Decoding Plainfield liquor licenses

Plainfield liquor license renewals will [mostly] wind up for this year at tomorrow's special Council meeting (8 PM, City Hall Library).

Would you like a magic decoder ring to the secrets locked in the liquor license numbers? Read on.

Every liquor license issued in New Jersey follows this formula --

XXXX-XX-XXX-XXX

The first four digits (XXXX-XX-XXX-XXX) stand for the County and Municipality, ranked alphabetically.

So the first four digits of all Plainfield liquor licenses are: 2012; 20- for Union County (alphabetically, the 20th of New Jersey's 21 counties) and -12 for Plainfield (ranked alphabetically among Union County municipalities).

The next two digits (XXXX-XX-XXX-XXX) represent the type of license at hand. Here are some of the options --

• 31 - Club. Sale only to bona fide members and guests, only on the premises.
• 33 - Plenary retail consumption (Restaurants, Bars). Sales for consumption on premises and in original container for consumption off-premises.
• 43 - Limited retail distribution. Intended for grocery stores; not issued since 1952. This type of license was once held by stores like the A&P at 7th & Park (now Twin City).
• 44 - Plenary retail distribution license (Liquor stores). Sales in original containers only, for consumption off-premises.

The third sequence of digits (XXXX-XX-XXX-XXX) indicates the Municipality's sequential license number.

Thus, we can learn the Leland Liquors is 005, the fifth license issued in Plainfield, while that of Bantle Liquors at 5th & Watchung is 001 and the license at 116 Watchung Avenue (once famous as The Clubhouse) is 002.

The fourth and final sequence of digits (XXXX-XX-XXX-XXX) is called the 'license generation number' and changes with every change of facts pertaining to that license -- for instance, every time ownership or property location changes and even if the premises are altered by expansion or redesign. This latter condition has gotten licensees in hot water on occasion when remodeling is done without proper notice, permission and license regeneration.

Looking at these digits, you can learn that for the Station Liquors store on Park Avenue near 4th, the license has gone through 7 regenerations, and that of Hugo's (once Lily Greenleaves) has gone through 6.

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• See also: "Plainfield Liquor Licenses: An Interactive Map" (Still working on getting Google to include the pictures in the info box -- will advise when success is achieved.)
  

-- Dan Damon

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