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Regulated activities and contracts · France and Switzerland : separate country-labelled rules

Alcohol and hospitality: prepare operating permissions

Hospitality alcohol permissions depend on the drinks, sales model, premises and operator. French licence categories differ from Swiss federal, cantonal and local requirements. Business registration alone does not settle operating permission. The project map separates alcohol sales, establishment authorisation and supporting documents without suggesting one licence permits every hospitality activity or importing French licence names into a Swiss application.

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  • Official texts cited
  • Sources checked on
  • Drafted with AI assistance, our method

By the AlphaDeep legal editorial team

General legal information with official references and dated checks. It is not personalised advice: for a decision that commits you, have your situation checked by a qualified professional.

Julie by AlphaDeep

Illustrative conversation
Example question

Which French categories apply?

Julie Illustration

CSP L3331-1 distinguishes on-premises categories;L3331-2 has a restaurant framework. Neither label settles every local condition.

Read the references

Your question concerns “Alcohol and hospitality: prepare operating permissions”. I can help organise the facts and records. Which document have you received or prepared, and is this a French or Swiss matter?

French law

3 free questions at signup. Avoid names and sensitive information.

Answer

Which drinks activity is planned?

Separate on-premises consumption, restaurant drinks with meals and takeaway sales. Actual service model comes before licence selection.

Code de la santé publique art.L3331-1Code de la santé publique art.L3331-2Code de la santé publique art.L3332-3Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.8Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.21Service Public Entreprendre : Licences de débits de boissons

The law

Which official provision helps explain this situation?

Un débit de boissons à consommer sur place exploité peut être transféré dans le département où il se situe. Les demandes d'autorisation de transfert sont soumises au représentant de l'Etat dans le département. Le maire de la commune où est installé le débit de boissons et le maire de la commune où celui-ci est transféré sont obligatoirement consultés. Lorsqu'une commune ne compte qu'un débit de boissons de 4e catégorie, ce débit ne peut faire l'objet d'un transfert qu'avec l'avis favorable du maire de la commune.

Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11In force since 29 December 2019Read on Légifrance

In plain English: LRDBHD 8 requires prior operating permission in its hospitality scope. Article21(3) makes permission personal to identified person, category and premises and nontransferable.

Answer

Which French categories apply?

CSP L3331-1 distinguishes on-premises categories;L3331-2 has a restaurant framework. Neither label settles every local condition.

Answer

Is the change an opening, operator change or transfer?

L3332-3 declaration and L3332-11 conditional transfer permission are different acts. Buying the business does not automatically complete both.

Answer

Which operator and authority appear in the file?

Match legal identity, place, act and addressee. The worksheet does not automatically verify protected zones or territorial restrictions.

Tool

Which records are still missing from your file?

Indicate which records you have. The result identifies gaps and prepares a complete question for Julie, without requiring an account.

julie://tool/aiguillageNothing leaves your browser

Answers stay on this page until you explicitly continue to Julie. Avoid names and sensitive information.

Fictional example · Your preparation

Point to complete: Operator and authority. Match legal identity, place, act and addressee. The worksheet does not automatically verify protected zones or territorial restrictions.

Activity and premises
Record available
Drinks and service
Record available
Declaration or transfer
Record available
Operator and authority
Needs checking
Records indicated
3 / 4
  1. Which operator and authority appear in the file?

This worksheet organises records; it does not establish admissibility, entitlement or a procedural outcome.

Answer

How does Geneva permission attach to operator and premises?

LRDBHD 8 requires prior operating permission in its hospitality scope. Article21(3) makes permission personal to identified person, category and premises and nontransferable.

Code de la santé publique art.L3331-1Code de la santé publique art.L3331-2Code de la santé publique art.L3332-3Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.8Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.21Service Public Entreprendre : Licences de débits de boissons

Answer

Does a French licenceIV exist identically in Switzerland?

No national counterpart is established here. Geneva operating permission and another canton's rules require their own examination.

Code de la santé publique art.L3331-1Code de la santé publique art.L3331-2Code de la santé publique art.L3332-3Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.8Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.21Service Public Entreprendre : Licences de débits de boissons

Comparison

Which documents answer which questions?

Which documents answer which questions?
Record or informationIssue to check
Activity and premisesSeparate on-premises consumption, restaurant drinks with meals and takeaway sales. Actual service model comes before licence selection.
Drinks and serviceCSP L3331-1 distinguishes on-premises categories;L3331-2 has a restaurant framework. Neither label settles every local condition.
Declaration or transferL3332-3 declaration and L3332-11 conditional transfer permission are different acts. Buying the business does not automatically complete both.
Operator and authorityMatch legal identity, place, act and addressee. The worksheet does not automatically verify protected zones or territorial restrictions.

Code de la santé publique art.L3331-1Code de la santé publique art.L3331-2Code de la santé publique art.L3332-3Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.8Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.21Service Public Entreprendre : Licences de débits de boissons

Answer

What should precede operation?

Inventory category, declarations, decisions, operator and place changes. A lease alone is not permission to serve drinks.

Answer

What does the opening map prepare?

It organises activity, drinks, act and authority. It issues no licence and promises no transfer.

Frequent questions

What other questions arise in this file?

Which French categories apply?

CSP L3331-1 distinguishes on-premises categories;L3331-2 has a restaurant framework. Neither label settles every local condition.

Code de la santé publique art.L3331-1Code de la santé publique art.L3331-2Code de la santé publique art.L3332-3Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.8Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.21Service Public Entreprendre : Licences de débits de boissons

Which operator and authority appear in the file?

Match legal identity, place, act and addressee. The worksheet does not automatically verify protected zones or territorial restrictions.

Code de la santé publique art.L3331-1Code de la santé publique art.L3331-2Code de la santé publique art.L3332-3Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.8Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.21Service Public Entreprendre : Licences de débits de boissons

How does Geneva permission attach to operator and premises?

LRDBHD 8 requires prior operating permission in its hospitality scope. Article21(3) makes permission personal to identified person, category and premises and nontransferable.

Code de la santé publique art.L3331-1Code de la santé publique art.L3331-2Code de la santé publique art.L3332-3Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.8Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.21Service Public Entreprendre : Licences de débits de boissons

What should precede operation?

Inventory category, declarations, decisions, operator and place changes. A lease alone is not permission to serve drinks.

Code de la santé publique art.L3331-1Code de la santé publique art.L3331-2Code de la santé publique art.L3332-3Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.8Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.21Service Public Entreprendre : Licences de débits de boissons

Sources

Which official references should you consult?

  1. Code de la santé publique art.L3331-1Légifrance
  2. Code de la santé publique art.L3331-2Légifrance
  3. Code de la santé publique art.L3332-3Légifrance
  4. Code de la santé publique art.L3332-11Légifrance
  5. Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.8Source officielle
  6. Genève LRDBHD I2 22, art.21Source officielle
  7. Service Public Entreprendre : Licences de débits de boissonsSource officielle

Texts cited last checked: 1 November 2026

Next steps

Which neighbouring situations should remain separate?