53-132. Retail, bottle club, craft brewery, or microdistillery license; commission; duties.

(1) If no hearing is required pursuant to subdivision (1)(a) or (b) of section 53-133 and the commission has no objections pursuant to subdivision (1)(c) of such section, the commission may waive the forty-five-day objection period and, if not otherwise prohibited by law, cause a retail license, bottle club license, craft brewery license, or microdistillery license to be signed by its chairperson, attested by its executive director over the seal of the commission, and issued in the manner provided in subsection (4) of this section as a matter of course.

(2) A retail license, bottle club license, craft brewery license, or microdistillery license may be issued to any qualified applicant if the commission finds that (a) the applicant is fit, willing, and able to properly provide the service proposed within the city, village, or county where the premises described in the application are located, (b) the applicant can conform to all provisions and requirements of and rules and regulations adopted pursuant to the Nebraska Liquor Control Act, (c) the applicant has demonstrated that the type of management and control to be exercised over the premises described in the application will be sufficient to insure that the licensed business can conform to all provisions and requirements of and rules and regulations adopted pursuant to the act, and (d) the issuance of the license is or will be required by the present or future public convenience and necessity.

(3) In making its determination pursuant to subsection (2) of this section the commission shall consider:

(a) The recommendation of the local governing body;

(b) The existence of a citizens' protest made in accordance with section 53-133;

(c) The existing population of the city, village, or county and its projected growth;

(d) The nature of the neighborhood or community of the location of the proposed licensed premises;

(e) The existence or absence of other retail licenses, bottle club licenses, craft brewery licenses, or microdistillery licenses with similar privileges within the neighborhood or community of the location of the proposed licensed premises and whether, as evidenced by substantive, corroborative documentation, the issuance of such license would result in or add to an undue concentration of licenses with similar privileges and, as a result, require the use of additional law enforcement resources;

(f) The existing motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow in the vicinity of the proposed licensed premises;

(g) The adequacy of existing law enforcement;

(h) Zoning restrictions;

(i) The sanitation or sanitary conditions on or about the proposed licensed premises; and

(j) Whether the type of business or activity proposed to be operated in conjunction with the proposed license is and will be consistent with the public interest.

(4) Retail licenses, bottle club licenses, craft brewery licenses, or microdistillery licenses issued or renewed by the commission shall be mailed or delivered electronically to:

(a) The clerk of the city, village, or county who shall deliver the same to the licensee upon receipt from the licensee of proof of payment of (i) the license fee if by the terms of subsection (6) of section 53-124 the fee is payable to the treasurer of such city, village, or county, (ii) any fee for publication of notice of hearing before the local governing body upon the application for the license, (iii) the fee for publication of notice of renewal as provided in section 53-135.01, and (iv) occupation taxes, if any, imposed by such city, village, or county except as otherwise provided in subsection (7) of this section; or

(b) The licensee, upon confirmation from the clerk of the city, village, or county that the necessary fees and taxes described in subdivision (4)(a) of this section have been received by the clerk of such city, village, or county.

(5) Notwithstanding any ordinance or charter power to the contrary, no city, village, or county shall impose an occupation tax on the business of any person, firm, or corporation licensed under the act and doing business within the corporate limits of such city or village or within the boundaries of such county in any sum which exceeds two times the amount of the license fee required to be paid under the act to obtain such license.

(6) Each license shall designate the name of the licensee, the place of business licensed, and the type of license issued.

(7) Class J retail licensees shall not be subject to occupation taxes under subsection (4) of this section.

Source:Laws 1935, c. 116, § 83, p. 419; C.S.Supp.,1941, § 53-383; R.S.1943, § 53-132; Laws 1957, c. 228, § 3, p. 780; Laws 1957, c. 242, § 45, p. 856; Laws 1959, c. 246, § 1, p. 845; Laws 1959, c. 247, § 2, p. 848; Laws 1959, c. 248, § 1, p. 857; Laws 1959, c. 249, § 7, p. 867; Laws 1976, LB 413, § 2; Laws 1981, LB 124, § 2; Laws 1984, LB 947, § 3; Laws 1986, LB 911, § 4; Laws 1988, LB 1089, § 14; Laws 1989, LB 780, § 9; Laws 1989, LB 781, § 10; Laws 1991, LB 344, § 36; Laws 1993, LB 183, § 12; Laws 1999, LB 267, § 9; Laws 2004, LB 485, § 21; Laws 2006, LB 845, § 2; Laws 2007, LB549, § 12; Laws 2010, LB861, § 66; Laws 2016, LB1105, § 22; Laws 2018, LB1120, § 15; Laws 2022, LB1204, § 6.

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