Business Registration & Special Events

All businesses with a physical location or organizations planning to conduct business within the City of Pooler are required to pay an annual Occupational Tax Certificate (Business License) Fee. (Certain restrictions apply. See local ordinance for details.) Our fees are based on the number of employees. (Refer to the application for the fee schedule). A Business Registration Permit Application must be completed and submitted to the Business Registration Clerk for review and approval.

Below you will find the applications. Each provide you with a checklist to be reviewed carefully to ensure all necessary supporting documentation is provided when the application is submitted. Online payments may be made at www.poolerpay.com.

Upon submission of your application, it will be forwarded to our Planning & Development Department for review. A Building/Life Safety Inspection is required for any existing spaces or buildings prior to the issuance of an Occupational Tax Certificate. Any building or space that has been newly constructed or renovated within the past six (6) months is not required to be inspected.

City Ordinance for Occupational Tax

New Business Registration Application – Commercial

There are two categories for Home-Based businesses: Home Occupation and Home-Based Business Offices (Telephone Use Only). These are required to meet a list of criteria provided with the application, and homeowners must ensure that there are no restrictive subdivision covenants prohibiting Business Offices. The application is below and it must be filed with the Business Registration Clerk. After submission, the application will be reviewed by the Planning & Development Department for any applicable zoning restrictions. Home Occupation permits may be renewed annually as long as the operation continues to follow the Home Occupation parameters. Online payments may be made at www.poolerpay.com.

City Ordinance for Home-Based Businesses

New Business Registration Permit Application – Home-Based

Beginning January 12, 2022, all New Alcoholic Beverage License Applications will need to be submitted online via the Georgia Department of Revenue website. Once the initial online application is submitted, please call the Business Registration Clerk to provide notification of your submitted application.

Please follow the instructions on the application to perform your background check and fingerprints. If fingerprinting services are unavailable, please contact us. All required forms need to be completed, notarized, and returned to City Hall with payment. Online payments may be made at www.poolerpay.com.

All applications will be reviewed by the Planning & Development and Police Departments; final approval will be given by the Mayor and Council at a scheduled Council Meeting, which will require the applicant’s attendance.

Georgia DOR Alcoholic Beverage License Application Website

City of Pooler Alcoholic Beverage License Application – New

City of Pooler Alcoholic Beverage License Application – Renewal

Effective November 15th, 2021, the City of Pooler’s Mayor and Council approved a new ordinance to amend Chapter 6 – Alcoholic Beverages. Here you will find the link to the approved ordinance, which is effective immediately.

All restaurants or local businesses who are applying for or in possession of the Retail Liquor/Sell by the Drink only license will need to submit a monthly Liquor (Distilled Spirits) by the Drink Excise Tax Return. Below you will find the required form. This tax return must be filed and paid by the 20th of the month following the period for which the tax is due to avoid penalty and interest. Failure to pay the tax by the due date will result in the imposition of penalty and interest. If the 20th falls on a weekend or Federal Holiday the return needs to be filed and paid, or postmarked, by the following business day. Contact the Finance Coordinator at [email protected] with any questions.

City Ordinance for Mixed Drink Excise Tax 

Liquor (Distilled Spirits) By the Drink Excise Tax Return

(i.e. out-of-state contractors, out-of-state property owners)

A business license with the City of Pooler is required if an out-of-state business does not have a licensed location within the State of Georgia and will have one or more employees or agents who exert substantial efforts within the jurisdiction of the City for the purpose of soliciting business or serving customers/clients. This also includes anyone who owns personal or real property which generates income and which is located within the jurisdiction of the City. Online payments may be made at www.poolerpay.com.

Ordinance for Business with No Location in the State

New Business Permit Application – Commercial

New Business Permit Application – Home-Based

The Alcoholic Beverage License renewal process for 2025 is now open. Online payments may be made at poolerpay.com. Below you will find links to the required forms to process your renewal if you choose to mail your documents.

All Alcoholic Beverage licenses must be paid in full by December 13 to avoid a 25% penalty. After this date, businesses will only have until December 31 to pay their renewal fees with penalties; this includes customers paying online. If the renewal remains unpaid by January 1, all alcohol sales must stop; a new application must be submitted with a new background check, and all procedures for new applications will be required. No alcoholic beverage sales will be allowed during this new reapplication process until the Mayor and Council have approved the licensee again during a regularly scheduled council meeting.

Alcoholic Licensing Ordinance

Alcoholic Beverage License Application – Renewal

Sunday Sales Affidavit – Renewal

To help ensure everything goes smoothly, please submit your application at least thirty (30) days before your event. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept or process applications received with fewer than thirty (30) days’ notice. Additionally, we kindly ask that no advertisements, fee collections, or orders be made by the applicant (including online and on social media) until your application has been approved by the City’s Mayor and Council.

