hours food permit may stay open from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. to serve food on any day. With an amusement permit, entertainment and dancing may continue whenever it is open.
MoreAlcohol sales still end at 2 a.m.
Source: PLCB hoursSound from a non-residential property may not exceed 5 decibels above the background level at the nearest occupied residential property boundary, or 10 decibels above at a non-residential boundary. Sound from a special assembly occupancy may not be audible more than 100 feet from the property boundary.
MoreThe 100 foot rule applies even where it is stricter than the decibel limit. This is the printout of Chapter 10-400 accurate as of October 2021 and the night hours weren’t found, so confirm the current code.
Source: City noise codeLicensees buy wine and spirits through the PLCB’s Licensee Online Order Portal, Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores or Licensee Service Centers. Products it doesn’t stock go through a special order.
MoreMalt and brewed beverages come from distributors, not the PLCB.
Source: PLCB orderingThe PLCB issues the license and the State Police enforce it. Because Philadelphia is over its quota, the route is to find an existing license and move it, with the City’s sign-offs. The steps run in this order.
The county quota is one license per 3,000 residents. Philadelphia licenses weren’t offered at recent PLCB auctions, so a new operator buys an existing license from a private holder.
Source: PLCB quotaSource: PLCB auctionsGet zoning approval and, for a room of 50 or more with dancing, music or DJs, the City’s Special Assembly Occupancy license before the PLCB approves. The City says its review can take up to 45 days.
Source: City nightlife licenseApplications and transfers run through the PLCB+ portal. A new license has a $700 filing fee. A transfer costs $650 person to person, $550 place to place or $700 for a double transfer.
Source: PLCB licenseSource: PLCB feesNewly approved managers of certain license types complete owner and manager training within 180 days, then every two years.
Source: PLCB RAMPAdd a Sunday sales permit if you will sell on Sundays. The PLCB also lists an amusement permit for liquor as an add-on.
Source: PLCB licenseSource: PLCB feesIssued by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
General information, not legal advice. Laws and license conditions change and vary by venue. Confirm with the PLCB 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 |
| Liquor Sales Tax 10% of the spend | $100.00 |
| Guest pays | $1,300.00 |
| Tip the guest chooses to add | No tax |
The City charges a 10% Liquor Sales Tax on every alcoholic beverage a bar, hotel, restaurant or club sells. It takes the place of sales tax on alcohol, which Pennsylvania exempts.
Source: City liquor taxThe City’s Liquor Sales Tax regulations say service charges are not subject to the tax, so the example leaves the 20% charge untaxed. The regulations aren’t dated, so confirm with the Department of Revenue before you print a bill.
Source: City liquor tax regulationsA tip is not subject to state sales tax when it is separately stated on the receipt.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of RevenueFor banquets and special events, state labor guidance asks for separate bill lines for an automatic service fee and for a gratuity, so a service fee is not a tip.
Source: State tipped worker rulesFood on the same bill carries sales tax of 8%, which is 6% state plus 2% local. The example treats the whole table as drinks.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of RevenueA cover or ticket is also subject to the City’s 5% Amusement Tax. The City’s page doesn’t say whether a table minimum counts as admission.
Source: City amusement taxRough estimates for tickets and bottle-service tables, from public listings and venues’ own pages.
$10 to $30
Typically about $20
No Philadelphia club publishes a club night ticket price on its own site, so this is generalized from the prices published in comparable US cities: Nashville $10 to $30, Atlanta $10 to $30, Chicago $10 to $20 and New York $15 to $25.
$400 to $900
A typical table, about $500
No Philadelphia venue states a table minimum on its own site, so this is generalized from the table minimums published in comparable US cities: Nashville $400 to $900, Atlanta $500 to $1,000 and Chicago $400 to $600, before tax and tip.
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.
Hourly wages for the roles a night runs on, and the rules on tips.
| Role | Range, low to high | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Bartenders$10.33 to $33.61 | $17.33 | |
| Servers$10.53 to $31.41 | $17.58 | |
| Hosts$11.72 to $19.93 | $15.49 | |
| Security guards$15.06 to $27.87 | $18.00 | |
| Cooks$14.30 to $22.60 | $18.40 | |
| Managers$26.63 to $48.79 | $36.09 |
Minimum wage $7.25 an hourSource: State minimum wage
Bar: lowest to highest wage reported. Dot: median. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. The tipped cash wage is $2.83, with a tip credit of $4.42. No Philadelphia rate above the state’s was confirmed.
Source: U.S. Department of LaborTo take the tip credit, an employee must earn at least $135 a month in tips, and base wage plus tips must reach $7.25 an hour or you pay the difference. No more than 20% of weekly hours may go on duties that don’t directly earn tips, and overtime is time and a half after 40 hours.
Source: State tipped worker rulesA tip pool that includes anyone paid a tip-credit wage may only include staff who customarily and regularly receive tips. Managers, supervisors and the employer may not take from the pool.
Source: State tipped worker rulesYou can’t deduct credit card or other payment processing fees from an employee’s tips.
Source: State tipped worker rulesFor banquets and special events, the state asks for bills with separate lines for an automatic administrative or service fee that covers operating costs and for a gratuity meant for the employee. A service fee is not a tip.
Source: State tipped worker rules
The nights that fill a room, or empty it, month by month.
Philadelphia’s own New Year’s Day tradition fills the streets and the bars around the parade route.
Official siteA federal holiday that follows the biggest night of the year, with late recovery trade and brunch.
A federal holiday Monday makes a long weekend.
A federal holiday Monday makes a long weekend.
A bar night on any weekday.
Home games bring bar trade near South Philadelphia, and a postseason run fills the whole city.
A long weekend that opens the summer season.
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.
