Types of Liquor Licenses in California: Which License Type Is Right for Your Business?

California ABC has many license and permit types, but this guide focuses on the retail licenses most commonly considered by restaurants, bars, off-sale retailers, brewpub restaurants, caterers, and lodging businesses.

We will help you find the right liquor license by starting where you actually are, with your business model, instead of asking you to translate a wall of license numbers into your situation.

If you’d like a broader overview first, our guide to buying a liquor license in California walks through the full picture.

Which California Liquor License Do You Need? 

The fastest way to figure out which type of liquor license you need is to answer three questions.

• Are you selling alcohol for on-site or off-site consumption? 

• Are you a food-first business or a bar-first business?

• And do you plan to sell beer and wine only, or full liquor?

The table below maps common business types to the license that usually fits.

Business Type	On-Sale / Off-Sale	Eating Place / Public Premises	Common License #(s)	New Issue or Transfer?
Restaurant	On-sale	Eating place	Type 41, Type 47	Type 41 often new; Type 47 often transfer in quota counties
Bar / Nightclub	On-sale	Public premises	Type 48, Type 42	Type 48 usually transfer; Type 42 often new
Liquor Store	Off-sale	N/A	Type 21	Usually transfer in quota counties
Convenience / Grocery	Off-sale	N/A	Type 20	Often new, but restricted where local Type 20 density is high
Brewpub (restaurant that brews)	On-sale	Eating place	Type 75	Population-limited like other general licenses; check county availability
Caterer / Events	On-sale (off-site)	N/A	Type 58	New (add-on permit)
Hotel / B&B	On-sale	Restrictive service	Type 70, Type 67	Generally new

Here’s the part that surprises first-time owners: in quota-restricted counties, ABC caps the number of general licenses (Types 21, 47, 48, and 75, among others) by county population, so you often can’t simply apply for a new one.

Instead, you buy an existing license through a transfer from a current holder. Because quota status varies by county and changes over time, verify current availability on abc.ca.gov before you commit.

Think of this table as a starting point, not a legal determination. The full write-ups below explain each type.

California ABC License Types by Business Type

Rather than working through license numbers in order, work through your business model instead. Each section below covers the license types that actually serve that use case.

Restaurants: Type 41 and Type 47

• Type 41 (On-Sale Beer & Wine, Eating Place) lets a bona fide eating place serve beer and wine for consumption on the premises. It’s the go-to license for casual restaurants and cafés that don’t need full liquor. For the paperwork side, see our step-by-step ABC application process.

• Type 47 (On-Sale General, Eating Place) adds distilled spirits to that same eating-place setup: beer, wine, and full liquor at a restaurant. This general license authorizes the sale of beer, wine, and spirits together. We cover it in depth in our dedicated Type 47 ABC license guide.

• Type 41 vs. Type 47: The core difference is simple. Type 41 is beer and wine only, and Type 47 adds spirits. Both require you to operate as a bona fide eating place with a real kitchen and meal service.

Bars & Nightclubs: Type 48 and Type 42

• Type 48 (On-Sale General, Public Premises) is the classic bar and nightclub license. It authorizes full liquor with no food-service requirement, but the defining compliance point is that it’s 21-and-over only, and minors are not allowed to enter and remain.

• Type 42 (On-Sale Beer & Wine, Public Premises) is the beer-and-wine-only counterpart for a bar that skips spirits. This license allows the sale of beer and wine but not distilled spirits.

Type 47 vs. Type 48: This is the question we hear most, and the deciding factor isn’t the alcohol, since both cover full liquor. It comes down to eating place vs. public premises. A Type 47 requires a working kitchen and bona fide meal service. A Type 48 doesn’t, but it restricts entry to those 21 and over.

Liquor Stores, Convenience Stores & Grocery: Type 20 and Type 21

• Type 20 (Off-Sale Beer & Wine) covers sealed beer and wine for consumption off the premises and is the typical license for a convenience store, small market, or grocery store.

• Type 21 (Off-Sale General) adds distilled spirits: it’s the full liquor store license, and it’s often the most quota-restricted, transfer-driven type in dense counties.

For grocery and convenience operators, the license type is usually the easy part. Local zoning and location review tend to be the bigger hurdle. Cities frequently regulate how close liquor stores and other alcohol retailers can sit to schools, churches, or one another.

