Columbia Same—Premises ordinance (§ 4-4)
Chapter 4: Alcoholic Beverages · Article I. In General
In short: Bars and restaurants can't get or keep a liquor or nonintoxicating beer license for on-premises drinks if the premises include a building used for unlawful purposes or connect to such a place. Packaged liquor licenses go only to drugstores, cigar and tobacco stores, grocery stores, general merchandise stores, confectioneries, delis and liquor stores that keep at least $1,000 in stock, excluding fixtures and liquor.
Our plain-English summary, not the official text or legal advice. The ordinance below is what counts.
(a) No license shall be granted or retained under this chapter for the sale of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer at retail by the drink for consumption on the premises if the premises includes a building occupied or used for unlawful purposes or the premises are connected by an entrance or exit or other means of communication with any place used for unlawful purposes.
(b) No license shall be issued for the sale of intoxicating liquor in the original package, not to be consumed on the premises where sold, except to a person engaged in, and to be used in connection with the operation of one (1) or more of the following businesses: a drugstore, a cigar and tobacco store, a grocery store, a general merchandise store, a confectionary, a delicatessen store, or a liquor store, nor to any such person who does not have and keep in his store a stock of goods having a value according to invoices of at least one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), exclusive of fixtures and intoxicating liquors.
Official source: City of Columbia official Code of Ordinances (online): look up Sec. 4-4
Text from Supplement 139 (September 3, 2026).
Last checked November 1, 2026. The city's official copy controls; this page is a reading copy, not legal advice.