Minot, ND — A significant change could be coming to Minot’s alcohol regulations as the City Council considers four alternatives to revise the city’s Alcoholic Beverages Ordinance through a public hearing at Monday's City Council Meeting. At the center of the discussion is the potential removal of the longstanding cap on retail liquor, beer, and wine licenses.
The proposals stem from over a year of work by the Alcohol Ordinance Review and Rewrite Committee, which first convened in January 2024. After a series of meetings, the committee presented its final recommendations during the April 21, 2025, council meeting, outlining four pathways forward which ranged from maintaining the current system to fully eliminating the cap with no compensation.
Under the current ordinance, the number of retail liquor licenses is capped at one license per 1,500 residents, and the process for obtaining a license is tightly restricted through the city when the opportunity comes available. It is possible for transfer of licenses to occur between businesses if necessary criteria is met.
The discussion now focuses on how to modernize or open up the licensing process while respecting those who have previously invested in licenses under the current framework.
The Four Alternatives Presented:
1. Maintain the current cap (no changes).
2. Remove the cap entirely with no compensation to existing license holders.
3. Kevin Black’s Proposal: A structured transition removing the cap but maintaining a high license fee between $100,000 and $150,000.
4. Paul Pitner’s Proposal: A clean removal of the cap that compensates existing license holders but requires license holders to sign a waiver of legal claims within 90 days.
The Dakotan recently reported about the four alternatives here.
A public hearing will be held at Minot City Council on May 5, 2025 at 5:30 pm, giving residents and business owners the opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposed changes. Following the hearing, the City Council is expected to provide direction to staff on which path to pursue.
