BYOB Permit
A BYOB (bring your own bottle) permit is only available to Common Victualler license holders who don’t already have an alcohol license. Restaurant size, service style, and neighborhood location all affect eligibility.
Questions? Contact the Licensing Board. We’re happy to answer any questions and walk you through the process step-by-step.
Who Can Apply
You can apply for a BYOB permit if your restaurant meets all of these conditions:
- You already hold a Common Victualler license.
- Your restaurant doesn’t hold any type of alcohol license from the Boston Licensing Board and the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC).
- Your restaurant’s capacity is 30 people or less, as stated on your Certificate of Inspection.
- You offer on-premise dining with table service from wait staff.
- Your restaurant isn’t in a restricted Boston neighborhood.
Restaurants in these Boston neighborhoods are not eligible for a BYOB permit:
- Back Bay
- Bay Village
- Beacon Hill
- Chinatown
- Downtown
- Fenway
- North End
- Seaport
- South End
- West End
Before You Apply
Before you start your application, make sure you have:
- Your Common Victualler license number.
- A liquor liability insurance policy that covers:
- At least $250,000 for injury or death to one person, and
- $500,000 for any single accident involving more than one person.
- A plan for safe-service-of-alcohol training. Your business’s licensee, manager of record, and all employees must complete an in-person, insurance industry-approved training program.
Get Your Application Signed
You must get your application signed by the Police District Captain for your precinct before the Licensing Board will accept it. This can take 3 to 5 business days, so plan ahead.
Required Documents
- Completed BYOB application form (Sections 1 and 2)
- Signature from the Boston Police District Captain for your neighborhood
- Proof of liquor liability insurance. We won’t issue your BYOB permit until you submit this proof.
Fees
The annual fee for a BYOB permit is $400.
There is no hearing fee.
How to Pay
Online payments are the fastest and easiest way to pay Licensing Board fees.
- Online. You can pay online by credit card, debit card, or check. We will send you instructions and a payment link via email.
- By mail: Check payable to “City of Boston” (include your license name and number in the memo).
- In person: Cash, by appointment only at window M-8 at City Hall, or with a credit card or check in person in room 809.
There is a 2.75% fee for credit and debit card transactions. There is no fee for electronic check payments. Returned payments are charged a $25 fee in addition to the license fee.
How to Apply
Our application process is hybrid. Download the PDF form, obtain a physical signature from your local police precinct, and then submit everything through our online portal.
Download and complete the BYOB application form.
Before moving to the next step, make sure you have the required supporting documents ready based on your venue type (see the Required Documents list).
Contact your Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) Liaison as early as possible — ideally before you submit your application. Your liaison will tell you if you’re required to participate in a community engagement process, exactly which local neighborhood meetings you need to attend, and which neighbors you must notify.
At your Licensing Board hearing, a Mayor’s Office representative will report on whether you completed the community process and whether it supports your application.
Before you can submit your application to the Licensing Board, you must get it signed by the Police District Captain where the event takes place.
- Find your local precinct by entering your event address on the My Neighborhood Tool and clicking the Public Safety icon.
- Drop off your application at that precinct’s front desk. Some precincts can provide a digital signature over email. Get in touch with your precinct to find out their preferred process.
- Plan for 3 to 5 business days for the Captain to review and sign your form. Precinct staff will call or email you when it is ready to pick up.
Collect your required documents and application, including the police captain’s signature, and submit everything to our online portal.
After you submit your complete application, and your community process is complete, the Licensing Board will schedule your hearing.
The Board’s virtual public hearings are typically held twice a month on Wednesdays using Zoom. At the Board hearing, you or your representative will present the business plan and concept to the Licensing Board. See a list of upcoming board hearings.
After You Apply
Once you file your BYOB application with the Licensing Board, the Board will schedule a hearing. We’ll review your complete application and vote on it.
Once the Board votes to approve your permit, you’ll get instructions for paying your fee online.
When your fees are paid, we’ll email you to let you know when your license is ready. Pick up your license in person at City Hall, Room 809. The Licensing Board does not mail or email BYOB permits.
After Approval
Your license is valid for the calendar year listed on it. Hang it in a clear and visible spot at your business.
Once your BYOB permit is granted, you must follow these rules:
- Only allow guests to bring wine and malt beverages. Distilled spirits, liqueurs, and cordials aren’t allowed.
- Guests can bring malt beverages in containers up to 64 ounces, and no more than 64 ounces total per person.
- Guests can bring wine in containers up to 750 milliliters, and no more than 750 milliliters total per person.
- Don’t allow guests to leave and come back with more alcohol.
- Only allow BYOB between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- Don’t charge a corkage fee or any other fee for allowing BYOB.
- You can provide glassware and a bottle opener if you’d like. This isn’t required, but it is allowed.
- Any employees hired after you get your permit must also complete safe-service-of-alcohol training before they start work.
- Keep your liquor liability insurance current for as long as you hold the permit.
If you already have a Common Victualler License (CV), we’ll convert your CV into a CV with BYOB. You can get rid of the old CV.
Renewals
Renew your BYOB permit every year in October when you renew your Common Victualler license. The renewal fee is $400.
