Who sets closing time, how a Series 6 or Series 12 liquor license is won or bought, what the bill and the team cost, and the nights that fill the Valley, for anyone running a club, lounge or bar in Phoenix or Scottsdale.
What the State of Arizona, the City of Phoenix and the City of Scottsdale ask of a licensed room, from the end of service to the door. Liquor licenses come from the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control.
State law ends sales at 2 a.m. and bars consumption and possession on the premises after 2:30 a.m., the same in Phoenix and Scottsdale. The only extension found is one hour, to 3 a.m., which the governor may order for a professional or collegiate national championship event held in Arizona. Whether an order has been issued for a given event was not checked. No later local hours were found in state law, but the city codes were not read, so confirm your own address.
A licensee must take reasonable steps to make sure the licensee, the manager, anyone who serves or sells liquor and anyone running the premises know Title 4 of the state statutes and the rules (R19-1-302).
MoreThe rule says “acquire knowledge” and not “mandatory.” In practice an approved Title 4 course meets it, so confirm the standard with the Department.
Source: Arizona Administrative Code (Cornell LII copy)The Basic On-sale course runs at least three hours and the Management On-sale course at least two, after the Basic. Each ends with an exam and a certificate.
MoreThe certificate expires three years after it is issued. Only trainers approved by the Department can teach the courses.
Source: Arizona Administrative Code (Cornell LII copy)Anyone acting as a security guard must be registered with the Department of Public Safety. An unarmed guard takes an 8-hour pre-assignment class and an armed guard 16 hours, with an 8-hour refresher each year.
MoreRegistration is valid four years. The unarmed fee is $50, armed is $100 and fingerprints are $22. Whether your own door staff who only check ID must register was not confirmed.
Source: Arizona Department of Public SafetyA licensee may not hire or assign anyone to security who fails to complete a form disclosing certain offenses from the past five years, such as assault, weapons or sexual misconduct. The affidavits stay on file.
MoreThe form isn’t needed for a current guard registration. If you use a registered guard, try to verify the registration is valid and current.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesLegal drinking age is 21. If you question a guest’s age, demand ID, check it looks valid and unaltered, check the photo, and check the date of birth.
MoreFollowing the steps and recording the ID on that visit, or using a biometric ID device, protects you from the underage-sale violations. Without the record it is only a defense, and an unrecorded check is presumed not to have happened.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesEach year the state issues one more bar license in a county for each 10,000 people added since 1 July 2010. If more people apply than licenses, a random selection decides.
MoreA new quota license also carries a fee equal to the license’s appraised market value. Or buy one: a bar license transfers within its county with a bona fide sale of the business, and can’t be leased.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesA restaurant license needs suitable kitchen facilities and a plan of operation. A venue averaging at least 40% of gross revenue from food over the 12-month audit period passes the test.
MoreBelow 30% the license is deemed surrendered or can be revoked. From 30% to under 37% you get six months to convert to a bar license.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesSince 2013, a Scottsdale venue in an A-2, A-3 or A-4 assembly occupancy needs a public safety plan if it checks age at the door, has a DJ, uses a promoter, offers an adult service or runs a teen dance center.
MoreThe Chief of Police approves it, within 90 days overall. It lasts two years, a new one is due at least 90 days before it expires, and it can’t be transferred. Peak hours are presumed to be 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday to Saturday. This is read from the city’s posted copy, so confirm the current text.
Source: City of ScottsdaleIn peak hours, one security officer for every 50 patrons for the first 500, then one more for every 75. Security staff take city training within 30 days of hire and refresher training every two years.
MoreGuard-registered staff and peace officers are exempt from the training. A first violation is a civil fine of at least $500, and a repeat within a year is a class 1 misdemeanor with a fine of at least $1,000.
Source: City of ScottsdaleA Scottsdale bar use permit or live entertainment use permit needs a Security, Maintenance and Operations plan, reviewed by the Police liquor detective and then Planning and Development.
MoreIt sets the sale hours by day, uniformed security on peak nights, a manager on duty until 30 minutes after closing, and guests out of the parking areas within 30 minutes. A violation can lead to the City Council revoking the permit.
Source: City of ScottsdaleState law bars sales from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. and bars consumption or possession on the premises from 2:30 a.m. The governor may extend sales to 3 a.m. for a national championship event.
MoreThe same rule applies in both cities. No local hours option or later-hours permit was found. Scottsdale’s plan form lists a venue’s sale hours, so they become a condition of its use permit.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesScottsdale’s current ordinance, in place since 2010, sets no numeric limit for Old Town. The city is drafting an update, and its page was last updated on 21 May 2026.
MoreOutreach covered decibel limits, sound cameras and measuring at the source. No new ordinance had been adopted when this page was read. Phoenix’s noise rules were not confirmed.
Source: City of ScottsdaleArizona licenses are issued by the state’s Department of Liquor Licenses and Control. The city only recommends. A bar is Series 6 and a restaurant is Series 12.
