Ohio streamlines alcohol licensing with new online portal
By Joe Frye
A new way to obtain and renew alcohol licenses launched Tuesday with the unveiling of a fully digital portal aimed at modernizing how Ohio regulates the sale and distribution of liquor.
The Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control introduced the Ohio Permit and Licensing System (OPAL) an online platform aimed at simplifying how roughly 28,000 businesses and more apply for and manage liquor permits.
“We believe it will be transformational for the permit holder. It was built with the permit holder in mind,” says Jackie DeGenova, superintendent of the division. “It will be a transparent system that will allow permit holders to log on to their account and see the status of their permit anywhere along that process.”
This change marks a significant shift away from paper-based processes, replacing mailed applications and checks with online forms and electronic payments. Not only does this keep everything in one place, but DeGenova says it also allows license holders to track their progress along the way. “This allows the permit holder to see a dashboard, right? … So through our checklist, they’ll be able to kind of see where the process is and pay their fees online,” she says.
Beyond the supposed ease of being online, the portal will also help save time for the staff at the Department of Commerce.“We think it’ll really be efficient, not only for the permit holder but for our staff as well. They don’t need to be waiting for the mail every day to see who sent in their updated information, all of it will be really much more efficient,” DeGenova says.
While the formatting of the application and upkeep process has changed, DeGenova underlines that permits remain valid, and holders will be contacted as renewals approach. Still, all permit holders are now required to create a business account on the OHID system to use OPAL going forward.