PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS

• Fire Marshall
• Parish Health Units
• Alcohol Permits

Each city and/or parish will have individual regulations on what permits are necessary for new businesses and your facility will determine what type of inspections are required. All business owners must contact their municipal permit and inspection authorities to inquire about necessary permits and inspections.

Many of these same services are provided by the Louisiana Secretary of State through the GeauxBiz business assistance tool. GeauxBiz is a clearinghouse for all business-related information including a database of company names, filing a business online, discovering business licensing information, and much more.

Fire Marshall

If the occupancy of your building changed, you are building a new building, or substantially renovating an existing building, you will need to submit building plans to the State Fire Marshall’s Office. They will review plans for compliance with the building codes and issue a review letter concerning the project. There is a review fee that starts at $55.00 and is based upon the square footage of the building. The Fire Marshall’s Office will perform a final inspection prior to a certificate of occupancy being issued.

8181 Independence Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
225.925.4920 Plans Review Department
www.dps.state.la.us/sfm/

Parish Health Units

You must contact your Parish Health Unit if you are selling food, beverages, and/or alcohol. The Sanitation Services Unit will furnish you with a packet of materials to get your health permit.

Or you may visit the Lousiana Department of Health and Hospitals website to identify your specific Parish Health Unit.

Alcohol Permits

Any establishment serving alcohol or tobacco needs to secure an Alcohol and/or Tobacco License. You must get a state AND a local license and the law states that an applicant shall mail or deliver both his applications for state and local permits within twenty-four hours of each other. You may review the state laws governing alcohol and tobacco licenses here.

The best way to begin this process is to contact your local alcohol permit administrator. You may also contact the State Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) Office at 225.925.4041 and request a new business packet. ATC can mail you this packet or you can go by their office at 8585 Archives Avenue, Suite 220, Baton Rouge, LA 70809 and pick up the packet.

A couple important tips about this process:

• Anyone applying for an alcohol license MUST HAVE a state and local sales tax clearance before they will be issued a permit.
• ATC ONLY accepts money orders, cashier's checks, or certified checks. No other form of payment is acceptable.

Upon receipt of a new business application, ATC has 35 days to issue or deny the permit. The 35 days begins on the date ATC receives the application. If you have not received your permit by the 35th day, you should contact your regional office.

Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control
8585 Archives Avenue, Suite 220
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225.925.4041
www.atc.rev.state.la.us

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