Alcohol Certification of Compliance Backlog - Information from ABLE

The League is assisting the ABLE Commission by sharing information to help alleviate a backlog of interim alcohol license applications. Currently, there are a number of pending applications that cannot be processed by ABLE until municipalities issue the applicant a Certificate of Compliance. The Certification of Compliance process is a statutory provision where applicants for alcohol licenses are required to document their compliance with all applicable zoning, safety, fire, and health codes. This gives the municipal government the ability to ensure alcohol establishments are in compliance with local regulations prior to the ABLE Commission granting a license. 

Municipalities are made aware of any compliance requests directly by the applicant. Applicants may be able to download the necessary forms from the municipalities website. For an example, click HERE to download the City of Tulsa’s Compliance Packet. 

In our discussions with the ABLE Commission, we have been told these response letters need not be detailed or complex. To assist you:

• Sample letters from Oklahoma City and the City of Fairview have been provided by the Commission.
• If your municipality does not have the above zoning, safety, fire, and health codes, a simple letter stating this is all that is required.

Additionally, the League will circulate a memorandum in the coming weeks outlining some of the upcoming alcohol changes, and provide additional ordinance samples prepared by Oklahoma municipalities.

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact Daniel McClure, Research Director, at daniel@oml.org.