Series 6 sells all spirits mainly by the drink in original containers, and Series 12 is a restaurant license for consumption on the premises. A license is for one place, and each separate business needs its own.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesSource: Application procedureA new Series 6 comes from the yearly county quota, by random selection when more apply than licenses. The state adds a fee equal to the license’s appraised market value. A Series 6 can also be bought and transferred within its county with a sale of the business. A Series 12 isn’t quota-limited.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesSource: Arizona Revised StatutesSource: Arizona Revised StatutesFile on the state form with the director, who sends it to the city clerk. The $100 application fee covers an original license or a transfer.
Source: Application procedureSource: Arizona Revised StatutesThe city posts a copy on the front of the premises for 20 days. Residents or owners within one mile can file written arguments in that time. Phoenix uses a large green board at the address.
Source: Application procedureSource: Phoenix processThe city council must recommend approval or disapproval within 60 days of the filing. In Phoenix the License Services office, Police, Planning and Development and Finance review it first, and the city fees are due within 5 days of the city receiving the application.
Source: Application procedureSource: Phoenix processThe state approves or disapproves within 105 days of the filing. A hearing follows if the city recommends disapproval or if the director, the board or an aggrieved party asks for one. A neighbor within a mile can protest, and the location needs the 300-foot school and church check.
Source: Application procedureSource: Phoenix processIssued by the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control
General information, not legal advice. Laws and license conditions change and vary by venue. Confirm with the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control 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 |
| Phoenix tax 2.8% of both lines | $33.60 |
| Arizona tax 5.6% of both lines | $67.20 |
| Maricopa County tax 0.7% of both lines | $8.40 |
| Guest pays | $1,309.20 |
| Tip the guest chooses to add | No tax |
Arizona’s tax is the transaction privilege tax, and bars and restaurants are one classification. Its base is the gross proceeds of sales or gross income of the business.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesPhoenix charges 9.1% on restaurants and bars: 2.8% city, 5.6% state and 0.7% county, per the chart effective 1 January 2026.
Source: City of Phoenix FinanceThis example counts the 20% service charge in that base, as business revenue. The state’s own ruling on service charges versus tips wasn’t confirmed, so check with the Department of Revenue.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesScottsdale is 8.0% on restaurants: 1.70% city, 5.6% state and 0.70% county, per the July 2025 schedule. The same bill would carry $96.00 instead of $109.20.
Source: City of ScottsdaleA cover charge or other minimum charge is included in the restaurant tax base.
Source: Arizona Administrative Code (Cornell LII copy)Rough estimates for tickets and bottle-service tables, from public listings and venues’ own pages.
$20 to $50
Typically about $30
No Phoenix or Scottsdale venue publishes a club night price we could read, so this is generalized from published club-night tickets in our other US guides. Big weeks such as the WM Phoenix Open, spring training weekends and New Year’s Eve run higher.
$400 to $1,200
A typical table, about $800
One Old Town Scottsdale venue says tables start at $600 on average, for groups of four or more. That fits the ranges in our other US guides. It is one venue’s starting figure, 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.
Hourly wages for the roles a night runs on, and the rules on tips.
| Role | Range, low to high | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Bartenders$14.89 to $44.17 | $22.57 | |
| Servers$14.83 to $38.36 | $22.85 | |
| Hosts$14.81 to $22.63 | $16.87 | |
| Security and door$15.96 to $26.58 | $18.41 | |
| Cooks$16.80 to $22.36 | $18.83 | |
| Managers$24.27 to $51.11 | $33.74 |
Minimum wage $15.15 an hour, since 1 January 2026Source: US Department of Labor
Bar: lowest to highest wage reported. Dot: median. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Arizona’s minimum wage is set by state law and adjusted every 1 January for the cost of living. Phoenix and Scottsdale have no separate city minimum that we found.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesAn employer may pay a tipped employee up to $3.00 an hour less than the minimum wage, if tips plus wages reach the minimum wage for each week, averaged over the payroll period. The employer needs its tip records or the employee’s declaration.
Source: Arizona Revised StatutesA mandatory service charge the business keeps is business revenue, and cover charges are taxable. Whether the state treats a separately charged gratuity differently wasn’t confirmed from an official page.
Source: Arizona Administrative Code (Cornell LII copy)Wage figures include tips that workers report as wages.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
The nights that fill a room, or empty it, month by month.
The morning after New Year’s Eve.
Official siteA long weekend.
A standing monthly night in downtown Phoenix that fills Roosevelt Row and the bars nearby.
Official siteThe biggest week of the year for Old Town Scottsdale rooms, at TPC Scottsdale.
Official siteWeeks of visitor-heavy weekends across the Valley.
Official siteA long weekend, in the middle of spring training.
A heavy bar night whatever the weekday, during spring training.
Home-game nights downtown.
A long weekend.
A long weekend when it falls on a Friday or Monday.
A holiday weekend crowd and fireworks night.
No city-wide dates
The last long weekend of summer.
Game-day crowds, with home games in Glendale.
A long weekend.
