Florida does not issue a license called a mobile bar license. If you want to run a mobile bar business in the state, you operate under the 13CT Caterer license, which lets a licensed catering business sell and serve beer, wine, and liquor at events where you’re also providing prepared food.1Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Caterer License for Beer, Wine and Liquor Consumption on Premises (13CT) The annual state fee is $1,820, but that’s only one piece — the license sits on top of a Hotels and Restaurants license, federal TTB registration, sales tax registration, and local zoning approval, and it comes with rules about food revenue and alcohol storage that surprise most first-time applicants.
The 51 Percent Food Revenue Rule
The 13CT is authorized under Florida Statutes Section 561.20(2)(a)(5).2Justia Law. Florida Code 561.20 – Limitation Upon Number of Licenses Issued At least 51 percent of your gross food and beverage revenue at each individual catered event must come from food and non-alcoholic beverage sales. This is measured event by event, not as an annual average. A single wedding where drink sales outpace food can put your license at risk.
You must keep detailed records for every event you work — contracts, customer names, dates, locations, and itemized food, alcohol, and non-alcoholic beverage purchases and sales — for a minimum of three years. Your license must also be prominently displayed at every event where you serve alcohol. That’s written into the statute, not buried in agency guidance.
The license covers beer, wine, and liquor for on-premises consumption at a catered event only. It doesn’t authorize package sales, and it doesn’t let you run a standalone bar without a food component.
You Cannot Store Alcohol Between Events
This is the rule that reshapes how mobile bars actually operate. A 13CT licensee cannot store any alcoholic beverages intended for sale at a catered event. You can’t build inventory. Every bottle you bring to an event must be purchased fresh from a licensed distributor under Sections 563.02, 564.02, or 565.02.2Justia Law. Florida Code 561.20 – Limitation Upon Number of Licenses Issued You cannot buy from another retailer, and you cannot import alcohol from out of state.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 561.14 – Vendors
Whatever is left over after the event stays with the customer. The one exception: if your distributor agrees to accept unopened bottles back, you can return them for credit. Because you can’t roll unused product into the next booking, quantity estimation and return agreements with your distributor become part of how you price events.
The Hotels and Restaurants Prerequisite
You cannot apply for the 13CT until you’re licensed by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants under Chapter 509 of the Florida Statutes. The 13CT application requires proof of Chapter 509 compliance before the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco will process it.4Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. ABT 6011 – Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Application for Caterers License
Under Florida administrative rules, a caterer is a public food service establishment that prepares food elsewhere in response to a contract for a function or event.5Florida Administrative Code. Florida Administrative Code R. 61C-1.002 – Licensing and Inspection Requirements If your mobile unit prepares potentially hazardous foods — anything beyond prepackaged items, coffee, or pastries — the DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants regulates you, not the Florida Department of Agriculture.6Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Mobile Food Establishments Expect a sanitation and safety inspection of your commissary or food prep space before your Chapter 509 license comes through.
Application, Fingerprints, and Fees
The 13CT uses its own form: DBPR ABT-6011, the Application for Caterer’s License.4Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. ABT 6011 – Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Application for Caterers License This isn’t the general ABT-6001 form. The application package requires:
- Electronic fingerprints for every individual applicant, corporate officer, managing member, general partner, and any stockholder owning more than 0.5 percent of stock. Fingerprinting runs through an approved Livescan provider coordinated through PearsonVue; submit the receipt with your application.
- A Federal Employer Identification Number, required if you pay wages to one or more employees.
- Corporate registration with the Florida Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, for all corporations, LLCs, and partnerships.
- Proof of Chapter 509 approval from Hotels and Restaurants.
- Certified copies of any arrest dispositions, plus any moral character mitigation documents, if applicable.
File the application first, then get fingerprinted. If you schedule fingerprinting before filing, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement may not process the results correctly.7MyFloridaLicense.com. Fingerprinting
The annual state license fee is $1,820, flat rate regardless of county.8Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. 2025 Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Licenses and Permits for Alcoholic Beverages Most other beverage licenses vary by county population, but the caterer license is tied to the annual tax set in Section 565.02(1)(b). If you want to start operating while your permanent license is processed, you can request an initial temporary license for $455. Livescan fees, Chapter 509 licensing, corporate registration, and any local zoning review fees come on top of the state fee.
