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.
These are the types of licenses available in the state of California, according to abc.ca.gov.
Temporary Licenses
30 Temporary Retail Permit
31 Special Daily License
32 Daily Beer
33 Daily Wine
34 Daily Beer and Wine
37 Daily On-Sale General
Off-Sale Licenses
20 Off-Sale Beer and Wine
21 Off-Sale General
85 Limited Off-Sale Retail Wine License
On-Sale Licenses
40 On-Sale Beer
41 On-Sale Beer and Wine for Bona Fide Public Eating Place
42 On-Sale Beer and Wine for Public Premises
43 On-Sale Beer and Wine for Train
44 On-Sale Beer for Fishing Party Boat
45 On-Sale Beer and Wine for Boat
46 On-Sale Beer and Wine for Airplane
47 On-Sale General for Bona Fide Public Eating Place
48 On-Sale General for Public Premises
49 On-Sale General for Seasonal Business
50 On-Sale General for Club
51 Club
52 Veterans’ Club
53 On-Sale General for Train
54 On-Sale General for Boat
55 On-Sale General for Airplane
56 On-Sale General for Vessel of more than 1,000 tons burden
57 Special On-Sale General
58 Caterer’s Permit
59 On-Sale Beer and Wine for Seasonal Business
60 On-Sale Beer for Seasonal Business
61 On-Sale Beer for Public Premises
62 On-Sale General Bona Fide Public Eating Place Intermittent Dockside Vessel
63 On-Sale Beer and Wine for Hospital
64 Special On-Sale General Theatre
65 Special On-Sale Beer and Wine, Symphony
66 Controlled Access Cabinet Permit
67 Bed and Breakfast Inn
68 Portable Bar
69 Special On-Sale Beer & Wine Theater
70 On-Sale General Restrictive Service
75 On-Sale General Brew-Pub
76 On-Sale General Maritime Museum Association
77 Event Permit
78 On Sale General Wine, Food and Art Cultural Museum
80 Special On-Sale General Bed and Breakfast Inn
83 On-Sale General Caterer’s License
86 Instructional Tasting License
Non-Retail Licenses
01 Beer Manufacturer
02 Winegrower
03 Brandy Manufacturer
04 Distilled Spirits Manufacturer
05 Distilled Spirits Manufacturer’s Agent
06 Still
07 Rectifier
08 Wine Rectifier
09 Beer and Wine Importer
10 Beer and Wine Importer’s General
11 Brandy Importer
12 Distilled Spirits Importer
13 Distilled Spirits Importer’s General
14 Public Warehouse
15 Customs Broker
16 Wine Broker
17 Beer and Wine Wholesaler
18 Distilled Spirits Wholesaler
19 Industrial Alcohol Dealer
22 Wine Blender
23 Small Beer Manufacturer
24 Distilled Spirits Rectifier’s General
25 California Brandy Wholesaler
26 Out-of-State Beer Manufacturer’s Certificate
27 California Winegrowers Agent
28 Out-of-State Distilled Spirits Shipper’s Certificate
29 Winegrape Grower’s Certificate
79 Certified Farmers’ Market Sales Permit
81 Wine Sales Event Permit
82 Direct Shippers Permit
For a detailed listing of the license types available, head to abc.ca.gov.
There are varied types of liquor licenses that proprietors can apply for in California depending on their personal needs: whether those be restaurant California liquor licenses, beer and wine licenses, or even a tavern liquor license. Determining how to obtain a liquor license for your business is no easy task, but with the help of our dedicated team, you’ll find the permits you need at the prices you want. License Locators can help you secure the right license for the right price, and guide you through the process to determine which permit best suits your business plans and strategy.