For pricing questions like the value of a Type 20, see our breakdown of how much a liquor license costs.

Retailers who want to offer product samples can add a Type 86 (Instructional Tasting) license. Issued to eligible off-sale premises, it allows educational tastings of beer, wine, and spirits so customers can sample before they buy.

Breweries, Wineries & Brewpubs: Type 75

Type 75 (On-Sale General, Brewpub) authorizes beer, wine, and distilled spirits at a bona fide eating place, plus a limited amount of on-site beer brewing. It’s a good fit for a restaurant that brews its own.

A Type 75 licensee must produce at least 100 barrels of beer per year, up to a maximum of 5,000 barrels. Dedicated manufacturer-tier licenses exist for larger breweries, wineries, and distilleries.

Most small craft breweries, for example, operate under a Type 23 Small Beer Manufacturer license, but these licenses sit on a separate track from the retail licenses most hospitality owners need. 

Caterers & Special Events: Type 58 and Temporary Permits

A Type 58 (Caterer’s Permit) lets certain on-sale retail licensees serve alcohol off-site at events. Per ABC, only licensees holding an on-sale license such as a Type 41, 42, 47, 48, or 57 may apply, and you must obtain a separate authorization from ABC for each catered event.

For one-time occasions, ABC also issues temporary and non-profit event licenses with per-day fees. Qualified non-profit organizations can apply for a temporary special-event license, and requirements for these, including how far in advance they must be submitted, vary. So confirm current details with ABC before your event.

If you’re buying a business and need to operate while a transfer is processed, a temporary permit can bridge the gap. Per ABC, it is only issued for a person-to-person transfer at the same premises and runs up to four months, with a possible extension at ABC’s discretion. It isn’t available for brand-new licenses or moves to a new location.

Hotels & Bed-and-Breakfasts: Type 70 and Type 67

• Type 70 (On-Sale General, Restrictive Service) is frequently misdescribed online. It is not a café license capped by receipts. It authorizes beer, wine, and spirits served to an establishment’s overnight guests and their invitees, typically at suite-style hotels running complimentary happy hours. We cover it fully in our Type 70 liquor license guide.

• Type 67 (Bed and Breakfast Inn) is a wine-only license. Contrary to how it’s often described, it authorizes the sale of wine only to registered guests for on-site consumption. B&Bs that want to serve beer and spirits as well generally look at a Type 80 (Bed and Breakfast Inn, General) instead.

Factors That Determine Which License Type Is Right for You

• What you’re selling: Selling beer and wine only points you to a Type 41, 42, or 20; selling full liquor points to a Type 47, 48, or 21.

• Your customer base and food service: If meals are central, you need eating-place status. If drinks are the draw, public premises fits, but remember a Type 48 is 21-and-over with no food requirement.

• Location and zoning: Cities like Los Angeles often require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) before alcohol sales, and zoning can matter more than the license itself.

• Kitchen and ongoing compliance: Applicable California RBS rules require alcohol servers and managers of alcohol servers at covered premises to hold current RBS certification.

New Issuance vs. License Transfer: What to Expect

ABC issues new licenses in most counties but caps the number of licenses by population in others, which drives buy-and-sell activity in the resale market. In plain terms:

• Usually transfer (in dense/quota counties): Type 21, Type 48, and often Type 47 and Type 75.

• Commonly available new: Type 41, Type 42, and manufacturer-tier licenses.

• Depends on location: Type 20, which ABC stops issuing new in areas that already have more than one per 2,500 residents, per its Type 20 moratorium figures.

Because quota status shifts, verify your county’s current situation with ABC. For what these routes actually cost, see our liquor license cost guide.

About the California ABC and License Oversight

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control regulates the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages statewide. It was created as an independent department by a constitutional amendment that took effect on January 1, 1955. Licensing exists to protect public safety and keep alcohol sales accountable, which is exactly why matching your business to the correct license type from the start saves you time and money. 

Work with a Licensed California Liquor License Broker

Choosing the right license is the first step. Getting it approved is where experience pays off. For more than 40 years, AAA Liquor License Consulting has guided over 1,000 clients through buying, selling, and transferring California liquor licenses, with full brokerage and escrow services under one roof.

Our team knows how each county handles quotas, transfers, and new issuance, so you spend less time guessing and more time opening.

Ready to confirm the type of license your business needs? Contact our team, and we’ll help you map the fastest, cleanest path forward.