How to Apply for a Liquor License
When determining liquor license cost, a variety of factors must be taken into consideration. There are many different types of liquor permits, and each comes with different application processes and costs. Whether you’re selling a liquor license or wondering how to get a liquor license, License Locators can help you determine the right course of action to take.
Every bar, restaurant, and any other establishment looking to sell alcohol must pursue and purchase a liquor license to do so. This includes any establishment that manufactures, distributes, or sells alcohol through wholesale or retail. If you’re wondering how to obtain a liquor license, License Locators can guide you through the intensive steps.
California has very stringent regulations regarding the sale and manufacturing of alcohol, and those researching how to obtain a liquor license should keep in mind that even the most minute of details are covered by the regulations imposed. You’ll need to follow zoning laws, as well, making obtaining of a license anything but a straightforward task.
Various agencies regulate the process in varied ways depending on the state. In California, this agency is known as the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, often referred to as ABC. Prior to the installation of the ABC, those looking to apply for a liquor license were required to go through the Alcoholic Beverage Commission. In 1955, the ABC became its own department within the executive branch. Today, the department has headquarters in Sacramento, one northern district office, one southern, and 24 local offices dispersed in different areas of California. Beyond issuing liquor licenses, the ABC can also deny, suspend, and revoke existing alcoholic beverage licenses.
Determining which license is the best fit for your aims is the first step, so it’s essential to gain a solid understanding of the varied types of California liquor licenses. There are five main factions of brokered liquor licenses in the state of California: temporary licenses, non-profit temporary licenses, off-sale licenses, on-sale licenses, and non-retail licenses. One further distinction: on-sale refers to alcohol sold for consumption on the premises, while off-sale refers to alcoholic beverages that can be purchased and taken off premises for consumption. These five factions include the most popular license types: 20, 21, 41, 47, and 48.
A Type 20 license is categorized as an off-sale beer and wine liquor license, and these generally cost from a couple hundred dollars to multiple thousands, depending on county. If your establishment is a gas station or local corner store, this is generally the type of permit to pursue.
The next liquor license is the Type 21, which is an off-sale license that allows you to sell beer, wine, and spirits. Once again, depending on the location and amount of available licenses in the area, the Type 21 price can range from the low thousands to high hundreds of thousands and more. Liquor stores and grocery stores tend to use Type 21 liquor licenses.
If you’re looking to serve beer and wine on the premises, but not hard spirits, you’ll likely want to pursue a Type 41 license. These are applicable for businesses that serve food on-site. These cost much less than licenses that allow for the sale of hard liquors, but there are some loopholes that allow you to serve items other than beer and wine on the menu, including some types of sherry, vermouth, bitters, and even sake.
A type 47 license is categorized as an on-sale general bona fide public eating place liquor license. In other words, it’s generally required for a full service restaurant that serves food alongside beer, wine, and other spirits. These can cost anywhere from the low thousands to hundreds of thousand depending on location.
A liquor license Type 48 can be used for a public premise that requires anyone entering the establishment to be 21 years of age or older. These licenses are typically associated with bars or taverns, where food may or may not be served, which is what separates this type from its 47 counterpart. The pricing of a Type 48 liquor license in California can range upwards of thousands of dollars, all dependent on the amount of liquor licenses available in the area and where the establishment is situated within the county.
