Bar permits and licenses in Washington

The statewide credentials every bar needs to operate in Washington, plus city-specific guides for the cities we cover.

State-level filing feesAbout $2,650 to $3,400 in first-year state fees for an alcohol-primary bar (the $50 business license, the $2,200 to $2,700 spirits restaurant license or $2,500 nightclub license, MAST for your staff, and a manager certificate if you cook), while a beer-and-wine tavern drops the license to $600; the food permit and plan review are priced locally, and sales tax, B&O, and payroll premiums are ongoing.

This page covers only the Washington statewide credentials for bars. Federal credentials that apply nationwide are on the Bars overview, and each city layers its own permits on top.

Federal requirementsBars nationwide

The credentials below are the Washington-wide requirements that apply to every bar in the state. Each city and county layers its own permits, fees, and inspections on top. To see the requirements for a specific city, choose it from the Washington cities list below.

Washington credential overview

Credential	Level	Fee	Renewal
Washington State Business License (Unified Business Identifier)	State	$50 to open the business and its UBI, $10 to add a trade name or another item on the same application, and a $5 processing fee a year to renew, before the liquor endorsement	Annual
WSLCB Spirits, Beer, and Wine Restaurant License (the usual bar choice)	State	$2,700 a year when less than half the customer area is dedicated dining, $2,200 when half or more, or $1,400 for a service bar with no public seating	Annual
WSLCB Spirits, Beer, and Wine Nightclub License (alcohol-primary, late-night)	State	$2,500 a year	Annual
WSLCB Tavern Beer and Wine License (only if you serve no spirits)	State	$600 a year for beer and wine ($300 for beer only or wine only)	Annual
MAST Permit (every bartender and server)	State	Set by the training provider, commonly about $10 to $40; the WSLCB charges only for a replacement permit	Every 5 years; there is no grace period, so renew before it lapses
Retail Food Establishment Permit (if your license requires a kitchen)	State	Set by each local health jurisdiction; see your city page for local amounts	Annual
Food Establishment Plan Review (if your license requires a kitchen)	State	Set by each local health jurisdiction; see your city page for local amounts	One-time per build or remodel
Washington Food Worker Card (if you serve food)	State	$10 per card	First card valid 2 years, then 3 years on renewal; 5 years with approved added training
Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) Certificate (if you cook on site)	State	About $100 to $200 through an accredited provider; the state sets and collects no fee	Every 5 years; if your certified manager leaves, you have 60 days to name another
Retail Sales Tax Registration (Drinks and Food)	State	No registration fee; set up with the business license. 6.5% state plus a destination-based local add-on, roughly 7% to 10.5% combined, so confirm the rate for your address at the DOR lookup	Ongoing; filed on the excise return monthly, quarterly, or annually
Business and Occupation (B&O) Tax	State	0.471% of gross receipts under the retailing classification, with no deduction for costs; a small-business credit can reduce it for lower-revenue bars and is applied automatically when you file	Filed on the same excise return as sales tax
Washington Employer Accounts (Workers Comp, Unemployment, Paid Leave, WA Cares)	State	No fee to open; ongoing premiums by classification and payroll. L&I workers comp is billed by the hour worked, plus unemployment insurance, Paid Family and Medical Leave, and WA Cares, with rates set annually	Quarterly reporting
Spirits Restaurant Food and Kitchen Requirement	Operational	No separate fee; a condition of the Spirits, Beer, and Wine Restaurant license, and the dedicated-dining ratio sets that license fee tier	Ongoing condition while the restaurant license is active

Washington cities

City and county rules stack on top of the statewide credentials.

Seattle, WAKing County

Each bar credential in Washington, explained

Grouped by the level of government that issues it, broadest first. Every bar in Washington needs these regardless of city.

State level

12 credentials

Washington State Business License (Unified Business Identifier)

Every Washington bar starts here: a single Business License Application returns your nine-digit UBI, and the WSLCB liquor license is added as an endorsement on this same document rather than issued separately. Register your bar trade name on the same form, and marking that you will hire opens your L&I and Employment Security employer accounts.

