PLYMOUTH Plymouth restaurants, bars, package stores and car dealers will pay more to renew their town licenses next year, after the Select Board voted to raise fees that in some cases had not changed in more than 30 years.
The board voted Tuesday, Oct. 27, and the new fees take effect Jan. 1, 2027, for 2027 licenses, the town said in a notice to businesses posted Oct. 29. The all-alcohol license goes from $1,800 to $2,800 a year, a 56% increase.
The town said the change is meant to bring its fee schedule in line with neighboring communities and to "reflect current costs and operational needs." The notice also says the licenses will be subject to an annual 3% adjustment, excluding administrative fees.
What changes
| License | Last updated | Now | From Jan. 1, 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All alcohol | 1990 | $1,800 | $2,800 | +56% |
| Wine and malt | 2010 | $950 | $2,000 | +111% |
| Club, commercial, all alcohol | 1984 | $1,000 | $2,000 | +100% |
| Club, nonprofit or veterans, all alcohol | 1990 | $775 | $1,400 | +81% |
| Innholder, all alcohol | 1989 | $1,400 | $3,000 | +114% |
| Package store, all alcohol | 2004 | $1,900 | $2,300 | +21% |
| Package store, wine and malt | 2004 | $1,000 | $1,600 | +60% |
| Farmer series pouring permit | 2013 | $250 | $1,500 | +500% |
| One-day liquor license | 2020 | $50 | $100 | +100% |
| One-day liquor license, nonprofit | not listed | $50 | $75 | +50% |
| Auto dealer, Class I and II | 1990 | $75 | $200 | +167% |
| Auto dealer, Class III (junk and salvage) | 1986 | $100 | $200 | +100% |
| Common victualler | not listed | $50 | $100 | +100% |
| Comprehensive entertainment | not listed | $25 per class | $100 | not comparable |
| Administrative fee (new applications, amendments) | not listed | $25 to $75 | $100 | varies |
The largest jump in dollars falls on innholders, whose all-alcohol license goes from $1,400 to $3,000. The biggest jump by share is the farmer series pouring permit, which goes from $250 to $1,500, six times the old fee. A change of license category, now a flat $75, will cost the difference between the two categories' fees, the table says.
At 3%, the new $2,800 all-alcohol fee would rise by $84 in a year.
How Plymouth compares
The town posted a comparison with seven other communities, with figures as of Oct. 27. Plymouth's new $2,800 all-alcohol fee is above Dartmouth ($2,750), Wareham ($2,205), Taunton ($2,025) and Salem ($1,950), and below Fall River ($3,500), Barnstable ($3,900) and Braintree ($3,000). The town put the seven-community average at $2,761.43.
For car dealers, the new $200 permit matches Dartmouth, Taunton and Salem and is below Fall River's $300; Wareham charges $155, and Barnstable and Braintree charge $150 for new and used car dealers, according to the same table. Plymouth's $2,300 package store fee for all alcohol sits just under the comparison average of $2,311.43.
What the board said
"During a comprehensive review of our liquor license and auto dealer permit fees, we found that most have not been updated for many years," Select Board Chair Deb Iaquinto said in the town's notice. "In some cases, the same fees have been in place for 20 to 30 years. We benchmarked our fees against those of similar communities and we believe this schedule brings Plymouth in line with current practices."
Questions about a license
Businesses with questions can reach the town's licensing officer at licensing@plymouth-ma.gov or 508-322-3383, the notice says.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
Every fact comes from the Town of Plymouth's Oct. 29 notice to businesses and the two fee tables posted with it, the town's own figures. We read them on the town's website on Nov. 5. We computed each percent change and the $84 figure from the town's numbers. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar: Oct. 27, 2026 was a Tuesday.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (3)
- Town of Plymouth, "Town of Plymouth Updates Liquor License and Auto Dealer Permit Fees Effective 2027" (News Flash, posted Oct. 29, 2026)Town of Plymouth. Select Board vote Tuesday, Oct. 27; fees effective Jan. 1, 2027, for 2027 licenses; purpose; annual 3% adjustment excluding administrative fees; Select Board Chair quote; licensing officer contact. Read Nov. 5, 2026.
- Town of Plymouth, "License Fee Update" table (image in the Oct. 29, 2026 notice)Town of Plymouth. Each license, the year it was last updated, the fee before Jan. 1, 2027 and the fee from Jan. 1, 2027. Read Nov. 5, 2026.
- Town of Plymouth, "License Fee Comparative Analysis" table (image in the Oct. 29, 2026 notice; data as of Oct. 27, 2026)Town of Plymouth. Plymouth's 2027 fees beside Barnstable, Braintree, Dartmouth, Fall River, Taunton, Salem and Wareham, and the average. Read Nov. 5, 2026.