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Relief in a Bottle Part Deux: Ohio’s Liquor Rebate Program
On May 11, 2020, Governor Mike DeWine announced a one-time Liquor Rebate Program available to help Ohio bars and restaurants preparing to reopen in the coming weeks. Eligible liquor permit holders can receive a $500 rebate to purchase high proof spirituous liquor through their assigned wholesale Contract Liquor Agency. Governor DeWine explained that “this rebate will help a majority of our state’s liquor permit holders [and is] designed to help reduce the cost of bars and restaurants as they restock their shelves for reopening in the future.”
The Liquor Rebate Program is offered by JobsOhio and the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control. Eligible permit holders can register for the rebate at wholesale.ohlq.com where they will be asked to provide information including a point of contact name, email address, phone number, the name(s) of the business and a liquor permit number. The rebate will be available in mid-May, and registered permit holders will be notified when the rebate is active.
Registered permit holders may apply the rebate instantly to their order of high proof spirituous liquor by notifying their assigned wholesale Contact Liquor Agency they would like to utilize the rebate. The minimum purchase amount is $500. The rebate applies to each location with a qualifying permit, and permit holders must register each permit for the location to receive the rebate for the permits.
In order to qualify for the program, permit holders must be in “good standing” with the Ohio Department of Commerce as of March 17, 2020. Permit holders with findings, such as, but not limited to, an existing tax lien, outstanding citation, or if the permit is in safekeeping, will not qualify for the rebate. Such permit holders will be notified of the issue and cannot be approved for the program until the issue is resolved.
For questions regarding the Liquor Rebate Program, please contact one of our business attorneys.
Anna L. Crisp, a law clerk with Eastman & Smith who is finishing her third year at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, contributed to this article.
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Disclaimers:
At the date of publication the above information was correct. It is quite possible the information above has changed as COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving situation.
The article in this publication has been prepared by Eastman & Smith Ltd. for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney/client relationship.