Issued by: Washington Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service
Fee: $50 to open the business and its UBI, $10 to add a trade name or another item on the same application, and a $5 processing fee a year to renew, before the liquor endorsement
Renewal: Annual
Processing: About 10 business days for the base license, plus 2 to 3 weeks for the liquor endorsement review; the WSLCB suggests filing 90 days before opening

WSLCB Spirits, Beer, and Wine Restaurant License (the usual bar choice)

The license most full-service bars use, and the only one that lets a standard bar or lounge pour spirits by the glass under RCW 66.24.400. The catch is that the WSLCB issues it only to a bona fide restaurant, so it forces a working kitchen and complete meals (see the food and kitchen requirement below). The share of floor space that is dedicated dining sets the fee tier, and a cocktail bar that opens before 9 p.m. and wants spirits almost always lands here.

Issued by: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB)
Fee: $2,700 a year when less than half the customer area is dedicated dining, $2,200 when half or more, or $1,400 for a service bar with no public seating
Renewal: Annual
Processing: About 60 to 90 days; apply roughly 90 days before opening

WSLCB Spirits, Beer, and Wine Nightclub License (alcohol-primary, late-night)

The alcohol-primary path under RCW 66.24.600, with no kitchen or complete-meal requirement, since food service is expressly incidental. The trade-off is a tight box: the WSLCB issues it only where alcohol sales or a cover charge are the primary revenue and the primary business hours fall between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., and minors may be present only in areas where alcohol is not served. A bar that opens earlier in the day cannot use it and must take the restaurant license instead.

Issued by: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB)
Fee: $2,500 a year
Renewal: Annual
Processing: About 60 to 90 days

WSLCB Tavern Beer and Wine License (only if you serve no spirits)

The cheapest path, for a bar that intentionally pours no spirits, only beer and wine for on-site drinking under RCW 66.24.330. It carries no complete-meal requirement, but the trade-off is strict: no one under 21 may be on the premises at any time. A beer-and-wine-only neighborhood bar fits here; the moment you want a cocktail menu, you move to the restaurant or nightclub license.

Issued by: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB)
Fee: $600 a year for beer and wine ($300 for beer only or wine only)
Renewal: Annual
Processing: About 60 to 90 days

MAST Permit (every bartender and server)

Every bartender, server, and manager who pours, mixes, sells, or supervises alcohol needs a Mandatory Alcohol Server Training permit, with a new hire allowed 60 days to earn one. A Class 12 permit (age 21 and up) covers full service, a Class 13 (ages 18 to 20) covers limited roles, and at least one Class 12 holder must be on duty whenever alcohol is served, which is a scheduling rule as much as a training one. The permit belongs to the person, not the bar.

Issued by: LCB-certified training providers, under the Liquor and Cannabis Board (WAC 314-17)
Fee: Set by the training provider, commonly about $10 to $40; the WSLCB charges only for a replacement permit
Renewal: Every 5 years; there is no grace period, so renew before it lapses
Processing: Course is same day; the permit is mailed within 30 days

Retail Food Establishment Permit (if your license requires a kitchen)

Conditional on running a kitchen, which the spirits restaurant license forces. Once your bar prepares food, it is a retail food establishment under WAC 246-215, required statewide but applied for, inspected, and priced by your local health department, so the dollar figure is a city-page detail. A nightclub or tavern with no kitchen does not trigger it.

Issued by: Local health jurisdiction, under the Washington Retail Food Code (WAC 246-215)
Fee: Set by each local health jurisdiction; see your city page for local amounts
Renewal: Annual
Processing: Weeks; issued after plan review and a pre-opening inspection

Food Establishment Plan Review (if your license requires a kitchen)

Conditional on a kitchen. Before you build or remodel the kitchen the spirits license requires, you submit the equipment layout, plumbing, and ventilation to the local health jurisdiction for review under WAC 246-215. Approval is a prerequisite to the food establishment permit, and the county or city handles it start to finish.

Issued by: Local health jurisdiction, under the Washington Retail Food Code (WAC 246-215)
Fee: Set by each local health jurisdiction; see your city page for local amounts
Renewal: One-time per build or remodel
Processing: Weeks; approval comes before the food permit

Washington Food Worker Card (if you serve food)

Conditional on serving food. Every bar worker who handles unpackaged food or drink needs a Food Worker Card, with a new hire allowed 14 days once the employer provides basic training. The only valid online source is foodworkercard.wa.gov, and the card is good in any Washington county. A spirits restaurant bar with a kitchen needs them across the staff.

Issued by: Washington Department of Health, issued through local health jurisdictions
Fee: $10 per card
Renewal: First card valid 2 years, then 3 years on renewal; 5 years with approved added training
Processing: Same day; the online course and test take about 45 minutes

Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) Certificate (if you cook on site)

Conditional on cooking on site. A bar that runs the kitchen its spirits license requires must keep at least one Certified Food Protection Manager under WAC 246-215-02107, a separate accredited exam from the $10 Food Worker Card. The certificate stays on file for inspection, and the manager need not be present every hour. A kitchenless nightclub or tavern does not trigger it.

Issued by: An ANSI-accredited program such as ServSafe; required under WAC 246-215-02107
Fee: About $100 to $200 through an accredited provider; the state sets and collects no fee
Renewal: Every 5 years; if your certified manager leaves, you have 60 days to name another
Processing: Set by the provider; the proctored exam result is usually same day

Retail Sales Tax Registration (Drinks and Food)

A bar collects retail sales tax on every drink and plate sold, at the combined state and local rate for its location, and remits it to DOR as a trust fund on the same excise return that carries the B&O tax. The local rate follows the bar address, not the customer.

Issued by: Washington Department of Revenue
Fee: No registration fee; set up with the business license. 6.5% state plus a destination-based local add-on, roughly 7% to 10.5% combined, so confirm the rate for your address at the DOR lookup
Renewal: Ongoing; filed on the excise return monthly, quarterly, or annually
Processing: Active as soon as the UBI issues

Business and Occupation (B&O) Tax

The tax that catches bar owners from income-tax states off guard. The B&O tax falls on gross receipts, not profit, with nothing deducted for liquor, labor, or rent, so a bar owes it even in a losing year, on top of the sales tax it collects from customers. A bar reports under retailing.

Issued by: Washington Department of Revenue
Fee: 0.471% of gross receipts under the retailing classification, with no deduction for costs; a small-business credit can reduce it for lower-revenue bars and is applied automatically when you file
Renewal: Filed on the same excise return as sales tax
Processing: Active with your DOR registration

Washington Employer Accounts (Workers Comp, Unemployment, Paid Leave, WA Cares)

A bar runs on staff, so this applies. Marking the employer box opens all four at once: workers compensation through the L&I state monopoly, which no private carrier can replace, plus unemployment insurance, Paid Family and Medical Leave, and the WA Cares fund through Employment Security. Everything reports quarterly.

Issued by: Washington Department of Labor and Industries and Employment Security Department
Fee: No fee to open; ongoing premiums by classification and payroll. L&I workers comp is billed by the hour worked, plus unemployment insurance, Paid Family and Medical Leave, and WA Cares, with rates set annually
Renewal: Quarterly reporting
Processing: Opened with the business license when you mark that you will hire

Operational level

1 credential

Spirits Restaurant Food and Kitchen Requirement

The rule that stops a spirits restaurant bar from being drinks-only. Under WAC 314-02-035 it must offer at least four complete meals, an entree plus a side, with kitchen equipment to cook them on site, food on hand, and a cook on duty during meal hours. A room that is less than fully dedicated dining must serve complete meals at least 5 hours a day, 3 days a week, and minimum food the rest of the time. The Nightclub and Tavern licenses do not carry this; the spirits restaurant license does.

Issued by: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), as a condition of the spirits restaurant license
Fee: No separate fee; a condition of the Spirits, Beer, and Wine Restaurant license, and the dedicated-dining ratio sets that license fee tier
Renewal: Ongoing condition while the restaurant license is active
Processing: Shown on the floor plan and proven at licensing; met whenever the license is held

See how other bars in Washington are managing every permit, license, and renewal in one place with CredentiAlert.

Washington-specific things to watch for

1There is no plain bar license, so the license type decides your whole model. Washington makes an alcohol-primary operator pick among the Spirits, Beer, and Wine Restaurant license (spirits, but a working kitchen and complete meals), the Nightclub license (spirits, no kitchen, but primary hours of 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.), and the Tavern license (beer and wine only, no spirits, and no one under 21 on the premises). The choice sets your hours, food obligations, and who can walk in, so make it before you sign a lease.

2The spirits restaurant license forces a real kitchen even if you live on cocktails. To pour spirits before 9 p.m. you need the bona fide restaurant license, which under WAC 314-02-035 means at least four complete meals, kitchen equipment to cook them, food on hand, and a cook on duty during meal hours. Drop the food and you risk suspension. The only spirits path without a kitchen is the Nightclub license, and it boxes you into late-night hours.

3The kitchen requirement quietly pulls you into local health licensing. The moment the spirits restaurant license makes you run a kitchen, your bar is a retail food establishment under WAC 246-215, which adds a food establishment permit, a plan review, Food Worker Cards across the staff, and a Certified Food Protection Manager. Those health-side costs and timelines are priced locally and sit apart from the WSLCB process, and a nightclub or tavern with no kitchen avoids them.

4MAST is not just training, it is a scheduling rule. Every server and bartender needs a MAST permit within 60 days of hire, and at least one Class 12 holder, age 21 and up, must be on duty any time alcohol is served. For a small bar with thin staffing, that means a Class 12 person on literally every shift, and a gap is an enforcement target, not just a paperwork miss.

5Washington does not require liquor liability insurance, but the dram-shop exposure is real. Unlike states that bolt an insurance minimum onto the license, the WSLCB does not require liquor liability coverage to issue or keep your license. What it does have is a dram-shop statute (RCW 66.44.200) that bars serving an apparently intoxicated person, and civil verdicts under it can be large, so most bars carry the coverage as a business decision even though no law forces it.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a liquor license in Washington for a bar?

It depends on the license type. The Spirits, Beer, and Wine Restaurant license, the usual choice for a full-service bar, is $2,200 a year when at least half the customer area is dedicated dining or $2,700 when less than half. The Nightclub license is $2,500 a year, and a Tavern beer and wine license is $300 to $600. All are added as an endorsement on the $50 Washington business license.

Do you have to serve food to have a bar in Washington?

It depends which license you hold. To serve spirits and open before 9 p.m., you need the Spirits, Beer, and Wine Restaurant license, which requires a real kitchen, at least four complete meals (an entree plus a side), and a cook on duty during meal hours. The Nightclub license allows spirits with no kitchen, but only if your primary hours are 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. A Tavern beer-and-wine license needs no food, but no one under 21 may be on the premises.

Do all my bar staff need a MAST permit in Washington?

Yes. Under WAC 314-17, every employee who serves, mixes, sells, or supervises the sale of alcohol needs a Mandatory Alcohol Server Training permit, with a new hire allowed 60 days to get one. A Class 12 permit is for staff 21 and up, a Class 13 for ages 18 to 20, and at least one Class 12 holder must be on duty whenever alcohol is served. Permits are valid 5 years.

Does Washington require liquor liability insurance to get a bar license?

No. Washington does not require a restaurant, tavern, or nightclub licensee to carry liquor liability insurance as a condition of the WSLCB license. It does have a dram-shop statute (RCW 66.44.200) that makes it unlawful to serve an apparently intoxicated person, and civil suits under it can lead to large judgments, so the coverage is strongly recommended as a business decision rather than required by law.

You just read through every credential your bar needs in Washington.

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Official sources

Last verified 2026-06-08. Requirements change. Always confirm with the issuing department before applying.