California Liquor License Lookup: Status Codes and License Types

The California liquor license lookup lives at abc.ca.gov/licensing/license-lookup/, run by the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). It’s free, needs no account, and returns results instantly. You can search by license number, business name, licensee name, or address, and the tool covers active, pending, suspended, revoked, and surrendered licenses.¹ One caveat before you rely on what you find: the data reflects the ABC’s last update and isn’t a certified legal record. For anything you need to submit in court or use in a business purchase, request certified copies separately.

Four Ways to Search

The lookup accepts four inputs, and picking the right one saves time.

License number. The fastest and most precise. The number is printed on the certificate that must be posted inside the licensed premises, so if you’re standing in the business you can read it off the wall.
Licensee name. This is the legal name of the person or entity holding the license, not necessarily the name over the door.
Business name (DBA). The “Doing Business As” name, usually what appears on signage.
Business address. Street address and city. Useful when you know exactly where the business sits but aren’t sure who owns it.

Name searches fail most often because of spelling. If a DBA or licensee search returns nothing, try a partial name or switch to the address before you conclude a business is unlicensed.¹

Pulling Every License in an Area

Alongside single-record searches, the ABC offers location-based reports that list all licenses of a given type within a chosen area. You can pull them by city (up to ten at a time), zip code, county, county-and-census-tract, or statewide. These reports help with market research, community planning, or gauging how many licensed businesses already operate near a proposed new location.¹

What the Status Code Means

Every result shows a status code, and it’s the first thing to read. The ABC glossary lists nearly twenty possible values, but they group into three practical buckets.²

The License Allows Sales

ACTIVE is the only status that confirms the business can currently sell alcohol under the terms of its license.

The License Does Not Allow Sales

SUSPEND. Suspended for a set number of days as a penalty. No sales during the suspension.
ISSUPD. Indefinite suspension, typically because the licensee has failed to meet a condition such as producing records for inspection.
REV. Revoked. The license is permanently terminated.³
A/REV. Automatic revocation for failure to pay the renewal fee.
CAN. Canceled.

The License Is in Transition

PEND. An application is on file but the license hasn’t been issued yet.
SUREND or R65. Voluntarily surrendered, usually because the business closed.
REVP. Revocation pending due to non-payment of a recent renewal.
RNST. Reinstatement in progress after a late renewal payment.

If you’re buying a business and the license shows anything other than ACTIVE, treat it as a problem to resolve with the ABC before you close.²

The One-Year Clock on Surrendered Licenses

Surrendered licenses trip up prospective buyers more than any other status. When a licensee closes a business for more than 15 calendar days, they must surrender the license. If they don’t, the ABC can seize the certificate and start revocation proceedings.⁴

Once surrendered, the license has to be transferred, moved to a new location, or reactivated within one year, or the ABC revokes it. Narrow exceptions exist: a pending transfer application, pending litigation unrelated to ABC discipline, destruction of the premises by fire or natural disaster with active rebuilding, or a showing of undue hardship. Outside those, the deadline is firm.⁴

So when you see SUREND or R65 in a lookup result, check the surrender date. A license surrendered eleven months ago is a very different situation from one surrendered three months ago.

Reading the License Type Number

Every result also displays a type number that spells out what the business is allowed to sell. The ABC issues dozens of types, split broadly into off-sale (takeaway) and on-sale (consumed on the premises).⁵

Off-Sale

Type 20. Off-sale beer and wine. Retail stores, beer and wine only, minors allowed inside.
Type 21. Off-sale general. The standard liquor store license, covering beer, wine, and distilled spirits for takeaway. Minors allowed inside.

On-Sale

Type 41. On-sale beer and wine, eating place. Restaurants serving beer and wine only. No distilled spirits on the premises except brandy, rum, or liqueurs used strictly for cooking. Kitchen facilities and substantial meal sales required.
Type 42. On-sale beer and wine, public premises. Bars and taverns serving beer and wine only. No food service required, and minors generally can’t 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. Genuine kitchen and substantial meal sales required. Minors allowed.
Type 48. On-sale general, public premises. The standard bar and nightclub license. Beer, wine, and spirits on the premises, plus beer and wine for takeaway. No food service required, and minors generally can’t enter.

Putting Disciplinary History in Context

An ACTIVE status doesn’t tell you whether a business has a track record of violations. The ABC publishes penalty guidelines that set standard first-offense discipline, and a few benchmarks help you read a licensee’s history:⁶

Selling alcohol to a minor: 15-day suspension
Selling to an obviously intoxicated person: 15-day suspension
After-hours sales or consumption: 15-day suspension
Minors on public premises: 10-day suspension
Employing a minor: 10-day suspension
Licensee or bartender working while intoxicated: 30-day suspension
Refusing to allow ABC inspection of the premises: 30-day suspension
Refusing to allow inspection of records: 30 days plus indefinite suspension until records are produced

These are baselines. The ABC can go harsher or lighter depending on prior violations, cooperation, and the severity of the incident.⁶

When You Need Certified Records

The online lookup is fine for a quick check. It won’t hold up in court and won’t satisfy the due diligence a lender or attorney expects for a business acquisition. For formal documentation, request certified copies under the California Public Records Act.⁷

Send the request in writing, by mail or email, to the ABC’s public records unit in Sacramento. Don’t route it to a district office. Be specific about the records you need; vague requests slow everything down. The ABC has 10 days from receipt to determine whether the records are disclosable and to notify you. Unusual circumstances allow the agency to extend that by up to 14 additional days, with notice of the reason and the expected completion date.⁷

Inspecting records in person costs nothing. Copies are capped at ten cents per page, and you pay the estimated total before the ABC prepares them.⁷

Reporting a Violation You Spot

If a lookup or a personal observation makes you think a licensee is breaking the rules, the ABC takes public complaints. The online complaint form is the simplest route. You search for the business, pick the type of violation (sales to minors, after-hours sales, excessive noise, illegal drug activity, and so on), and describe what you saw, with date and time. You can stay anonymous, and any personal information you provide stays confidential within the department.⁸

You can also mail Form ABC-099E (Complaint Against Licensee) to the ABC’s Sacramento complaint desk or your nearest district office.⁹ The ABC reviews every complaint and investigates before acting. For neighbors dealing with ongoing problems at a nearby establishment, the department encourages keeping a log of disruptions like noise, fights, or visibly intoxicated patrons leaving the premises.⁸

1
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. License Lookup
2
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. Disciplinary Guidelines
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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