California Liquor License Lookup: Status Codes and Record Checks

To run a California liquor license lookup, go to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s free License Lookup tool at abc.ca.gov/licensing/license-lookup/ and search by license number, business name, address, or the licensee’s legal name.¹ No account or login is required, the tool runs around the clock, and results appear instantly. The database covers active licenses, pending applications, suspended and revoked licenses, and surrendered ones, so you can use it to vet a bar you’re thinking of buying, confirm a restaurant is legally serving, or check what’s happening at a licensed business down the street.

One caveat before you rely on what you see: the results reflect the ABC’s last update and are not a certified legal record. For a document that will hold up in a transaction or in court, you need to request certified copies separately.

How to Search

The tool gives you four ways to find a specific license.

License number. The fastest and most precise option. If you’re standing in the business, the number is printed on the certificate that must be posted on the premises.
Licensee name. The legal name of the person or entity that holds the license. Useful when you know the owner but not the business name.
Business name (DBA). The “Doing Business As” name, usually what’s on the storefront.
Business address. Street address and city. Good when you know the location but not the owner.

Misspellings are the main reason a name search comes back empty. If a licensee or DBA search returns nothing, try a partial name or switch to the address field before concluding the business is unlicensed.¹

The tool also offers location-based reports that pull every license of a given type within a geographic area. You can run reports by city (up to ten at once), zip code, county, county-and-census-tract, or statewide. These are useful for market research or seeing how saturated an area already is before signing a lease.¹

What the Status Code Means

Every record shows a status that tells you whether the business can legally sell alcohol right now. The ABC glossary lists nearly twenty possible codes, and they sort into three practical groups.²

Statuses That Allow Sales

ACTIVE is what you want to see. The license is valid and the business is authorized to sell alcohol under the terms of its license type.

Statuses That Block Sales

SUSPEND. Suspended for a set number of days as a penalty for a violation. No sales during the suspension.
ISSUPD (Indefinite Suspension). Suspended with no set end date, typically because the licensee hasn’t satisfied a condition such as producing records for inspection.
REV (Revocation). Permanently terminated. The business has lost its privilege to sell alcohol.³
A/REV (Automatic Revocation). Automatically revoked for non-payment of the renewal fee.
CAN (Canceled). The license has been canceled.

Statuses That Mean the License Is in Transition

PEND (Pending). Application filed but not yet issued.
SUREND or R65 (Surrendered). The licensee voluntarily turned the license in, usually because the business closed.
REVP (Revocation Pending). At risk of revocation because of recent non-payment of renewal.
RNST (Reinstatement in Progress). Late renewal payment has been made and the license is being reinstated.

If you’re buying a business and the status is anything other than ACTIVE, treat it as a question that has to be answered with the ABC before you close the deal.²

Surrendered Licenses: Watch the One-Year Clock

Surrendered licenses are where buyers get burned. When a licensee closes a business for more than 15 calendar days, they must surrender the license to the ABC. If they don’t, the ABC can seize the certificate and start revocation proceedings.⁴

Once a license is surrendered, it has to be transferred, moved to a new location, or reactivated within one year. If none of that happens, the ABC revokes it. There are narrow exceptions, including a pending transfer application, pending litigation unrelated to ABC discipline, destruction of the premises by fire or natural disaster while the owner is rebuilding, or a showing of undue hardship. Otherwise, the deadline is strict and missing it kills the license.⁴

When the lookup shows SUREND or R65, note the surrender date. A license surrendered three months ago is a very different situation from one surrendered eleven months ago.

Reading the License Type Number

Every result also shows a license type number, and that number tells you exactly what the business is allowed to sell. The ABC issues dozens of types, split broadly between off-sale (takeaway) and on-sale (consumption on the premises).⁵ The common ones:

Type 20 — Off-Sale Beer and Wine. Retail stores, beer and wine only, takeaway. Minors allowed inside.
Type 21 — Off-Sale General. The standard liquor store license. Beer, wine, and distilled spirits for takeaway. Minors allowed inside.
Type 41 — On-Sale Beer and Wine, Eating Place. Restaurants serving only beer and wine. No distilled spirits on the premises except brandy, rum, or liqueurs used solely for cooking. Kitchen facilities and substantial meal sales required.
Type 42 — On-Sale Beer and Wine, Public Premises. Bars and taverns serving only beer and wine. No food service required, and minors generally cannot enter.
Type 47 — On-Sale General, Eating Place. The standard full-bar restaurant license. Beer, wine, and distilled spirits on the premises, plus beer and wine for takeaway. Must operate as a genuine eating place. Minors allowed.
Type 48 — On-Sale General, Public Premises. The standard bar and nightclub license. Beer, wine, and distilled spirits on the premises, plus beer and wine for takeaway. No food required, minors generally cannot enter.

So if the lookup shows a neighborhood restaurant with a Type 41, and you’ve seen them pouring cocktails, that’s a mismatch worth reporting. A Type 48 with minors inside is another.

When the Lookup Isn’t Enough: Certified Records

The online tool works for quick verification. It will not hold up in court or satisfy the due diligence requirements for a serious business acquisition. For formal documentation, request certified copies through the California Public Records Act.⁶

Send the request in writing, by mail or email, to the ABC’s public records unit in Sacramento. Don’t send it to a local district office. Be specific about what you need; vague requests slow the process. The ABC has 10 days from receipt to decide whether the records are disclosable and tell you so. Unusual circumstances can extend that by up to 14 additional days, but the agency has to notify you of the reason and the expected completion date.⁶

Inspecting records in person is free. Copies cost no more than ten cents per page, and you’ll pay the estimated total before the ABC makes them.⁶

If the Lookup Turns Up a Problem

If your search reveals a business you believe is violating the law, or if you’ve witnessed a violation yourself, the ABC takes complaints from the public. The simplest route is the online complaint form on the ABC website. You search for the business, select the type of complaint (sales to minors, after-hours sales, excessive noise, illegal drug activity, and so on), and describe what you saw, with date and time. The form also asks whether you contacted the owner or another law enforcement agency. You can remain anonymous, and any personal information you do provide stays confidential within the department.⁷

If you’d rather use paper, download Form ABC-099E (Complaint Against Licensee) and mail it to the ABC’s complaint desk in Sacramento or to your nearest district office.⁸ The ABC reviews every complaint and investigates before acting. For ongoing issues at a neighborhood establishment, keep a dated log of specific disruptions, including noise, fights, or visibly intoxicated patrons leaving the premises.⁷

1
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. License Lookup
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Alcoholic Beverage Control. Glossary
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California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Frequently Asked Questions
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California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Surrender License
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Alcoholic Beverage Control. Alcoholic Beverage Control – License Types
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Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Public Records Request
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Alcoholic Beverage Control. File a Complaint
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Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Complaint Against Licensee