To sell beer and wine in Los Angeles, you need two separate approvals: a state license from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), and a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from the City of Los Angeles. The state application fee for the most common beer and wine licenses is $1,135, the city’s CUP adds thousands more, and the full process typically runs several months. Line up both tracks before you sign a lease.
Pick the Right License First
Which ABC license you need depends on one question: will customers drink on your premises or take sealed bottles home?
A Type 20 (Off-Sale Beer and Wine) license is for retail — grocery stores, convenience shops, bottle shops. Beer and wine leave in original sealed containers; nothing is opened or consumed on site.1Alcoholic Beverage Control. Licensing
A Type 41 (On-Sale Beer and Wine – Eating Place) license is for restaurants and cafes. You must operate as a genuine eating establishment with a working kitchen and make “actual and substantial sales of meals.” Customers can drink with their food, and you can also sell sealed containers to go. One rule catches people out: you cannot keep distilled spirits on the premises at all, except brandy, rum, or liqueurs used solely for cooking.2Alcoholic Beverage Control. License Types
Both are “non-general” licenses, meaning beer and wine only. Neither authorizes hard liquor sales or service.3Alcoholic Beverage Control. Application Fee Schedules
The City Conditional Use Permit Is the Real Hurdle
Before ABC will issue your license, the City of Los Angeles generally requires a Conditional Use Permit for any business selling alcohol for on-site or off-site consumption. The requirement sits in Section 12.24.W.1 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code.4Los Angeles City Planning. Conditional Use Permit – General
The Department of City Planning reviews your proposed use against the surrounding area, looking at proximity to schools, parks, and residential zones. A public hearing gives neighborhood councils and residents a chance to support or oppose the application. If approved, your CUP usually comes with operating conditions attached — restricted hours, security cameras, limits on outdoor seating, or a required security guard. Those conditions bind you and must be satisfied before ABC issues the final license.
CUP filing fees run well into the thousands, and the review itself commonly takes six months or longer. Many applicants plan around the state timeline and then discover the city approval is where things actually bog down.
What You’ll Actually Spend
The ABC application fee for a new non-general license (both Type 20 and Type 41) is $1,135, plus the annual license fee due with the application.3Alcoholic Beverage Control. Application Fee Schedules ABC fees are scheduled to rise 3.31% on January 1, 2027, so confirm current amounts if you’re filing near that date.5Alcoholic Beverage Control. License Fees
On top of the state fee, budget for the city CUP filing fee, architectural or consultant costs for preparing your premises diagram, and possibly legal representation at the public hearing. The $1,135 is a small fraction of what most applicants end up spending.
Documents You’ll Need to Gather
ABC requires a specific application package. Have it all together before you go to the district office.
- Premises diagram (Form ABC-257) showing the full floor plan of the licensed area with dimensions, interior partitions, storage, patios, and anywhere alcohol will be served or stored.
- Lease agreement or proof of ownership for the location.
- CUP approval, or at minimum a receipt confirming the CUP application has been submitted.6Alcoholic Beverage Control. New License Application
- Business entity documents such as articles of incorporation or partnership agreements.
- Individual Personal Affidavit (Form ABC-208-A) for every owner, every general partner, every spouse of an owner, and anyone holding 10% or more of the business. Each affidavit covers five years of employment history and any criminal history, including convictions later expunged.7Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Individual Personal Affidavit
- Individual Financial Affidavit (Form ABC-208-B) documenting every source of money going into the business — savings, loans, property sales, gifts, inheritance. Expect to back it up with bank statements and loan documents.8Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Individual Financial Affidavit
- Application Signature Sheet (Form ABC-211-SIG), signed by all stakeholders under penalty of perjury.9California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control – Application Signature Sheet
How the State Review Works
File the complete package at a local ABC district office — LA Metro or Van Nuys covers most of the city. ABC prefers applicants to appear in person so staff can walk through the applicable laws, and fees are paid at that time.10Alcoholic Beverage Control. License Application Requirements
The 30-Day Public Notice
Once ABC accepts the application, you must post Form ABC-207 (a white or yellow public notice) in a visible spot at the proposed premises for 30 consecutive days. ABC also mails notice to local officials. During this window, anyone can file a protest. Common grounds include noise, litter, crime concerns, or an existing overconcentration of licenses nearby.11Alcoholic Beverage Control. Information Regarding Alcoholic Beverage License Applications and Protests
Investigation and Timing
An ABC investigator reviews the location and runs background checks on all owners. For a brand-new original license, plan on about 90 days from filing, sometimes more. ABC specifically warns applicants not to book grand openings or commit to expensive milestones until final approval, because delays are common.12Alcoholic Beverage Control. License Application Requirements – Section: Average Time to Process an Application
When Public Convenience or Necessity Applies
If your census tract already has more than its share of similar licenses, or if local crime statistics flag the area as high-crime, ABC cannot approve the application without a finding of Public Convenience or Necessity (PCN).13Alcoholic Beverage Control. ABC-520 New Applicant InformationCalifornia Code BPC – 23958
For off-sale licenses like a Type 20, the PCN finding has to come from the local governing body — in Los Angeles, that routes through the City Clerk’s office.14Alcoholic Beverage Control. ABC-520 New Applicant Information It adds real time to the schedule. Check whether PCN applies to your address before you commit to the location.
Buying a Business That Already Has a License
Original applications aren’t the only route. If you’re taking over a restaurant or shop that already holds the right license, you can apply to transfer it. Both the current licensee and the new applicant sign the transfer application and appear at the district office together.15Alcoholic Beverage Control. Transfer or Change a License
ABC reviews a transfer much like a new application, with the same background checks, financial disclosures, and forms. The advantage is speed: transfers average about 75 days instead of 90-plus for originals.12Alcoholic Beverage Control. License Application Requirements – Section: Average Time to Process an Application In some cases a temporary permit lets you operate while the transfer is pending. You’ll also need to open escrow and file a Notice of Intended Transfer with the county recorder.15Alcoholic Beverage Control. Transfer or Change a License
One rule people get wrong: California prohibits using a license as collateral or as security for any agreement. Both parties must swear under oath that the transfer isn’t being used to satisfy a debt or give preference to a creditor.15Alcoholic Beverage Control. Transfer or Change a License
Server Training if You Hold a Type 41
If you hold a Type 41 or any other on-sale license, every employee who serves alcohol and every manager who supervises servers must complete Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) certification through an ABC-authorized provider.16Alcoholic Beverage Control. RBS Training Program New hires have 60 calendar days from their start date to get certified. The course covers recognizing intoxication, checking ID, and liability for illegal sales, and employees must pass the ABC certification exam. Build this into onboarding; staffing beyond the 60-day window with uncertified servers creates compliance exposure.
After You’re Licensed
California law prohibits selling, giving, or delivering any alcoholic beverage between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. The rule applies to every license type, on-sale and off-sale, and violating it is a misdemeanor.17Alcoholic Beverage Control. Hours of Sale Your city CUP may impose tighter hours depending on location and the conditions set at approval.
Ongoing compliance means maintaining every condition the city attached to your CUP, keeping RBS certifications current for on-sale staff, and paying your annual ABC renewal on time. If you change the business — adding a patio, expanding the floor area, shifting from off-sale to on-sale — you’ll need to amend the license and possibly return to the CUP process. The license covers a specific premises layout, so even a renovation can trigger additional paperwork.