How to Fill Out and Submit the SL-2 Diligent Search Report

The SL-2 form is a sworn personal disclosure that every principal of a business applying for a New York liquor license must complete, sign before a notary, and submit as part of the full license application package to the State Liquor Authority (SLA). It covers your identity, residential and employment history, criminal record, and any prior involvement with alcohol licenses, and the SLA uses it to decide whether each person behind the business meets the character and fitness standard required to hold a license.1Liquor Authority. What You Need to Know to Become a Licensed Retailer

One form per principal. Not one per business.

Who Has to File an SL-2

Under New York’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, who counts as a principal depends on how the business is organized.2New York State Senate. New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law ABC 110

  • A sole proprietor files one SL-2 for themselves.
  • A corporation must disclose all directors, officers, and shareholders. If there are more than ten shareholders, only those holding 10 percent or more of any class of shares file.
  • Every partner in a partnership files.
  • In an LLC, all members with a significant ownership interest file.

Spouses are not off the hook either. The application has to address whether your spouse has held or applied for an alcohol license in the past ten years, or has relevant criminal history, so gather that information before you start.2New York State Senate. New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law ABC 110

What to Pull Together Before You Open the Form

The SLA cross-references everything on the SL-2 against state and federal databases, so the goal is accuracy, not speed. Compile the following before you start typing:

  • Your full legal name and any former names or aliases used in business, date and place of birth, Social Security number, and citizenship or immigration status. Principals must be U.S. citizens, permanent resident aliens, or citizens of a country with a reciprocal trade agreement with the United States.1Liquor Authority. What You Need to Know to Become a Licensed Retailer
  • A multi-year residential history. The form asks for a continuous timeline, and gaps get flagged.
  • Current and former employment, plus any ownership interest in other liquor-licensed businesses in New York.
  • Every arrest and conviction, with the nature of the offense and the court’s disposition, regardless of outcome.
  • Any alcohol license or permit that you, your spouse, or any listed principal held or applied for in the past ten years, under New York’s ABC Law or any other jurisdiction’s alcohol control law.2New York State Senate. New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law ABC 110
  • Your exact title in the business and your percentage of ownership.

How to Complete the Form

The SL-2 is available through the SLA’s online licensing portal at mylicense.sla.ny.gov, where you register with a NY.gov account and access the form as part of the license application. Paper versions are also available on the SLA’s forms page at sla.ny.gov.

Work through the identification and residential sections first, in chronological order. The heart of the form is a series of yes-or-no certification questions covering criminal history, prior license revocations, and connections to other licensed premises. Answer each one truthfully. A “yes” does not automatically sink the application; the SLA weighs the circumstances of each issue. A false “no” that surfaces during the background check is a different matter and can result in denial for fraud or misrepresentation.1Liquor Authority. What You Need to Know to Become a Licensed Retailer

Every “yes” needs a full written explanation attached. Vague or missing explanations will get the form kicked back as incomplete. Examiners want specifics: what happened, when, where, and the outcome.

If You Have a Felony Conviction

A felony conviction in New York, another state, or federal court makes you ineligible to hold a license unless you have obtained a Certificate of Relief from Civil Disabilities, a Certificate of Good Conduct, or a pardon.1Liquor Authority. What You Need to Know to Become a Licensed Retailer Disclose the conviction on the SL-2 and attach a copy of the relief certificate or pardon to the application package. Get the documentation in hand before you file; sorting it out afterward is not an option.

Signature and Notarization

Each principal signs their own SL-2 in the presence of a notary public, which turns the form into a sworn statement. The notary applies their seal and signature confirming you swore to the truth of the contents. In New York, notary fees are capped by statute and are typically modest. Banks, UPS stores, and law offices generally offer the service. An unnotarized SL-2 will be returned.

Submitting the Form With the Application Package

The SL-2 is never filed by itself. It travels with the main license application, premises information, photographs and floor plans of the proposed location, and the applicable filing fees.2New York State Senate. New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law ABC 110 Each license class has its own required exhibits, so check the SLA’s instructions for your license type before assembling the package.

Online submissions go through mylicense.sla.ny.gov when the portal supports your license type. Paper packages go to the SLA’s Albany office:

New York State Liquor Authority
Alfred E. Smith Building
80 S. Swan Street, Suite 900
Albany, NY 12210-8002

If mailing a paper application, use certified mail with return receipt requested. A package missing even one principal’s SL-2, or containing an unsigned or unnotarized form, delays the entire application.

What Happens After You File

Once the SLA receives a complete application, review currently takes approximately 22 to 26 weeks, depending on the license type, application volume, and how cleanly the package was assembled.3Liquor Authority. Get a License During that window, examiners verify each SL-2 against state and federal law enforcement databases. The SLA also notifies the local municipality and waits 30 days before acting on the application, giving the community time to weigh in.4New York State Liquor Authority. Community Input

If what you reported does not match what the background check turns up, expect a follow-up inquiry or an interview request. Minor discrepancies, such as a wrong date or a missing middle name, can usually be fixed. Material omissions are different. Concealing a conviction or misrepresenting your role in another licensed business falls under the SLA’s grounds for denial covering “fraud, misrepresentation, false material statements, concealment or suppression of facts.”1Liquor Authority. What You Need to Know to Become a Licensed Retailer

Why Applications Get Denied or Delayed

Most delays trace back to paperwork, not disqualifying backgrounds. A missing SL-2, an unsigned form, or a blank explanation for a “yes” answer stalls the process before the background check begins. Beyond paperwork, the SLA weighs several substantive factors:1Liquor Authority. What You Need to Know to Become a Licensed Retailer

  • Character and fitness, including each principal’s criminal record, business experience, and financial responsibility. A past issue does not guarantee denial, but the SLA expects transparency.
  • Location-specific statutory bars, including the 500-foot rule for premises near schools and houses of worship.
  • Violation history attached to the proposed address under a previous licensee, which can follow the location and complicate your application.
  • Failure to meet eligibility requirements, such as citizenship or residency status that does not meet the statutory threshold, or an unresolved felony conviction without a relief certificate.
  • Misrepresentation anywhere in the application, including on the SL-2, which is independent grounds for denial separate from whatever the applicant was trying to hide.

Operating While the Application Is Pending

Because full review runs months, the SLA offers Temporary Operating (ST) Permits that allow some applicants to begin operating during the wait. Not everyone qualifies: transfer applicants statewide and new on-premises applicants outside New York City are generally eligible, while new package stores and wine stores outside NYC are not.5Liquor Authority. Eligibility for Temporary Retail Permits If a temporary permit is relevant to your situation, request it alongside the main application rather than after submission.