• The application must be completed in its entirety. To speed up the process, please attach proposed event flyers, routes, maps, and any other supporting documents related to the event.
• All commercial businesses and non-profit organizations, regardless of possessing an active city-issued alcoholic beverage license, must also apply for the State of Georgia’s Special Event Liquor License on their website. (This is NOT applicable to private events [i.e., weddings, family reunions, baby showers] unless a licensed business will be catering; in such case, the licensed catering business must apply for the State’s Special Event Liquor License).
• All applicants must visit the Pooler Police Department to have a background check completed. This service is available Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Fridays from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. There is a $20 fee (subject to change). Questions may be directed to (912) 748-7333.
• Contact Business Registration at (912) 748-7261, ext. 118, to schedule an appointment to submit the application and background check and pay the non-refundable fee ($100/day plus $20 administrative fee) or email the form with supporting documents to [email protected] and make a phone payment with a card (Visa or MasterCard only). This permit is issued for a maximum of two (2) days.
• If seeking a waiver of fees, please indicate this on the application and attach, if applicable, your 501(C)(3) IRS letter. Please note that only Mayor and Council can waive fees.
• If your event will have food vendors (i.e., food trucks), state so on the application and indicate that food will be sold/provided. If food vendors are not indicated on the application, they will not be allowed at the event. (If alcohol will not be served, this is not the correct form; please fill out the Special Event Permit application or contact us for more information).
• The Zoning Administrator, Police Chief, and Fire Chief will review your completed application. At that time, each will make a recommendation for approval or denial and indicate what special stipulations, if any, must be completed prior to the application being presented to Mayor and Council. Following, Business Registration will contact you to inform you of the recommendation made and/or stipulations required by each department and provide you with contact information, if needed, to coordinate the use of police officers and/or emergency management personnel. You, the applicant, will contact all department personnel to schedule the use of staff as required.
• Business Registration will contact you to inform you when your Temporary/Special Event Permit application will be reviewed by the Mayor and Council (during a regularly scheduled council meeting). Please make plans to attend this meeting.
• If approved, the permit will be emailed and mailed to you within 2-3 business days of the council meeting and a copy of your permit will be uploaded to the State’s website. Please note that all alcohol must be purchased from a wholesaler and not from a liquor store. If your event permit is not approved and you would like to appeal, contact [email protected].

Temporary/Special Event (Dispensing Alcohol) Ordinance

Temporary/Special Event (Dispensing Alcohol) Permit Application

This application may take longer and it all depends on when the application is submitted. These applications have to be reviewed for accuracy by the Occupational Tax Clerk. If all information is accurate, it will further be forwarded to the Building and Zoning Department for review and approval. If approved, it is then processed by the City Clerk and will be scheduled for the next available Council meeting for consideration by Mayor and Council. The applicant will be notified when the Council meeting will take place. Once approved by Mayor and Council, the license will be issued on the next business day upon receipt of payment.

Any change of ownership of a business will result in the termination of said business and the establishment of a new business. Therefore, a new Business Registration application and, if applicable, a new Alcohol Beverage License Registration application would need to be submitted and the process is the same of a new business for both applications. The applications must be submitted within 30 days from the change of ownership to the Occupational Tax Clerk. 

Occupational Tax Fee Schedule

 

No alcoholic beverages shall be kept for sale or given away anywhere within 100 yards of any school ground, college campus or church. Zoning restrictions may apply.

The registration and occupation tax shall be payable January 1 of each year if it remains unpaid for 90 days from the due date, the person liable for the tax shall be subject to and pay a penalty of 10% of the tax due and an additional penalty of 1.5% of the occupation tax for each additional month or fraction thereof of delinquency. Penalties are added to unpaid licenses on April 1st of every year.

All applications can be paid by Debit/Credit card (Amex & Discover not accepted), Checks, Money Orders, Cashier’s Checks and Cash.  **Due to Covid-19, temporarily and as a courtesy for new applications ONLY, we will be able to process a debit/credit card payments over the phone.**

All request for changes must be submitted in writing. However, there are certain changes that may require additional documentation. Please contact the Occupational Tax Clerk for more information at [email protected].

It is very important that if you are no longer operating a business in the City of Pooler and need to cancel your license, that you submit the Application to Terminate a Business to the Occupational Tax Clerk. Below you will find the required application. Please submit your form to [email protected] as soon as possible to avoid potential penalties for non-payment.

Terminating a Business Notification