{"id":248128,"date":"2026-05-29T20:16:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T20:16:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/248128\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T20:16:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T20:16:07","slug":"state-officials-say-you-can-dance-if-you-want-to-in-nyc-bars-no-questions-asked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/248128\/","title":{"rendered":"State officials say \u2018you can dance if you want to\u2019 in NYC bars, no questions asked"},"content":{"rendered":"

Effective immediately, the State Liquor Authority (SLA<\/a>) will no longer ask if establishments will allow their patrons to dance when they apply for an on-premise liquor license, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement<\/a> Thursday.<\/p>\n

The latest development in the decades-long fight to repeal draconian laws that restricted dancing in NewYork City\u2019s nightlife establishments removed red tape and addressed the pervasive paranoia that answering \u201cyes\u201d to questions about allowing dancing will somehow jeopardize a business\u2019s liquor license.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York\u2019s hospitality industry is unmatched, and our restaurants, bars and nightlife are a big part of what makes our communities so vibrant,\u201d Hochul said. \u201cBy eliminating this antiquated restriction on dancing, we\u2019re making it easier for businesses to succeed and for New Yorkers and visitors alike to experience the energy and excitement that define our state.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Cabaret Law\u2019 long kept NYC from dancing<\/p>\n

The lingering collective trauma and fear of acknowledging dancing as part of a State Liquor Authority license application stem from the Prohibition-era \u201cCabaret Law,\u201d which prohibited businesses from allowing dancing in commercial spaces without a highly restricted cabaret license.<\/p>\n

Business owners and patrons wanting to cut a rug have long criticized the law as discriminatory and harmful to the city\u2019s hospitality industry.\n<\/p>\n

Over the years, advocates and lawmakers chipped away and the network of restrictions stifling free movement in the city\u2019s drinking and dining establishments. The Cabaret Law was repealed in 2017, and then in 2024, City of Yes<\/a> legislation updated zoning laws to allow dancing, comedy performances, and open mic sessions within local eateries and nightlife venues throughout commercial districts.<\/p>\n

Now, Hochul and the SLA are removing another layer of red tape in the arduous licensing process for opening a bar or restaurant in NYC. Until Thursday, prospective licensees were required to note on their liquor license application whether they would allow dancing in the establishment; those who did not explicitly notify the SLA of their intention to permit dancing would violate the terms of their license if caught.<\/p>\n

But the SLA declared that dancing is no longer considered dirty in NYC, stating that it will not ask or even consider questions about dancing in the on-premises application process \u2014 provided prospective businesses comply with local regulations and zoning laws governing dancing, noise levels, and entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SLA should be focused on public safety, quality of life, and the overall operation of licensed businesses \u2014 not on whether patrons choose to dance,\u201d New York State Liquor Authority Chair Lily M. Fan said. \u201cUnder Governor Hochul\u2019s leadership, we are continuing to remove unnecessary barriers and support the restaurants, bars, and venues that help make New York\u2019s communities dynamic, welcoming, and full of energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Industry advocates such as Andrew Rigie, executive director at the NYC Hospitality Alliance, celebrated scrapping the rules over dancing disclosures, calling it a \u201ccritical step\u201d in allowing New Yorkers to get out on the dance floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis change builds on decades of advocacy to dismantle outdated restrictions on dancing and cultural expression in New York City,\u201d Ridgie said in a statement with Hospitality Alliance Counsels Robert Bookman and Max Bookman. \u201cNew Yorkers and visitors from around the world go out to celebrate, dance, and experience our vibrant nightlife, and this action helps ensure everyone can celebrate and connect more freely and safely.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the exact number of active liquor licenses that prohibit dancing is unclear, SLA officials said the new, streamlined process could affect all of the city\u2019s approximately 27,000 on-premise licenses by removing the fear surrounding the dancing dilemma with liquor licenses.<\/p>\n

While license applicants no longer need to disclose their intentions to allow dancing with the SLA, the application process still requires notifying local community boards 30 days in advance. While the SLA will no longer consider the \u201cdancing\u201d question, nothing prevents community boards from directly asking prospective businesses about their intention to allow dancing in their establishments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, the community boards serve in an advisory role, they can make recommendations, but ultimately the decision to issue a liquor license rest with the SLA.\n<\/p>\n

On Thursday, the state agency was clear: In NYC, you can dance if you want to<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Effective immediately, the State Liquor Authority (SLA) will no longer ask if establishments will allow their patrons to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248129,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[5083,8075,13531,79162,9,55494,56,63,96978,65,64,613,821],"class_list":["post-248128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-amny-weekender","tag-bars","tag-dancing","tag-liquor-license","tag-new-york","tag-night-life","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-cabaret-law","tag-nyc-headlines","tag-nyc-news","tag-pm-newsletter","tag-restaurants"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}