Central ND News

The City of Bismarck has announced it is accepting bids for three Class D Liquor Licenses. This marks the first time since January 2023 that the city has made liquor licenses available for sale through a bidding process.

According to city officials, sealed bids must be delivered to the office of the City Administrator at 221 North Fifth Street or mailed to PO Box 5503 in Bismarck before 3 p.m. on Monday, September 16. The opening of bids will take place at 4 p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room on the fourth floor of the City/County Building. Each license carries a minimum bid requirement of $200,000 and will be awarded to the highest qualified bidders.

Assistant City Administrator Doug Wiles described what sets these licenses apart: “What makes the Class D License so valuable is the lack of restrictions,” explained Assistant City Administrator Doug Wiles. “With so many of our other liquor licenses, you may be limited to off-sale only, or perhaps only beer sales. Some licenses require a specific percentage of sales come from food. With a Class D license, you have the green light to sell as much alcohol as you can legally sell.”

Individuals interested in purchasing a license are required to submit a separate Class D Bid Form for each license they wish to pursue. Each form must include a bid security equal to 10% of the bid amount, provided by certified check or money order payable to the City of Bismarck.