NYS Liquor License Must-Know: The Liquor Authority Mapping Project

The Liquor Authority Mapping Project (LAMP) is a geographic information system that the New York State Liquor Authority launched in 2012. While it provides transparency for the community, it’s a bit controversial.

LAMP provides all sorts of information to business owners and your liquor license lawyer, including:

  • The history of a particular establishment.
  • Schools or churches that are near to a licensed establishment.
  • Establishments with an active license or a pending application.

LAMP users can find information about any bar, liquor store or restaurant in New York State, as well as establishments that sell beer or wholesale alcoholic beverages. Plus, you can find out if any disciplinary action has been taken by the NYS Liquor Authority against the licensee. Searching is easy, and you can look for establishments by the county, name of licensee, address or business name. 

LAMP can be beneficial for board members, elected officials, law enforcement and licensees, as well as the general public. However, there’s controversy over how much information the public can access. Posting any disciplinary actions that have been taken against an establishment may be bad for business, especially when people don’t understand what they’re reading.

For example, a bar could be fined for a fight on the premises. This doesn’t necessarily mean there was a brawl in the bar itself, though. The fight could have taken place outside the bar or even in a nearby parking lot, but the licensee may still be held accountable.

For more information about LAMP, visit lamp.sla.ny.gov. Contact us if you need a liquor license lawyer or if you have questions about how to get a liquor license.

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