§ 3-5-16 - Maximum number of licenses.
SECTION 3-5-16
§ 3-5-16 Maximum number of licenses.– (a) The department of business regulation shall have the right and power tolimit the number of licenses of each class. The limit shall not exceed themaximum number, if any, of any class of license that is fixed by the licensingboards within their respective towns or cities.
(2) The number of Class C licenses in any town or city shallnot exceed one for each one thousand (1,000) of its inhabitants.
(3) Every city and town may grant in any year renewals of anylicense of Class A in operation prior to April 28, 1969, except when renewal ofthat license is refused for cause, but no further new and original licenses ofClass A shall be granted until the number of licenses of Class A outstanding inany city or town has been reduced to less than one for each six thousand(6,000) of its inhabitants (one for each four thousand (4,000) of itsinhabitants in any city or town with less than twenty thousand (20,000)inhabitants), as determined by the last census taken under the authority of theUnited States or the state, by cancellation, revocation, or the failure ofholders of those licenses to apply for renewals. After that reduction to lessthan one for each six thousand (6,000) inhabitants (one for each four thousand(4,000) inhabitants in any town or city with less than twenty thousand (20,000)inhabitants), licenses of Class A may be granted in any year by any city ortown only up to a total not exceeding one for each six thousand (6,000) of itsinhabitants (one for each four thousand (4,000) of its inhabitants in any townor city with less than twenty thousand (20,000) inhabitants) as determined bycensus as required in this subsection. However, two (2) Class A licenses may beissued by every city or town of the state irrespective of population and, untilthe qualified electors of any city or town shall vote to the contrary, oneClass A license may be issued in every city or town in this state unlessotherwise ordered by the city or town council, except the town of Barrington.
Any Class A license issued to or held by a Class E licenseepursuant to the provisions of § 3-7-5 shall be included in the total of,and subject to the limit upon the number of, Class A licenses which may begranted by any city or town under this section.
(b) The transfer of any existing license from the holder ofthis license to another person shall not be considered as the issuance of a newlicense under this section.
(c) The several cities and towns, except those cities andtowns that had in effect on June 1, 1971, a limit on the number of retailers'Class B or D licenses, shall not issue any new retailers' Class B or D licensesuntil May 1, 1972. The provisions of this section shall not apply to anyapplication filed on or before May 30, 1971.