To enter the annual lottery, one must submit a Quota Beverage License Drawing Entry Form during the 45 day long entry period that starts in August. The 2024 entry period runs from from August 19 until October 31 at 5:00 pm. Click here to access the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco’s online and paper application forms. Entrants should note that it takes the state months to prepare for the drawing.
Winners are selected on a county by county basis, and you may only be associated with one entry per county. The entry fee is $100 per county. There is inherent risk in entering any random drawing, and no entry strategy can guarantee success. Statistically speaking, you are more likely to lose than to win. The firm’s article on the probability of winning the liquor liquor lottery is available here.
There are several state-imposed timelines that must be met or a winner will waive their right to the license. Importantly, a quota lottery winner (or "selected entrant") must file a full and complete application for issuance of the license within 45 days of the date of the notice of selection letter from the state. A breakdown of the state’s licensing and transfer fees is available here. If you are disqualified from holding a Florida liquor license, you should not enter the Quota Lottery. A level II background is a mandatory component of the licensure process – a summary of the state’s moral character requirements is available here. Only the persons or entity listed on the entry form may hold the license without incurring state transfer fees.
Click here to receive email reminders related to the entry period and the winner’s list. Firm founder Tony Glover presents a summary of the lottery process in the video below.