Chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, is where to look for local laws. Kansas City’s ordinances are based on Missouri law as detailed in Chapter 311 of the Missouri statutes. Kansas City’s ordinances can be more restrictive than state statutes to better suit the needs of Kansas City residents.

Licenses to sell alcohol fall into these major categories:

• Sales-by-Drink: These licenses are issued to retail establishments that primarily serve alcohol by-the-drink. Taverns and restaurants are typical liquor-by-the-drink license holders.
• Sales-by-Package: These licenses are issued to retail establishments that sell alcohol in the original package. Grocery stores and convenience stores are typical holders. Without a tasting license, alcohol cannot be consumed on the premises where package liquor is sold.
• Wholesaler: Wholesalers sell to retail liquor-by-the-drink and liquor-by-the-package license holders. Retailers may not purchase alcoholic beverages from any source other than a wholesaler (Costco & Sam’s Club are not liquor wholesalers) licensed by the City of Kansas City, MO.
• Manufacturer: Manufacturers make alcoholic beverages from original ingredients. In Kansas City, these include brewers of beer, distilleries, and wineries.

There are different classifications of liquor licenses, and each classification is granted certain operating privileges. However, all classifications require certain standards to be met to remain within their classification. Here are the classifications:

• Bar-restaurant – Means an establishment having a restaurant or similar facility on the premises which derives 30 percent or more of its annual gross sales from the sale of prepared meals and food made for immediate consumption as compared to the annual gross sales of alcoholic beverages sold for immediate consumption. For the purposes of determining whether an establishment qualifies as a bar-restaurant under the provisions of this chapter and calculating the amount and percentage of annual gross sales from the sale of prepared meals and food, any nonalcoholic components mixed or served in any alcoholic beverage shall be considered to be part of the alcoholic beverage and shall not be considered to be prepared meals and food.
• Caterer – means any establishment whose primary business is the preparation of food and drinks for consumption away from the licensed premises. A caterer must derive 50 percent or more of its annual gross sales from the sale of prepared meals and food consumed at other approved premises. For the purposes of determining whether an establishment qualifies as a caterer under the provisions of this chapter and calculating the amount and percentage of annual gross sales from the sale of prepared meals and food, any nonalcoholic components mixed or served in any alcoholic beverage shall be considered to be part of the alcoholic beverage and shall not be considered to be prepared meals and food.
• Concert venue – Means any establishment used for the presentation of live musical performances, pre-advertised to the public including pre-event tickets sales available through third party ticket vendors, and where total ticket sales exceed $100,000.00 per year.
• Convention hotel or motel – Means any hotel or motel containing not less than 100 transient guestrooms, having a meeting room or similar facility with a seating capacity of not less than 50 persons and having a restaurant on the premises.
• Grocery store – Means a retail business occupying a space that is at least 15,000 square feet, that primarily stocks a range of everyday items which includes but is not limited to groceries, snack foods, confectionery, toiletries, soft drinks, tobacco products, personal electronics, home essentials, and clothing, that derives at least 70 percent of its sales from products other than liquor. 
• Microbrewery – Means a business whose activity is the brewing and selling of beer, with an annual production of 10,000 barrels or less.
• Package Liquor Business – A package liquor retailer sells alcohol in the original package to go. Businesses that sell package liquor include large retail grocery stores, convenience stores, variety stores, cigar and tobacco stores and smaller convenience stores that primarily sell package liquor. Without a tasting license, alcohol cannot be consumed on the premises where purchased. If all ordinance requirements are met, a business with a liquor-by-the-package license may apply for and be granted a Sunday license.
• Tavern – Means any licensed premises that sells liquor by the drink which derives more than 30 percent of its annual gross sales from alcoholic beverages.

There are two options:

1. Obtain the services of a caterer – Contact any business that has a sales-by-drink license (bar-restaurant, caterer, tavern) that is located in Kansas City, Missouri. A sales-by-drink license holder is permitted to obtain a temporary catering license which allows them to sell alcohol at your event.
2. Obtain a non-profit special event license – If your organization is a church, school or civic, service, fraternal, veteran, political or charitable club or organization, you can obtain a license to sell beer and/or light wine.

City ordinances regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages include provisions so that property owners who are identified as eligible neighbors can vote on whether they support or oppose the issuance of a license, when applicable. Eligible neighbors include the owners of a minimum of 15 eligible property parcels that are wholly within or intersected by a radius of 250 feet from the proposed premises. For any premises that does not either intersect or include the boundaries of a minimum of 15 eligible property parcels within a radius of 250 feet, the radius is increased by segments of 100 feet not to exceed 1,500 feet until the premises is intersected by or within the boundaries of a minimum of 15 eligible property parcels. Regardless of how many parcels an individual may control or own, any individual real person may only submit one written response to the director and only one parcel owned or controlled by an individual shall be considered eligible. For more information about this process, click here (link to section 10-214).

The Regulated Industries Division provides applications and checklists for these licenses. These forms contain a complete list of all documents and tasks that are required by an applicant to receive each type of liquor license. The application fee schedule is also accessible. Application fees are non-refundable in the event an application is denied or if the applicant decides not to continue pursuit of a license.

Contact Regulated Industries Division at (816) 513-4561.