March 30, 2022      

From the Office of M. Caitlin S. Anderson

Liquor Control Division Director

Off-Premise Caterer Event Notifications and General Reminders

Notice of online submission requirements for off-premise catering event notifications and provide general reminders for off-premise caterers.

1. Event Notifications for Off-Premise Caterers

All off-premise caterers (LCT) and restaurants operating as off-premise caterers (LIR/LRW) are required by law to submit written notification to the Department when providing alcoholic beverages at a catered event.  (See Connecticut General Statutes § 30-37j.)  The notification must:

1. include the date, location, and hours of each event where alcohol is served, and
2. be submitted at least one business day in advance of the event.

To streamline the process, off-premise caterer notifications must be submitted online through your current e-License credential account. Utilizing our online process will expedite the review and acknowledgment of your request. Emailed, mailed, or faxed letters will no longer be accepted.

Steps to complete the off-premise caterer notification process:

1. Go to https://elicense.ct.gov.
2. Log into your active credential’s account with your existing user ID and password. (You must use the credential given to you when your permit was issued; do not create a new user ID.)
3. Once logged in, scroll down to “More Online Services,” then click “License Maintenance.”
4. Select the credential making the off-premises caterer notification and click “Start.”
5. From the drop-down menu, select “Caterer Event Notification Request” and complete the submittal process.
6. Once the notification request is submitted properly, you will receive an immediate email from the Department acknowledging the notification. Upon receipt of the email, your notification is complete, and you may conduct your event as described.

2. General Reminders for Off-Premise Caterers

Off-premise caterers are required by law to be “regularly engaged in the business of providing food and beverages to others for service at private gatherings.” However, under a recent law change, off-premise caterers are allowed to cater events without providing food. In other words, an off-premise caterer is now allowed to be hired to only provide alcoholic beverages. Yet, an off-premise caterer cannot exclusively cater events without food, because an off-premise caterer must still be “regularly engaged in the business of providing food” at events.

Off-premise caterers are also prohibited from engaging in “self-dealing or self-hiring.” This means that off-premise caterers must be hired for events and must have a written contract with the person organizing the event.  An off-premise caterer cannot create their own events to cater. An off-premise caterer may enter into a contract to provide exclusive catering services at a specific venue, however the off-premise caterer must still be available for hire at other locations and, in fact, be catering at other locations.

Off-premise caterers who exclusively cater events without food or engage in self-dealing or self-hiring could face enforcement action and jeopardize the status of their permit.

For more information about catering permits, please visit our off-premise caterer permit webpage. If you have any questions on this new electronic notification process or the existing rules concerning off-premise catering activities, please contact the Liquor Control Division by email: dcp.liquorcontrol@ct.gov by phone: (860) 713-6200.

Caitlin Anderson

Director, Liquor Control Division, Department of Consumer Protection

The Department of Consumer Protection, through the State Liquor Control Commission, oversees all sales of liquor in the State of Connecticut.  450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 901, Hartford, CT, 06103. Visit the Liquor Control Division website www.ct.gov/dcp.