California Type 23 ABC License For Small Beer Manufacturers
Anyone opening a brewery in California has an early decision to make. Will the business run on a manufacturer license that lets you brew and sell your own beer, or on a retail license with a brewing privilege attached? The manufacturer route for a small producer is the Type 23 ABC license. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) names it the Small Beer Manufacturer license, and it counted 1,143 of them active statewide as of June 30, 2026.
Liquor License Agents helps brewery founders and buyers of operating breweries test that decision against the site before money is committed.
What A Type 23 ABC License Lets A Brewery Make And Sell
ABC's license type descriptions say the Type 23 authorizes the production and sale of beer by breweries that produce fewer than 60,000 barrels per year. The selling rights come from Business and Professions Code section 23357, which lists what a licensed beer manufacturer may do. A Type 23 holder may:
- Sell its beer to any person holding a license that authorizes the sale of beer.
- Sell its beer to consumers for drinking on the licensed premises, or on contiguous premises the manufacturer owns and operates.
- Sell beer and wine, regardless of source, at a bona fide public eating place on the licensed premises.
- Sell to consumers, at the premises of production, beer produced and bottled by or packaged for the brewery, to drink off the premises.
Distilled spirits are not among these privileges. A Type 23 is subject to Responsible Beverage Service rules. ABC requires alcohol servers and their managers to be certified within 60 days of their first date of employment.
Who A Type 23 Liquor License Fits And What It Costs
ABC says the most common users of this license are operators of micro-breweries and brewpubs. "Brewpub" needs care: ABC treats the Type 75 brewpub-restaurant license as an on-sale retail license with a limited brewing privilege, not as a true beer manufacturer license. Above the Type 23 sits the Type 01, for breweries producing over 60,000 barrels a year. ABC's wording differs at the exact line: its license types page says "fewer than 60,000 barrels" and its fee schedule says "60,000 barrels or less".
The fees published for a Type 23 are these:
- Annual fee: $500 under ABC's 2026 annual fee schedule, and $515 from January 1, 2027.
- Change of owner: a person-to-person transfer costs $420 under the 2026 schedule where no general license is included, and $435 in 2027.
- Renewal: every 12 months. After expiration ABC allows 60 more days of operation, when the license can be renewed by paying the renewal fee and a 50% penalty.
- Federal filing: the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) charges no fee, but brewers need bond coverage before brewing.
ABC's 2026 application fee schedule does not name the Type 23 in its original application rows. Confirm that figure with the district office before you budget.
How Liquor License Agents Works With Brewery Applicants And Buyers
A brewery license runs through two agencies. ABC says a federal basic permit, where one is required, should be applied for by the same persons, at the same address, as the state license. Our work is on the state side:
- Site and floor plan. We review the brewing concept, the address, and the layout. Section 23357 turns on whether the taproom sits on the licensed premises or on contiguous premises you own and operate.
- New license or purchase. We advise whether to apply for a new brewery license or buy an existing California license with the business. On a purchase we help with valuation, negotiation, and escrow coordination.
- Application package. We prepare the application, premises diagrams, and disclosures.
- Local approvals. ABC advises checking zoning and the need for a conditional use permit at a new location. We work with city or county planning staff on both.
- ABC review. The notice of application must be posted for at least 30 consecutive days before a license issues, and anyone can protest. We follow the investigation and help answer questions, protests, or proposed conditions.
Our overview of how to get a liquor license in California covers the wider process.
California Type 23 Brewery License FAQs
1. Does a Type 23 brewery need a separate license for its taproom?
Not for its own beer, as long as the taproom is on the licensed premises. Section 23357 lets a licensed beer manufacturer sell its beer to consumers there, or on contiguous premises it owns and operates.
2. Can a Type 23 brewery sell its beer to bars and stores?
Yes. Section 23357 allows a licensed beer manufacturer to sell its beer to any person holding a license authorizing the sale of beer. The section states that privilege without a volume limit.
3. Can a Type 23 brewery serve food and wine?
Yes, at a bona fide public eating place on the licensed premises. Section 23357 lets the manufacturer sell beer and wine there, regardless of source. Section 23038 defines such a place as one regularly used for serving meals, with suitable kitchen facilities.
4. What federal approval does a California brewery need?
A Brewer's Notice from TTB. The agency says anyone who decides to brew beer for sale must first qualify by submitting that application. The regulations are in Title 27 Part 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
5. How long does ABC take to issue a Type 23 ABC license?
ABC's requirements page gives averages without naming a license type: about 90 days for an original and about 75 days for a person-to-person transfer. It adds that circumstances often result in a longer wait, and it urges caution about grand opening plans before issuance.
6. What if the brewery is not built when the license issues?
A license must be in use within 30 days of issuance unless ABC approves otherwise for premises under construction, under section 24040. Later, if the premises close for 15 consecutive days, the license must be surrendered to ABC.
If you are planning a production brewery, a taproom, or the purchase of an operating brewery in California, call (800) 799-9081 to schedule an appointment. Bring the address and a rough floor plan.