Types of City Licenses

Privilege Licenses

Liquor/Beer/Wine, Transient Merchants, Private Detectives, Taxicab Driver Permits, Taxicab Companies, Sidewalk Vendors, Billiard and Pool Halls, Dance Halls, Pawn Brokers, Adult Entertainer Permits and Establishments, Sidewalk Café's, Fortune Tellers, Shooting Ranges, and Dealers in precious Metals and Gems. (Not a complete listing)

Liquor/Beer/Wine, Private Detectives, Billiard and Pool Halls, Dance halls, Pawn Brokers, Adult Entertainers Permits and Establishments, and Fortune Tellers require the following process:

1. Resident of Bibb County or City of Macon
2. Meet age requirement (at least 21 years of age)
3. Have not had any felonies in the last ten years
4. Must be fingerprinted by the Police Department with a local and national background check completed as well
5. Distance requirements:
   • Liquor, Beer, and Wine - surveyed by City Engineer - fee is $150
   • Liquor packaged to go - 100 yards of any Church and/or Alcoholic Treatment Center - 200 yards of any school, education building, or college campus (also same for by the drink)
   • Beer and Wine - 100 yards of any school building, college campus, or Alcoholic Treatment Center (affidavit from Engineering Department required)
   • Liquor Stores - distance from each store: 1,000 feet outside downtown area and 500 feet inside downtown area
6. Public Notice Ads - must advertise in the Macon Telegraph for 2 consecutive weeks (affidavit from Telegraph required)
7. State Application and Personnel Statements - must be properly completed (form can be obtained from the Georgia Department of Revenue)
8. Proof of Zoning Compliance - compliance form must specify each item the owner will be participating in; such as, liquor, wine, restaurant, etc.
9. Legal description of the property upon which business will be located
10. Limited inspection of the structure by both Building and Fire Inspectors
11. Notarize documents
12. Current picture is required
13. After the applicant has completed the above steps, the Business License Office will hand carries all paperwork to the Central Records Division of the Police Department where a background check is completed. Upon approval by the Major in charge of this Division, the application is then forwarded to the Chief of Police for final approval. It is then returned to the Business License Office where the applicant is notified and license is issued.

---

Insurance Licenses

All agencies must pay for each carrier that they represent. The fee for this license is $150 plus $52 (in connection with money lenders) for Credit Life Insurance. The City of Macon has a contract with Georgia Municipal Association to collect delinquent fees.

Professional Licenses

Professionals such as architects, doctors, lawyers, funeral directors, engineers, etc., have the option of choosing to pay a $400 flat fee per practitioner or $39 for each employee plus the $65 administrative fee.

Property Improvements

Property improvement notices with judgments are usually received from ECD to be collected in the City Clerk's Office. A letter is sent to property owner via certified mail notifying the owner that they have 30 days to demolish said property or, after said time limit, the City will authorize demolition and bill owner for the cost of same. If demolition is authorized by the City, a FIFA for the cost of the demolition is filed with Bibb Superior Court Clerk's Office to be entered on GED. This balance does not accrue interest.

---

The Business License Office must also collect all insufficient checks received in this office by sending a certified letter which allows the presenter 10 days to make the check good. A penalty of 5% or $30.00, whichever is greater, is charged.

The Business License Office receives miscellaneous fees; such as copy fees at 25 cents per copy and certification fees at $2.50 per certification.

Business License - General

1. Verify that business will be located within the city limits of Macon
2. Instruct owner to obtain approval from Planning and Zoning for the business location
3. Instruct owner to complete our Occupation Tax Return form
4. If business is in a commercial location, instruct owner to obtain signed inspections from Inspections and Fees and Fire Prevention (if business is home based, inspections are not required unless the business is a beauty salon or day care facility)
5. Affidavit Verifying Status for the City of Macon Public Benefits Application
6. E-Verify Affidavit

Bank Tax

The Bank Tax form is due in the Business License Office after March 1st and no later than May 1st of each calendar year. Verify that the amount of the check corresponds with the amount of money listed on the Bank Tax form and write a receipt. Record payment via cash register and attach cash register receipt to check. Make a copy of the check and the handwritten receipt, attach it to the Bank Tax form, and forward to the Business License Office.

Yard Sales

Yard sales/garage sales are free unless they are held at someone else's residence. If the sale is being held on someone else's property, we need a letter from said person and a $2.50 fee from person holding sale. You can only purchase this permit three times a year. We do not issue permits for sales being held on state property.