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Rule 436.1133 - The "Half-Mile Rule" 
"An application for a new specially designated distributor license or for the transfer of location of an existing specially designated distributor license shall not be approved by the commission if there is an existing specially designated distributor license located within 2,640 feet of the proposed site."

Waiver of the Rule
The commission may waive the 1/2 mile rule in one of five situations:
  1. The existing SDD purchased less than $10,000 in spirits from the commission during the last full calendar here.  This can be checked from here.
  2. The existing SDD has a B-Hotel or A-Hotel license.
  3. The proposed location and existing SDD's establishment are separated by a major thoroughfare of not less than 4 lanes of traffic.  Turning lanes do not constitute a lane of traffic.
  4. The proposed establishment is located in a neighborhood shopping center which does not have an existing SDD licensed establishment and the proposed establishment is not less than 1,000ft from any existing SDD establishment.
  5. The existing SDD is located within 1/2 mi of one or more existing SDD licensees and requests a transfer of location, which location is within 1/2 mi of the same existing SDD licensee(s) (upon a showing of good cause by the licensee requesting a transfer of location).

Resort Licenses
If there is no basis for waiving the 1/2 mi rule, an applicant may apply for a Resort SDD license if no quota licenses are available.  The 1/2 mile rule does not apply to Resort SDD licenses.  

For more information on Resort SDD licenses, see the Resort License section of this site.
Measuring the 1/2 Mile
The method of measuring the 1/2 mile is the same as that used for determining the distance between a location and a church or school (MCL 436.1503).
The photo below (click to expand) demonstrates the method of measuring the distance between two locations (note that it was prepared for measurements involving bar and a school).  We typically use an online measuring tool as a starting point when estimating distances. 

The steps are:
  1. Determine the shortest route between the two.
  2. Create a beginning and ending point by projecting straight lines, at right angles to the center line, from the part of the building containing the existing SDD nearest to the contemplated location and from the part of the contemplated location nearest to the existing SDD.  (This is the blue line in the image below.  Note that you project your lines from the structure, not the parking lot.)
  3. Measure the distance between the two points located in the center of the road (green line).  If any turns are taken, measure to the center of the intersection, and then turn, continuing down the center line of the road you have turned onto.  
*Note: MLCC Staff will measure using their own tools regardless of your findings.  
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Simply substitute "School" and "Bar" for
"Existing SDD" and "Proposed SDD"
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