Sunday game days fill the sports bars, and playoff weekends follow in January.
A federal holiday Monday makes a long weekend.
When it falls midweek, the costume parties run the weekend before or after.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
A federal holiday that starts a long weekend.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
Fireworks over the Delaware River make this the biggest night for waterfront and Old City rooms.
Official site
Philadelphia’s nightlife districts and the rooms each is known for.
A nighttime hub of swanky cocktail bars and a speakeasy, with First Fridays gallery nights.
A nighttime hub with cocktail bars, a comedy club and a distillery.
The main drag for a late-night cheesesteak, with dive bars and a wine bar.
Old South Philly Italian-American culture alongside newer bars.
A walkable downtown for a night out, with cocktail bars and a comedy club around Rittenhouse Square.
Ranked by monthly Google searches in the United States for each venue’s name with the city, as Ahrefs estimates them. Few rooms publish a capacity, so this measures demand, not size. Only rooms that their own site or the tourism board shows open are listed.
| Rank | Venue | Nights | Music | Published price | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NOTO PhiladelphiaClubCenter City and Rittenhouse · 1209 Vine StSource: Search estimatesSource: NOTO Philadelphia | Event nights from 10 p.m. | DJs, hip-hop and house | Not listed | 1,600 |
| 2 | Woody'sClubCenter City and RittenhouseSource: Search estimatesSource: Woody's | Thursday to Sunday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. | Upstairs dance floor | Not listed | 800 |
| 3 | Silk CityLoungeSource: Search estimatesSource: Silk City | Weekend DJ parties | Not listed | Not listed | 450 |
| 4 | The Trestle InnLoungeSource: Search estimatesSource: The Trestle Inn | Thursday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. | DJs and go-go dancers | Not listed | 150 |
| 5 | Concourse Dance BarClubCenter City and Rittenhouse · 1635 Market StSource: Search estimatesSource: Concourse Dance Bar | Every Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. | Not listed | Not listed | 60 |
| 6 | The DolphinClub1539 S Broad StSource: Search estimatesSource: The Dolphin | Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. | Not listed | Not listed | 30 |
| 7 | PulseClubCenter City and Rittenhouse · 1526 Sansom StSource: Search estimatesSource: Pulse | Friday and Saturday, 10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. | DJ dance music | Not listed | 30 |
| 8 | Franky Bradley'sClubCenter City and Rittenhouse · 1320 Chancellor StSource: Search estimatesSource: Franky Bradley's | Not listed | Upstairs club and a disco room | Not listed | 30 |
| 9 | Vango Sky Bar & LoungeLoungeCenter City and RittenhouseSource: Search estimatesSource: Vango Sky Bar & Lounge | Nightly to 2 a.m. | Not listed | Not listed | 30 |
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.
Who lives in and visits the city. These describe Philadelphia and its metro area, 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.
Anyone who serves or sells alcohol, or checks IDs, and was hired on or after 8 August 2016 must complete RAMP server and seller training within six months of being hired. It lasts two years. RAMP certification for the venue is voluntary: it needs a trained owner or manager, at least half your alcohol staff trained, a 30 day orientation for new hires and two signs, and it costs nothing.
Food is taxed at 8%, which is 6% state plus 2% local. Alcohol is exempt from sales tax, and the City charges a 10% Liquor Sales Tax on every alcoholic beverage a bar, hotel, restaurant or club sells instead. Separately stated tips are not subject to state sales tax.
Restaurant and hotel licenses may sell until 2 a.m., and all patrons must be out within half an hour, by 2:30 a.m. Philadelphia follows the state hours. Certain holidays have special hours, so confirm them with the PLCB.
The PLCB issues it, and the county quota is one license per 3,000 residents. Philadelphia licenses weren’t offered at recent PLCB auctions, so a new operator buys an existing license from a private holder and moves it with a PLCB transfer. A room with dancing, music or DJs for 50 or more also needs the City’s Special Assembly Occupancy license.
A new license has a $700 filing fee, and transfers cost $550 to $700. The only official price data is the PLCB’s auctions, where one round’s top bids ran from $26,500 to $361,100, averaging $113,214. Philadelphia resale prices between private holders aren’t published.
A business that offers dancing, live or recorded music or DJs, with a lawful occupancy of 50 or more, needs the City’s Special Assembly Occupancy license. It costs $253 to start and $253 every two years, and review can take up to 45 days. Event promoters register separately.
The City charges 5% of the admission charge for any amusement, night clubs included. The person who provides the amusement collects it and files by the 15th of each month. The City’s page doesn’t say whether table minimums or cover charges count as admission.
The City’s Liquor Sales Tax regulations say service charges are not subject to that tax, and a separately stated tip is not subject to state sales tax. An automatic charge shown as a service fee, not a tip, is the venue’s revenue. Confirm the treatment with the Department of Revenue before you print a bill.
The state minimum is $7.25 an hour, and the tipped cash wage is $2.83 with a $4.42 tip credit. Tips plus base wage must reach $7.25 an hour, and the employee must earn at least $135 a month in tips. No higher Philadelphia rate was confirmed. In the metro area bartenders have a median wage of $17.33 an hour including reported tips.
With a Sunday sales permit, which costs $300, a restaurant or hotel license may sell from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day.
Sound from a non-residential property may not exceed 5 decibels above the background level at the nearest occupied residential boundary. Sound from a special assembly occupancy may not be audible more than 100 feet from the property boundary. This reads the code as printed in October 2021, so confirm the current text.
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.
Read the guide
MiamiFlorida, United States
The state closing default and city hours, quota and restaurant liquor licenses, City of Miami and Miami Beach business licenses, sales and resort tax, door licensing, wages and the year’s big nights.
Read the guide
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.
Read the guide
