California liquor license types, quotas and the routes to getting one
A California liquor license is a numbered license type issued by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), and the retail types differ by what may be sold and whether it is consumed on or off the premises. ABC says licenses to sell beer and wine are available year-round to qualified applicants, while general licenses, which add distilled spirits, are offered only once per year. Liquor License Agents helps owners, buyers, and sellers work out whether the right type has to be applied for, won in a drawing, or bought.
How California Liquor License Rules And Quotas Work
ABC takes the application, investigates the applicant and the premises, and issues the license. ABC mails a copy of each application to the police department, city council, and city planning department when the premises is in a city, and it advises checking with local officials about zoning and the need for a Conditional Use Permit at a new location.
State law then limits how many licenses of certain types may exist:
- On-sale general (Types 47 and 48): one for each 2,000 inhabitants of the county, under Business and Professions Code section 23816.
- Off-sale general (Type 21): one for each 2,500 inhabitants of the county, under section 23817.
- Off-sale beer and wine (Type 20): one for each 2,500 inhabitants of the city or county, under section 23817.5. ABC calls this a moratorium, and its current lists took effect January 1, 2023.
New general licenses are released in ABC's yearly priority application period, with a drawing in counties that have more applicants than available licenses. Its list of August 17, 2026 authorized new on-sale general licenses in Los Angeles County and none in Orange County. Otherwise, ABC says the only way to obtain a general license is to purchase an existing one of the same type within the same county.
The License Types Most Businesses Choose Between
ABC describes the common retail licenses this way:
- Type 20, Off-Sale Beer & Wine: retail stores, for beer and wine consumed off the premises.
- Type 21, Off-Sale General: retail stores, adding distilled spirits.
- Type 41, On-Sale Beer & Wine, Eating Place: restaurants. Distilled spirits may not be on the premises, except brandy, rum, or liqueurs used solely for cooking.
- Type 42, On-Sale Beer & Wine, Public Premises: bars and taverns. Food service is not required.
- Type 47, On-Sale General, Eating Place: restaurants, for beer, wine, and distilled spirits consumed on the premises.
- Type 48, On-Sale General, Public Premises: bars and night clubs. Minors are not allowed to enter and remain, apart from the section 25663.5 exception for musicians.
Types 41, 42, 47, and 48 all authorize beer and wine sales for consumption off the premises. The ban on sales between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. in section 25631 binds every on-sale and off-sale licensee.
Choosing A Route With Liquor License Agents
The route depends on type and county, so we decide in this order:
- Settle the type. We review your concept, site, and floor plan against ABC's definitions.
- Check whether that type is limited. Types 21, 47, and 48 are capped by county population, and Type 20 depends on the moratorium lists.
- Decide between applying and buying. A general license comes from a priority application, filed in September at $19,840 under ABC's 2026 fee schedule, or from a purchase inside the county.
- Set up the purchase. We help with valuation, negotiation, and escrow coordination. Sections 24073 and 24074 require a recorded notice of the intended transfer and an escrow holding the full purchase price before the transfer application is filed.
- Prepare and follow the filing. We prepare the application, diagrams, and disclosures, coordinate with city or county planning staff, and help answer questions, protests, or proposed conditions during ABC's review.
The filing sequence is in our guide on how to get a liquor license, and the purchase side in how to buy a California liquor license.
California License Quotas And Routes FAQs
1. When Does ABC Accept Applications For New General Licenses?
Once a year. ABC says the priority application period begins on the second Monday of September and lasts no less than 5 business days. In 2026, ABC offices accepted priority applications from September 14 to 25.
2. Does Winning The Priority Drawing Mean The License Will Issue?
Winning does not guarantee a license. ABC states that priority winners must still complete a formal license application, subject to all normal licensing investigation criteria. It is due by the close of business on the 90th calendar day after ABC sends the winner notice.
3. Can An On-Sale Beer And Wine License Be Converted To A General License?
No. Section 23816 says no on-sale general license shall be issued in lieu of, or upon the cancellation or surrender of, an on-sale beer and wine license. A Type 41 holder who wants distilled spirits needs a Type 47 through a priority application or a purchase.
4. Can A General License Bought In One County Be Used In Another?
Only through the drawing. ABC says a purchased general license must come from the county where the premises will be. Moving one into a different county is an intercounty transfer, open only to intercounty priority drawing winners at $7,515 under ABC's 2026 fee schedule.
5. Does California Limit The Price Of A License?
For 2 years after original issuance, yes, for general licenses. During that period section 24079 bars the transfer of an on-sale or off-sale general license for more than the original fee paid for it. Afterward the statute places no restriction on the purchase price.
6. Must A Restaurant Earn A Set Share Of Its Sales From Food?
Section 23038 sets no percentage. It defines a bona fide public eating place by the regular serving of meals and suitable kitchen facilities. ABC's descriptions of Types 41 and 47 require actual and substantial sales of meals for consumption on the premises.
Bring us the address and the kind of business you plan to run there, and we will talk through which license types fit and which route applies. Call (800) 799-9081 or contact Liquor License Agents to set a time.