Bill > HB5117

This bill amends the Michigan Liquor Control Code to modify regulations around specially designated distributor (SDD) and specially designated merchant (SDM) licenses, which are licenses that allow businesses to sell packaged alcoholic beverages. The bill introduces a significant exemption to the current population-based quota system for SDD licenses, specifically for large grocery stores that meet certain criteria: they must have at least 25,000 square feet of sales floor area and dedicate at least 25% of their retail space to selling fresh produce, meat, dairy, and other unprocessed food products. Under the current law, the state liquor control commission is limited to issuing only one SDD license per 3,000 people in a city, village, or township. The bill also adds a provision that SDD licenses issued to establishments meeting these new criteria cannot be transferred to another location. Additionally, the bill makes some minor technical changes, such as renumbering subsections and clarifying existing language about license transfers and population calculations. The overall intent appears to be providing more flexibility for large grocery stores to obtain liquor licenses while maintaining some regulatory restrictions.

Government Affairs

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-5117