Permits - To Whom Issued

Beer permits are issued to the owner of the business or other entity responsible for the premises for which the permit is sought, whether a person, firm, corporation, joint-stock company, syndicate, association, or a local governmental entity when the governing body has authorized such sales of beer.  A permit is valid only for the owner to whom it is issued, and it cannot be transferred to another owner. When the owner is a corporation, a change in ownership (necessitating a new permit) occurs when control of at least fifty percent (50%) of the stock of the corporation is transferred to a new owner. T.C.A. § 57-5-103(a). A beer permit does not transfer by corporate merger. Mapco Petroleum, Inc. v. Basden, 774 S.W.2d 598 (Tenn. 1989). Similarly, permits are valid only for the business operating under the name identified in the permit application. T.C.A. § 57-5-103(a)(2)(C). If the name of the business changes, a new permit must be obtained.