Licensing office says dozens of inactive "pocket" liquor licenses may revert unless sold; board stipends and printing costs explained

Christine Amaral, executive aide to the Licensing Board, said the licensing office runs with two staff members and enforces Massachusetts General Laws and related city ordinances. She told the City Council the office maintains a list of about 22 inactive or "pocket" liquor licenses that owners have had time to sell or forfeit; the licensing office provides that list to prospective buyers and gives license-holders timelines to reopen or transfer licenses.

Amaral said board stipends for the chair and members are budgeted in the licensing account (the chair at $3,400, members at $2,600) and identified $1,470 in contractual printing services for items such as letterhead, business cards and regulatory posters. She said the office has not raised license rates since 2019 and monitors pocket-license transfers, but does not broker sales itself because those are private transactions.

Councilors recommended outreach to potential buyers, including breweries or existing beer-and-wine licensees who might upgrade to full-alcohol licenses if a full license becomes available. Amaral said she maintains a bulletin-board list of available licenses and provides it to interested parties; she said the board has requested owners of long-closed licenses either open, sell or forfeit them by an upcoming deadline.