A full weekend of LGBTQ+ nightlife demand in Phoenix, at Arizona Center.
Official siteA month-long fall draw, weaker for late-night rooms.
Official siteHome-game crowds downtown, and playoff nights that can’t be planned.
A costume weekend before or after, and a top club night.
A federal holiday.
A holiday weekend.
A federal holiday.
The biggest single night for clubs, with ticketed events and premium table minimums.
Phoenix’s nightlife districts and the rooms each is known for.
A dense cluster of bars, lounges and clubs.
Trendy bars, music venues and rooftop lounges.
Bars along Mill Avenue beside Arizona State University, with a student crowd.
Neighborhood hangouts where locals go after work.
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 | Riot HouseClubOld Town Scottsdale · 4425 N Saddlebag Trail #105Source: Search estimatesSource: Riot House | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 2,100 |
| 2 | Bottled BlondeClubOld Town ScottsdaleSource: Search estimatesSource: Bottled Blonde | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 1,400 |
| 3 | Maya Day + NightclubClubOld Town Scottsdale · 7333 E Indian PlazaSource: Search estimatesSource: Maya Day + Nightclub | Thursday to Sunday | DJs | Not listed | 1,300 |
| 4 | Dierks Bentley's Whiskey RowClubOld Town ScottsdaleSource: Search estimates | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 1,200 |
| 5 | Sunbar TempeClubDowntown Tempe and Mill AvenueSource: Search estimates | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 1,200 |
| 6 | CAKE NightclubClubOld Town Scottsdale · 4405 N Saddlebag TrailSource: Search estimatesSource: CAKE Nightclub | Thursday to Sunday, to 2 a.m. | Not listed | Not listed | 400 |
| 7 | Valley BarClubDowntown Phoenix and Roosevelt RowSource: Search estimatesSource: Valley Bar | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 400 |
| 8 | Glow TempeClubDowntown Tempe and Mill AvenueSource: Search estimates | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 300 |
| 9 | DarkstarClubDowntown Tempe and Mill AvenueSource: Search estimates | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 200 |
| 10 | Club ContactClubDowntown Phoenix and Roosevelt RowSource: Search estimates | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 150 |
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 visits Scottsdale. These describe the city’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.
9.1% on restaurants and bars: 2.8% city, 5.6% state and 0.7% Maricopa County, per the chart effective 1 January 2026. Cover charges and other minimum charges are in the tax base.
8.0% on restaurants: 1.70% city, 5.6% state and 0.70% county, per the July 2025 schedule. The city rate fell from 1.75% to 1.70% after voters approved Proposition 490 in November 2024.
Apply to the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control on the state form. The city posts the application for 20 days and recommends within 60, and the state decides within 105 days of the filing. A new Series 6 bar license comes from the yearly county quota by random selection, or by transfer with a sale of a business. A Series 12 restaurant license isn’t quota-limited.
The bar license, which sells all spirits mainly by the drink in original containers. The state issues one more per county for each 10,000 people added since 1 July 2010, by random selection when more apply than licenses. A new one carries a fee equal to its appraised market value, and a license can also be transferred within its county with a sale of the business.
The state charges a $100 application and a $1,500 issuance fee for a Series 6 or Series 12. The annual fee is $150 for a bar and $500 for a restaurant. Phoenix adds an application of $1,455 to $1,625, and a quota license adds its appraised market value, which this guide doesn’t give.
Sales end at 2 a.m., and drinks must be off the premises by 2:30 a.m. Sales may restart at 6 a.m. The same state rule applies in Scottsdale. The governor may extend sales to 3 a.m. for a national championship event.
A licensee must take reasonable steps to make sure staff who serve liquor know Title 4, and an approved course is how that is met in practice. The Basic On-sale course is at least three hours, the Management course at least two, and the certificate expires after three years.
An employer may pay up to $3.00 an hour less than the minimum wage, if the employee’s tips plus wages reach the minimum wage for each week. The state minimum is adjusted every 1 January for the cost of living, so check the current rate with the Industrial Commission.
Anyone acting as a security guard must be registered with the Department of Public Safety. An unarmed guard takes an 8-hour class and pays $50, and registration is valid four years. A licensee also can’t assign anyone to security who fails to complete the offense disclosure form, unless they hold a current registration.
A venue with a DJ, a promoter or age checks at the door needs a public safety plan, valid two years. In peak hours it needs one security officer per 50 patrons for the first 500, then one per 75. Security staff take city training within 30 days of hire, and a first violation is a civil fine of at least $500.
The current ordinance, in place since 2010, sets no numeric limit for Old Town. The city is drafting an update, and no new ordinance had been adopted when its page was last updated on 21 May 2026. Phoenix’s noise rules weren’t confirmed for this guide.
Arizona’s restaurant tax base is the business’s gross proceeds or gross income, and this guide counts a mandatory service charge in it, so a $1,000 table with a 20% charge pays 9.1% on $1,200 in Phoenix. The state’s own ruling on service charges versus tips wasn’t confirmed, so check with the Department of Revenue.
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
