Business License Division

Business Registration
Privilege Licensing
Application Forms
New Business Listings

Please Note: The Business License office accepts payments between 8:00am and 4:30pm (Monday - Friday).

The Business License Division is part of Cobb County's Community Development Department. Our main office is located at 1150 Powder Springs St., Suite 400, Marietta, Ga. 30064.

The Business License Division is responsible for the collection of Business Registration Certificate Taxes, Occupation Taxes, Liquor by the Drink Taxes, Alcoholic Beverage Excise Taxes, Hotel/Motel Occupancy Taxes, Financial Institution Taxes, Cable Franchise Fees, and various other business related taxes as outlined in the Cobb County Code of Ordinances.

***NOTICE***

On February 22, 2011 the Board of Commissioners approved significant changes to the Cobb County Code of Ordinances pertinent to the Business License Division in reference to alcohol licenses and taxi companies.

  Video: Alcohol Compliance Checks

Obtaining a New Privilege License
To apply for a Cobb County Privilege License obtain an application from the Cobb County Business License Division, 1150 Powder Springs Rd. Marietta, Ga. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Applications are also available for download. Applications must be submitted between 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. No Priviledged licensed applications will be accepted after 4:00 p.m. You may call 770-528-8407 to schedule an appointment to submit applications.

The application, the affidavit verifying status, and all attachments must be typed or legibly printed in black ink and completed in its entirety. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Any information requested that is not submitted within 30 days will void the application. New applicants, businesses without alcohol sales, or businesses with no alcohol sales for 90 days prior to the date of the application must return an original application, a copy of the application, and a $600 application fee in person to the Business License Division. A change of ownership, or change of licensee application must be submitted with a $300 application fee.

All the above fees are non-refundable and payment must be made by cash, money order, or check made payable to Cobb County Business License Division.

See the application regarding information in reference to fingerprints for the licensee.

The information required with the application includes such items as personal and financial statements for each licensee, owner, partner and/or stockholder owning shares of 20 percent or more. Also required are signed consent forms for criminal investigations on these individuals and their spouses. The Business License Supervisor reserves the right to request this information on all stockholders and their spouses. Each original application submitted must have two 2"x2" photographs of each licensee and stockholder submitting personal statements. Also, each application must have consent forms for the licensee and spouse, and each stockholder and spouse with more than 20 percent ownership. Licensees, stockholders and their spouses that were not born U.S. citizens must provide I551 cards or certificates of naturalization. Two fingerprint cards must be submitted for the licensee.

Copies of Notes of Indebtedness, incorporation papers, front and back of stock certificates, purchase agreements, leases, contracts, and lease assignments are also required when applicable. If the establishment is applying for a Liquor Pouring License, it must meet the specific requirements established in the Cobb County Code of Ordinance, Section 6-1 and Section 6-130.

For a location that does not currently have an alcoholic beverage license, 12 blueline copies of plats of the proposed site must be completed by a certified surveyor and submitted. Also, page 13 of the Alcoholic Beverage Application and one plat must be signed by the Drafting Section of the County Planning Division indicating the zoning designation. Other requirements include blueprints approved by the Zoning and Development and Inspections Divisions as well as drawings and renderings of the interior of the building which show the seating capacity and kitchen facilities of a new or existing building for liquor pouring establishments. For Liquor Package Applications, drawings or snapshots of the facility and location must be submitted. All Liquor Package establishments must comply with the architectural requirements specified in the Cobb County Code of Ordinance Section 6-129.

Each application for a location, which has not previously been occupied for any type of business purpose or for which there is to be new construction, must also include a copy of a site plan approved by all departments in the plan review process. This plan may be obtained through the Site Plan Review Section of the Development and Inspections Division of the Community Development Agency, 1150 Powder Springs Rd. Marietta, Ga. If the establishment is applying for a Sunday Sales Permit, a separate application signed by a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) indicating the percentage of food and alcohol sales expected in a 12-month period must be submitted. The CPA's signature must be notarized.

After the fully-completed application is received by the Business License Division the process for approval takes approximately twelve to sixteen weeks for new applications and two to three weeks for change of licensee or ownership application. Initially, the application is sent to the Cobb County Police Department for criminal history investigation. Upon completion of this investigation by the Police Department for new applicants, advertisements are printed in the Marietta Daily Journal on two consecutive Fridays, and the property is posted with signs notifying the area residents that a privilege license is being considered for that particular location. At the end of this two-week period, the Supervisor of the Business License Division will consider the application's compliance to the Cobb County Code of Ordinance. The applicant or any aggrieved party has the right to appeal the decision of the Business License Supervisor to the License Review Board. The advertising phase of the process does not occur for change of ownership or change of licensee applications. The Business License Supervisor will consider the application after receiving the results of the police investigation.

New applications where the proposed location is within 600 feet of a church, school, park or library or 300 feet of a private residence must be approved by the License Review Board and Board of Commissioners which will take a minimum of twelve and as much as sixteen weeks.

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1. Offer or deliver free alcoholic beverages.
2. a. Deliver more than two alcoholic beverages to one person at one time.
   b. Allow any person to possess more than two alcoholic beverages at one time.
3. Sell, offer, or deliver to any person or group alcoholic beverages for a price less than regularly charged during the same twenty-four hour period.
4. Sell, offer, or deliver to any person or group, two or more, or unlimited amounts of alcoholic beverages during a set period of time at a fixed price.
5. Sell, offer, or deliver to any person or group, alcoholic beverages, at prices less than those charged the general public.
6. Sell, offer, or deliver a pitcher or carafe of an alcoholic beverage except to two or more persons at one time.
7. Increase volume of alcohol contained in a drink without increasing proportionately the price regularly charged during same twenty-four hour period.
8. Alcoholic beverage contest or contest involving or promoting the drinking of alcoholic beverages or the authorizing of alcoholic beverages as a prize.
9. Sell, offer, or deliver two alcoholic beverages for the price of one.
10. Require or encourage the purchase of second or subsequent alcoholic beverages at the same time as another beverage is purchased.
11. Allow alcoholic beverages to be removed from premises. Premises include the entire area under supervision, management or control of licensee. Premises do not include parking lot. Cobb County does not issue permits for businesses to sell alcoholic beverages outside of their premises, i.e. parking lot.
12. Advertise or promotion of any of the above.
13. No catering or delivery of Alcoholic Beverages is allowed in Cobb County.

1. All employees of liquor package stores.
2. All employees of businesses with a pouring license, except employees who do not serve or sell alcohol to customers, such as busboys, dishwashers, hostesses, cashiers, etc.
3. All managers and security personnel of package or pouring establishments.
4. All employees of convenience stores, except employees who do not sell alcoholic beverages to customers.

1. Anyone under twenty-one to purchase, drink, possess alcoholic beverages.
2. Anyone to maintain place where persons under twenty-one are allowed to possess, consume, or purchase alcoholic beverages.
3. Unlawful for a parent, or person to buy alcoholic beverages for consumption by underage person or persons, except as provided by state law.