Liquor License

The Village of Villa Park does not have any new liquor licenses available. If you wish to apply for a new liquor license, an ordinance needs to be passed to increase the number of liquor licenses. Therefore, the following procedure has been established to request a liquor license. Refer to the Village of Villa Park Municipal Code on Alcoholic Liquors for types of Liquor Licenses and Fees.

If you’re a business owner looking to apply for a new annual liquor license or to request an annual liquor license class change, the Village has a clear review process designed to make sure everything is in order before a license is issued.

Step 1: Start the application at Village Hall.

Begin by submitting a liquor license application (linked below) with a cover letter indicating your business type (e.g., restaurant, tavern, grocery, liquor store); the type of alcohol to be served (e.g., beer, wine, full liquor); whether the alcohol served will be poured, packaged, or both; whether there will be video gaming; and the location of the business. The letter and application should be addressed to the Local Liquor Control Commissioner and delivered to Village Hall (20 A. Ardmore Ave.)

A non-refundable application fee for mandatory background checks must be included with your letter and completed application. This investigation fee is $500 for each person who owns 5% or more of the business, each of whom must complete a separate background check application (linked below). All other application requirements can be found on the checklist below as well as in Chapter 3, Article III of the Villa Park Municipal Code.

Step 2: Village departments review the application and prepare reports.

As part of the review, multiple Village departments will evaluate your application and provide findings to the Local Liquor Control Commission. This typically includes:

  • Finance: Verifies there are no billing issues or tax delinquencies and reports the results. 
  • Police: Provides a report including any issues and calls for service at the location during the prior 12 months. This also includes required background checks. The Police Department will contact all applicants for fingerprinting. The background check process can take 90 days to complete.
  • Fire: Re-inspects the premises for fire and life safety code compliance and reports findings. 
  • Code Enforcement: Inspects for signage and general code compliance and reports findings. 

Once complete, the full application file and departmental reports are provided to the Local Liquor Control Commission for review. 

Step 3: Appear before the Liquor Commission.

After the departmental reviews are finished, your application will be scheduled on an upcoming Local Liquor Control Commission agenda. You must attend the Commission meeting and answer any questions posed by the commissioners related to your application and business. The Commission may request additional information. Ultimately, the Commission will make a recommendation to the Village Board and the Local Liquor Control Commissioner (Village President).

Step 4: Commission recommendation is forwarded to the Village Board.

The Local Liquor Control Commission’s recommendation will be sent to the Village President and the Village Manager in writing. Your application will then be scheduled on an upcoming Village Board agenda.

Step 5: Village Board consideration and action.

The Village Board will review the recommendation and decide whether to increase the number of available licenses to meet your request. This process may require three Village Board meetings because of the proposed Village Code change. 

Step 6: Local Liquor Control Commissioner decision.

If the Village Board agrees to create the additional liquor license requested, the Local Liquor Control Commissioner will then review the recommendation and decide whether to issue the liquor license to your business. 

Special Event Liquor License

An application for a special event liquor license (PDF), along with proof of liquor liability insurance, must be submitted to the Liquor Commission prior to holding any event where liquor will be served.

Refer to the Villa Park Municipal Code Article III, Classification, for a description of said license and requirements.

Important Links

For questions regarding Liquor Licensing, you may contact Village Hall at (630) 834-8500.