House Bill 2 of the 2017 Special Legislative Session converted the liquor license lottery to a liquor license auction sale. While the Department of Revenue was adopting the new rules in 2018, licenses that would have previously been awarded via the lottery began to accumulate. The minimum bid is set at 75% of the market value of the license compared to licenses with the same type and privileges sold in the quota area, or similar area. All bids must include the following:
*A $100 processing fee plus any possible payment processing fees,
*An Irrevocable Letter of Credit from a financial institution with the same name listed as the bidder on the electronic Department of Revenue form,
*Offer equal to, or greater than, the minimum bid amount.
Montana Liquor License Information
The highest bidder meeting all requirements is allowed to apply for the license. Anyone who wants to apply must submit their bid through the Department of Revenue.
| Quota Area | License Type | Minimum Bid |
| Bozeman | On-premises Beer | $220,000 |
| Helena | On-premises Beer | $112,088 |
| Hamilton | On-premises Beer | $56,250 |
| Belgrade | All-beverage | $262,500 |
| Belgrade | Restaurant Beer & Wine | $60,000 |
| Columbia Falls | Restaurant Beer & Wine | $37,500 |
| Columbia Falls | All-beverage | $198,670 |
Get Help From Our Liquor License Attorneys
The auction ends June 26th, so don’t wait to apply! Contact our office at Helena at (406) 449-4829 or our office at Bozeman at (406) 582-8822 for more information or fill out our contact form here if you have questions for our liquor licensing attorneys.