BELLS Goes Live in Maine
Maine’s new online renewal system, BELLS, went live on October 28, 2024.
What is BELLS?
BELLS is the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations fully electronic application and renewal system, intended to replace the system of paper applications that had been in place for years. BELLS allows users to submit and pay for applications instantly, finally eliminating antiquated requirements to submit original paper copies via mail or Fedex along with a physical check. It will greatly streamline the compliance operations of business owners, license managers, and industry attorneys/consultants.
Who is BELLS for?
BELLS is now mandatory for use by all new and existing licensees for applications, renewals, permits, secondary licenses, label registrations, information requests, and complaints. Notably, multiple users can manage a license account now, making it easier than ever for owners to work with compliance managers, consultants, and attorneys. BELLS does require a free account to access.
How does BELLS work?
BELLS is a web-based application that permits users to run a variety of processes and input information directly into text boxes on the browser. Additionally, almost all operations have a file upload capability to provide the Bureau with supporting documents (such as business records and organizational charts) that are not easily reduced to text entry. The text boxes are, candidly, something of a challenge to use for certain pieces of requested information, and, according to Bureau representatives, are a limitation imposed by the underlying software upon which the applications are built. Still, with the ability to also upload support documents, material that does not easily fit in the provided spaces can be readily uploaded on continuation sheets.
The BELLS Home Screen.
Application data entry fields
Navigating applications.
Applications are easy to navigate and save, allowing users to complete them incrementally as information comes in. However, with the retiring of the old paper applications, users new to the industry will not have as much notice of what they need to gather prior to applying, which will likely result in a long and piecemeal process for many.
Secondary license selection.
Applicants will now be able to automatically add available secondary licenses for their license class and pay their fee by card at the end of the application. Likewise, applicants no longer have to calculate their own total application fee and cut a check or checks — the system takes care of that and allows card payments.
A Needed Change
BELLS will inevitably have bugs to work out as a greater number of users accesses it and puts it through its paces. However, the Bureau should be applauded for finally stepping into the digital era and replacing an application process that was slow and cumbersome, at best. It has never been easier for larger entities to manage multi-location compliance in Maine!
