Opening a Convenience Store in Vermont: Licenses & Permits

Vermont lets convenience stores sell beer, wine and canned cocktails, but bottled spirits come only through the state's 802Spirits agency stores. New tobacco fees and a behind-the-counter rule apply from July 2026, and tank permits need 60 days. Below is who issues what, and how each rule shapes the store you design.

Licenses and permits at a glance

Fuel tanks: DEC

The Department of Environmental Conservation's Storage Tanks Section regulates tanks under the UST Rules:

• Construction permit: submit the UST form and fees at least 60 days before construction. New permits are posted on the Environmental Notice Bulletin for 15 days. Schedule the installation with DEC at least 5 business days ahead, and DEC or a professional engineer must inspect before backfill.
• Construction: new tanks and pressurized piping need secondary containment, and new piping needs dispenser sumps.
• Siting: no new tank system in a public water source protection area, within 200 feet of certain public water sources, within 100 feet of any private well or within 25 feet of a public water line.
• Operating permit: $125 per tank a year. Permits don't transfer to a buyer.
• Operators: Class A, B and C operators are required, and a Class C operator or trained person must be on site whenever the store is staffed.
• Fund: the Petroleum Cleanup Fund pays up to $1.24 million per site after a $10,000 deductible for double-walled tanks. It stops taking claims on July 1, 2029.

Beer and wine: the second-class license

Convenience stores sell alcohol under a second-class license, granted by the town's local control commissioners with approval from the Board of Liquor and Lottery. It covers beer, wine and ready-to-drink spirits drinks of up to 12% alcohol in containers up to 24 ounces. The state fee is $140, plus a town fee, and applications go through the Department of Liquor and Lottery portal to the town first. Licensing takes about two to six weeks.

• Spirits: bottled spirits are sold only by 802Spirits agency stores, under contracts awarded through a letter of interest and competitive bid.
• Hours: 6 a.m. to midnight.
• Training: a license manager must take the department's seminar before the license is granted and every two years, and every clerk needs approved training before selling.
• Local option: towns can vote not to allow beer and wine licenses.

Tobacco and vapes

From July 1, 2026, tobacco retailers pay a $150 tobacco license and a $75 tobacco substitute endorsement, which covers vapes and now nicotine pouches. You apply through your town, and each is valid for one year from issue.

• Behind the counter: tobacco and vapes must be behind the counter or in a locked case. Unopened cartons and multipacks of 10 or more may be in plain view, and a humidor may sit on the counter.
• Age: 21 to buy, and clerks must be at least 16. No vending machines.
• Deceptive products: products disguised as candy, school supplies or phones, or cartoon-themed, are banned from July 1, 2026.

Food service: the Health Department

The Vermont Department of Health's Food and Lodging Program licenses food service. Plan review is required for new construction and has no fee; apply at least 30 days before opening. The license depends on what you serve: a Limited Operation license (hot dogs and cold sandwiches only) is $140, a Commercial Caterer license for takeout without seating is $260, and a restaurant license with up to 25 seats is $105. You also need a wastewater permit or exemption, and a water test if you're on a private well.

Sales tax, fuel pumps and lottery

• Taxes: a Department of Taxes license is free. Sales tax is 6%, prepared food is taxed at the 9% meals tax, and some towns add a 1% local option tax.
• Fuel pumps: the Agency of Agriculture licenses each location's devices every January 1: $25 per fuel meter, $10 per scale and $25 per public EV charging plug. Devices must have been inspected within the last 12 months.
• Lottery: the Vermont Lottery license fee is capped at $50. Commissions are 5.75% on instant and in-state draw games and 6% on Powerball and Mega Millions.

What this means for your store design

• Plan beer, wine and canned cocktails for the cooler wall. That's the range a second-class license allows. See the cooler wall planner and beer cave cost.
• Treat spirits as a separate project. An 802Spirits agency is won by bid and run under the state's standards, so it isn't something to design in by default.
• Design a back-bar or locked case for tobacco, vapes and pouches.
• Let the menu set the food license. Hot dogs and cold sandwiches, takeout and seating each fall in a different category. See the kitchen floor plan and food service build-outs.
• Check wells and water lines before choosing a fuel site, and file the tank permit 60 days ahead. See choosing a location.

Local approvals

Your town also controls zoning, building permits, fire inspections, signs and the local side of the alcohol and tobacco licenses. Our construction checklist covers the local steps.

For Vermont store design, see convenience store design in Vermont and walk-in cooler services in Vermont.

Sources

• Vermont DEC, UST installation, registration and permitting, and owner and operator training; Vermont UST Rules (October 2020); 10 V.S.A. §§1927, 1941 and 1943; DEC Petroleum Cleanup Fund deductibles.
• 7 V.S.A. §§2, 62, 161, 201, 204, 213, 222 and 225; Department of Liquor and Lottery, store and spirits licensing.
• 7 V.S.A. §§1002, 1002a, 1003 and 1013; Act 148 of 2026.
• Vermont Department of Health, retail food service establishments; 18 V.S.A. §4353.
• 32 V.S.A. §§9241, 9707 and 9771; Vermont Department of Taxes, local option tax.
• 9 V.S.A. §§2727 and 2730; 31 V.S.A. §653; Vermont Lottery, agent FAQs.

This page summarizes official sources as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. Fees and rules change, so confirm each one with the agency before you apply.