Federal Registration With the TTB
Before serving your first drink, register with the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau as a retail beverage alcohol dealer. Catering services are specifically listed as businesses subject to this requirement.9Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Beverage Alcohol Retailers You register by filing TTB Form 5630.5d, either online through TTB’s Permits Online system or on paper, before you begin doing business and at every location where you operate.10Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Alcohol Dealer Registration A valid EIN is required to complete the form; if the IRS hasn’t issued yours yet, write “number applied for” and submit the EIN separately once you receive it.
Sales Tax Registration
Alcoholic beverages sold in Florida, including mixed drinks, are subject to state sales tax plus any county discretionary sales surtax.11Florida Department of Revenue. Sales and Use Tax on Alcoholic Beverages Combined rates run from 6 to 8 percent depending on the county. Register with the Florida Department of Revenue before you begin operating; the Department issues an Annual Resale Certificate that expires December 31 each year.12Florida Dept. of Revenue. Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax
Mixed drinks use effective tax rate multipliers rather than a straight percentage, and the multiplier depends on whether you publicly notify customers that tax is included in the price. Check the Department of Revenue’s published rate tables before setting event pricing.
Local Zoning and Hours
Your state application will not be processed without local zoning approval. The county or municipality where your business is physically based has to sign off, certifying the location complies with local land-use rules. No sign-off, no state license.
Local ordinances can also add restrictions the state statute doesn’t impose. Florida’s default rule prohibits alcohol sales between midnight and 7 a.m., but counties and municipalities can set their own hours.13The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 562.14 At least one Florida county prohibits hard liquor sales entirely, and others impose proximity restrictions near churches or schools. Check the ordinances in every county where you plan to work events, not just the county where your commissary sits.
Dram Shop Liability and Insurance
Florida’s dram shop statute is comparatively favorable to alcohol sellers. Under Section 768.125, if you serve alcohol to a person of legal drinking age, you generally cannot be held liable for injuries caused by that person’s intoxication. That protection disappears in two situations: willfully and unlawfully serving a minor, or knowingly serving someone habitually addicted to alcohol. In either case, you can be held civilly liable for resulting injuries or property damage.14Florida Senate. Florida Code 768.125 – Liability for Injury or Damage Resulting From Intoxication
Liquor liability insurance is still a practical necessity. Many venues require it before letting you on the property. Standard coverage for mobile bartending runs $100,000 to $1,000,000 per occurrence, with aggregate limits up to $2,000,000. General liability, which covers things like a guest tripping over your equipment or property damage at a venue, is separate and typically runs $1,000,000 per occurrence. Most commercial policies also cover the scenario that keeps operators up at night: a guest served at your bar injures someone driving home.
Responsible Vendor Training
Florida’s Responsible Vendor Act applies to caterers. Non-managerial employees who serve alcohol must complete a state-approved responsible vendor training program within 30 days of starting work. Training covers identifying underage and visibly intoxicated patrons, checking ID, and refusing service when required. The training isn’t a condition of initial licensure, but untrained staff leaves you exposed on the two dram shop triggers, where your defense often depends on whether your employees can credibly say they didn’t know.
If You Already Hold a Quota License
If you already hold a quota liquor license such as a 4COP, the statute lets you serve alcohol at a catered event without a separate 13CT, provided a Chapter 509-licensed caterer is providing prepared food at that event. This works for existing bar and restaurant owners expanding into event service. A 3PS license does not qualify — it authorizes package sales only and prohibits on-premises consumption.15Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Beer, Wine and Liquor Package Sales (3PS)
One boundary worth noting: the temporary event permit under Section 561.422, which lets an organization sell alcohol for up to three days at a $25 fee, is available only to nonprofit civic organizations, charitable organizations, municipalities, and counties.16The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 561.422 – Nonprofit Civic Organizations, Charitable Organizations, Municipalities, and Counties; Temporary Permits It is not a shortcut for a for-profit mobile bar.
Penalties for Operating Without a License
Selling alcohol without a license, or outside the scope of your license, is not treated as a minor regulatory issue in Florida:
- Possession with intent to sell, no commercial establishment: second-degree misdemeanor.17Florida Senate. Florida Code 562.12 – Beverages Sold With Improper Licenses or Permits
- Unlawful sale at a commercial establishment: third-degree felony, with a mandatory fine between $5,000 and $10,000.
- Second or subsequent violation: second-degree felony, with a mandatory fine between $15,000 and $20,000.
A mobile bar pouring drinks at a wedding without a 13CT, or while violating its terms, falls squarely inside this framework. Selling outside the scope of your license carries the same penalties as having no license at all. Operators who plan to book events and get the paperwork later are the ones who end up with a felony charge and a five-figure fine.