County announces temporary permit for selling alcohol with curbside pickup

Clark County has joined Henderson and Las Vegas in adjusting alcohol regulations to allow certain beverages to be included in the curbside pickup service of some restaurants.

The Clark County Department of Business Licenses announced Friday that it will allow restaurants with bars that operate under a supper club license to sell certain alcoholic beverages to go, as long as the order includes food. The covered businesses will first need to apply for “a temporary package beer, wine, and spirit based products liquor license,” which the county says will be approved “as soon as applicable.”

The new license will allow them to sell “beer, wine and spirits such as wine coolers or ciders (spirits less than 17 percent alcohol volume or 34 proof) so long as they are in original, unopened containers.”

The new license will not allow sales of hard liquor, such as vodka or gin, or mixed drinks, or for the delivery of alcoholic beverages. Moreover, businesses can’t use third-party vendors such as Uber Eats to provide the service. The temporary licenses are currently scheduled to last through April 30.

There are currently 209 supper club licenses in Clark County. Qualifying businesses may submit their written request for a temporary license via email to James M. Headen, assistant manager, at JamesH@clarkcountynv.gov. License approvals will then be sent to the licensee via email.

Clark County’s move follows Henderson, where officials decided Thursday evening to allow alcohol to be sold by restaurants as part of their curbside pickup service during the COVID-19 crisis.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, “any establishment holding a restaurant with bar, tavern, beer/wine on-sale, full-liquor on-sale or brewery license may serve beer/wine/spirits/liquor in conjunction with meals being picked up curbside at the establishment.” The new rule will remain in effect until the declared end of the current closure of nonessential businesses, or for the next 30 days, whichever comes first.

Earlier Thursday, the city of Las Vegas announced it was creating an “Alcohol Time-Limited Permit.” Good for 30 days, and renewable “based on the duration of the coronavirus situation,” the permits will allow businesses with existing alcohol licenses and food service licenses to sell the type of alcohol they currently sell as part of their curbside service.

The city will waive the daily fee for the license and charge only the processing fee of $100 per permit. A city business can apply for the permit through its online business license account.

Contact Al Mancini at amancini@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5250. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter.