The agencies state $8,505 to $8,550 in initial fees across 4 of the 10 items; 2 are free; 4 are set by the city, the county or a provider. Rent, build-out and equipment come on top and depend on the space.
How much does it cost to open a bar in Alabama?
$8,505 to $8,550 in state fees the agencies state, across 4 of the 10 licenses, permits and registrations; 2 are free; 4 are set by the city, the county or a provider. Rent, build-out and equipment come on top.
What the state publishes for a bar in Alabama
Every row checked against its agency’s page; the latest on Oct 21, 2026.
- Stated state fees
- $8,505 to $8,550initial fees across 4 of 10 items
- Free items
- 2no fee as the agency publishes it
- Set elsewhere
- 4by the city, the county or a provider
- Items in all
- 10in the order to get them
Initial fees as each agency states them, summed; renewals are not included. Where a fee depends on size or sales the range is the lowest to the highest stated. Members see each row’s fee, its renewal and the official page.
Set up the business
Item Agency Fee Certificate of formation (LLC) and the business privilege tax return Alabama Secretary of State Premium only Trade name registration (DBA) Alabama Secretary of State Premium only Employer Identification Number (EIN) Internal Revenue Service Free Register for tax
Item Agency Fee Sales tax license and withholding account (My Alabama Taxes) Alabama Department of Revenue Free State and county business privilege license, and the city business license Your county probate judge or license commissioner Premium only Approve the space
Item Agency Fee Zoning approval and certificate of occupancy Your city or county building and zoning departments Premium only Get the permits for your kind of business
Item Agency Fee Food establishment permit Your county health department Premium only Certified food protection manager Alabama Department of Public Health Premium only Alcohol permits
Item Agency Fee Restaurant retail liquor license, or lounge retail liquor license Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board Premium only Before the first hire
Item Agency Fee Unemployment insurance account, new hire reporting and workers’ compensation Alabama Department of Workforce Premium only
What comes on top of the fees
The state publishes its fees; the space sets the rest. These work it out from your own numbers.
- Rent the business can carryMonthly sales, or seats and average check, to the base rent that fits a healthy occupancy share.Rent-to-sales calculator
- The real cost of a NNN leaseBase rent plus CAM, property taxes and insurance, each month.NNN lease calculator
- The steps in orderThe same items as a walk-through you tick off, with progress saved to your account.How to open
Fees are shown to members as published. Create an account.
Sources and dates
Secretary of State LLC pages and certificate of formation form (Code of Alabama 10A-1-4.31); Department of Revenue business privilege tax pages and 2026 form PPT instructions; Code of Alabama 8-12-6 through 8-12-10 (trade name registration); Secretary of State trademarks and trade names pages; IRS EIN page; Department of Revenue sales tax license FAQ and annual tax account license renewal notices (October 2025); Department of Revenue Handbook of Privilege and Store Licenses; Code of Alabama 40-12-2 and 40-12-151; Code of Alabama 11-51-90 (municipal business licenses); Municipal zoning and building ordinances; State Fire Marshal (Alabama Department of Insurance) inspection pages; Alabama Department of Public Health Food Establishment Sanitation rules (420-3-22); county health department food permit and environmental fee pages (Baldwin, Etowah, Jefferson); Food Establishment Sanitation rules 420-3-22-.02 (management and personnel); Code of Alabama 28-3A-21 (license fees and local license taxes); ABC Board license types and fees table; ABC pre-application checklist (form LCD-2); ABC rule 20-X-5-.05; Department of Workforce unemployment compensation employer information; new hire reporting pages (portal replaced December 2025); Code of Alabama 25-5-50 and the Workers’ Compensation Division benefits guide. Fees are as published by each agency on the date checked; cities and counties add their own.