2022 Colorado Code
Title 44 - Revenue - Regulation of Activities
Article 3 - Alcohol Beverages
Part 3 - State and Local Licensing
§ 44-3-303. Transfer of Ownership and Temporary Permits

1. 1. No license granted under the provisions of this article 3 or article 4 of this title 44 shall be transferable except as provided in this subsection (1), but this shall not prevent a change of location as provided in section 44-3-301 (9).
   2. When a license has been issued to a husband and wife, or to general or limited partners, the death of a spouse or partner shall not require the surviving spouse or partner to obtain a new license. All rights and privileges granted under the original license shall continue in full force and effect as to such survivors for the balance of the license period.
   3. 1. Except as provided in subsection (1)(c)(II) of this section, for any other transfer of ownership, application must be made to the state and local licensing authorities on forms prepared and furnished by the state licensing authority. In determining whether to permit a transfer of ownership, the licensing authorities shall consider only the requirements of section 44-3-307 and 1 CCR 203-2, rule 47-302, entitled "Changing, Altering, or Modifying Licensed Premises", or any analogous successor rule. The local licensing authority may conduct a hearing on the application for transfer of ownership after providing notice in accordance with subsection (1)(c)(III) of this section. Any transfer of ownership hearing by the state licensing authority must be held in accordance with section 44-3-305 (2).
      2. A license merger and conversion as provided for in section 44-3-410 (1)(b) includes a transfer of ownership of at least two retail liquor stores, a change of location of one of the retail liquor stores, and a merger and conversion of the retail liquor store licenses into a single liquor-licensed drugstore license, all as part of a single transaction, and the liquor-licensed drugstore applicant need not apply separately for a transfer of ownership under this section. The liquor-licensed drugstore applying for a license merger and conversion pursuant to section 44-3-410 (1)(b) is ineligible for a temporary permit pursuant to this section. The local licensing authority shall consider the reasonable requirements of the neighborhood pursuant to section 44-3-312 when making a determination on the merger and conversion of the retail liquor store licenses into a single liquor-licensed drugstore license. The local licensing authority may hold a hearing on the application for the license merger and conversion after providing notice in accordance with subsection (1)(c)(III) of this section.
      3. Prior to holding a hearing as provided in this subsection (1)(c), the local licensing authority shall notify the applicant of the hearing at least ten days before the hearing and shall post, or may direct the license applicant to post, a notice of the hearing in a conspicuous location on the licensed premises for at least ten consecutive days before the hearing.

   4. The state or a local licensing authority shall not approve a transfer of ownership under this subsection (1) until the applicant files with the local licensing authority confirmation from each wholesaler licensed under this article 3 that has sold alcohol beverages to the transferor that the wholesaler has been paid in full for all alcohol beverages delivered to the transferor.

2. Notwithstanding any provision of this article 3 to the contrary, a local licensing authority may issue a temporary permit to a transferee of any retail class of alcohol beverage license issued by the local licensing authority pursuant to this article 3 or article 4 of this title 44; except that a local licensing authority shall not issue a temporary permit to a liquor-licensed drugstore that has acquired ownership of licensed retail liquor stores in accordance with section 44-3-410 (1)(b). A temporary permit authorizes a transferee to continue selling alcohol beverages as permitted under the permanent license during the period in which an application to transfer the ownership of the license is pending.
3. A temporary permit shall authorize a transferee to conduct business and sell alcohol beverages at retail in accordance with the license of the transferor subject to compliance with all of the following conditions:
   1. The premises where alcohol beverages are sold shall have been previously licensed by the state and local licensing authorities, and the license shall have been valid at the time the application for transfer of ownership was filed with the local licensing authority that has jurisdiction to approve an application for a temporary permit.
   2. The applicant has filed with the local licensing authority on forms provided by the department an application for the transfer of the liquor license. The application shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
      1. The name and address of the applicant; if the applicant is a partnership, the names and addresses of all the partners; and, if the applicant is a corporation, association, or other organization, the names and addresses of the president, vice-president, secretary, and managing officer;
      2. The applicant's financial interest in the proposed transfer;
      3. The premises for which the temporary permit is sought;
      4. Such other information as the local licensing authority may require; and
      5. A statement that all accounts for alcohol beverages sold to the applicant are paid.

   3. The application for a temporary permit shall be filed no later than thirty days after the filing of the application for transfer of ownership and shall be accompanied by a temporary permit fee not to exceed one hundred dollars.
   4. When applying with the local licensing authority for a temporary permit, the applicant shall provide a copy, by facsimile or otherwise, of the statement made pursuant to subsection (3)(b)(V) of this section to the state licensing authority. The statement is a public record and shall be open to inspection by the public.

4. A temporary permit, if granted, by a local licensing authority shall be issued within five working days after the receipt of the application. A temporary permit issued pursuant to this section shall be valid until such time as the application to transfer ownership of the license to the applicant is granted or denied or for one hundred twenty days, whichever occurs first; except that, if the application to transfer the license has not been granted or denied within the one-hundred-twenty-day period and the transferee demonstrates good cause, the local licensing authority may extend, in its discretion, the validity of the permit for an additional period not to exceed sixty days.
5. A temporary permit shall also be authorized in the event of a transfer of possession of the licensed premises by operation of law, a petition in bankruptcy pursuant to federal bankruptcy law, the appointment of a receiver, a foreclosure action by a secured party, or a court order dispossessing the prior licensee of all rights of possession pursuant to article 40 of title 13.
6. A temporary permit may be canceled, revoked, or summarily suspended if the local or state licensing authority determines that there is probable cause to believe that the transferee has violated any provision of this article 3 or article 4 of this title 44 or has violated any rule adopted by the local or state licensing authority or has failed to truthfully disclose those matters required pursuant to the application forms required by the department.

Source: L. 2018: Entire article added with relocations, (HB 18-1025), ch. 152, p. 974, § 2, effective October 1. L. 2019: IP(3)(b) and (6) amended, (SB 19-241), ch. 390, p. 3478, § 61, effective August 2.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 12-47-303 as it existed prior to 2018.