At every stage of the licensing process, difficulties in accessing essential procedural information and data create challenges for prospective licensees. In some cases, information is available but not readily accessible; in other cases, information appears to be unavailable. This lack of consistent, complete procedural information and data at all levels—municipal, ABCC, and the state Legislature in connection with home rule petition—presents an access equity issue. Moreover, the lack of publicly accessible information and data creates a barrier to system analysis and meaningful reform.
Applicants report the need to piece together information from municipal websites, local staff members, ABCC’s website, attorneys, peers, and informal networks. The interviews, survey responses, and municipal and state website review show that applicants are not able to easily determine what local and state steps are required to obtain a license, whether licenses are available through the municipality, how to navigate the home rule process, or how to locate and obtain an existing license on the secondary market. This information gap can be especially burdensome for first-time applicants, smaller businesses, applicants for whom English is a second language, and applicants looking to establish in municipalities with fewer administrative resources.
This Finding considers existing procedural information and data available at the municipal and state levels in the Commonwealth and in other states.
| Date published: | October 13, 2026 |
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