Every federal alcohol permit
in America.
83,590 wineries, distilleries, importers, and wholesalers licensed by the TTB, searchable by state, city, and class. Free federal data, no signup.
- Wineries
- 18,038
- Distilleries
- 5,590
- Importers
- 21,314
- Wholesalers
- 38,648
- Total permits
- 83,590
The national picture
America's federally permitted alcohol industry is dominated by distribution and wine: 38,648 wholesalers and 21,314 importers move product, while 18,038 wineries and 5,590 distilleries make it.
- 83,590
- active federal permits
- California
- most permits (20,928)
- Oregon
- densest (69.8 per 100k)
- 52
- states & territories covered
Source: TTB FOIA List of Permittees, April 2025.
Browse by permit class
Four Federal Basic Permit types span the full production-and-distribution chain. Counts are live from the TTB List of Permittees.
38,648
Businesses holding a TTB Federal Basic Permit to operate as wholesalers and distributors…
21,314
Businesses holding a TTB Federal Basic Permit to import foreign-produced beverage alcoho…
18,038
Bonded wineries and blenders holding a TTB Federal Basic Permit to produce or blend wine…
5,590
Distilled spirits plants (DSPs) holding a TTB Federal Basic Permit to produce or bottle …
States with the most federal alcohol permits
Bar length = total active TTB Basic Permits in the state
- CA
California
20,928 permits
- FL 5,845
Florida
5,845 permits
- NY 5,836
New York
5,836 permits
- TX 5,108
Texas
5,108 permits
- WA 4,121
Washington
4,121 permits
- OR 2,953
Oregon
2,953 permits
- PA 2,428
Pennsylvania
2,428 permits
- IL 2,309
Illinois
2,309 permits
- VA 2,005
Virginia
2,005 permits
- NC 1,899
North Carolina
1,899 permits
What this shows California leads the nation with 20,928 permits, more than the next two states combined, reflecting its dominance in wine production.
Top states by permit count
States ranked by total federally permitted alcohol businesses.
| # | State | Permits | Wineries | Distilleries | Per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 20,928 | 6,399 | 561 | 53.7 |
| 2 | Florida | 5,845 | 211 | 197 | 25.9 |
| 3 | New York | 5,836 | 843 | 344 | 29.8 |
| 4 | Texas | 5,108 | 1,009 | 326 | 16.8 |
| 5 | Washington | 4,121 | 1,422 | 239 | 52.8 |
| 6 | Oregon | 2,953 | 995 | 157 | 69.8 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 2,428 | 619 | 320 | 18.7 |
| 8 | Illinois | 2,309 | 204 | 115 | 18.4 |
| 9 | Virginia | 2,005 | 637 | 155 | 23.0 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 1,899 | 307 | 185 | 17.5 |
Guides to the data
Plain-language context for what the federal permit records show.
What the permit data tells you
Three things the federal record makes clear about the U.S. alcohol industry.
- Distribution outweighs production: 59,962 of the 83,590 permits are wholesalers and importers, not producers. See wholesalers
- Wine is the production story: 18,038 wineries hold permits versus 5,590 distilleries. See wineries
- Oregon has the densest permit base at 69.8 per 100,000 residents, far above the national norm. Per-capita ranking
Breweries are excluded, they hold a Brewer's Notice, not an FAA Basic Permit, and are not in the public TTB list.
Explore more
Frequently Asked Questions
What does PlainAlcohol cover?
PlainAlcohol is a directory of every business that holds a federal alcohol Basic Permit from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). That is 83,590 active permits across four industry types: 18,038 wineries, 5,590 distilled spirits plants, 21,314 importers, and 38,648 wholesalers, in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Each record carries the permit holder's name, operating (DBA) name where filed, premises address, county, and federal permit number.
Why are breweries not included?
Breweries do not hold a Federal Alcohol Administration (FAA) Act Basic Permit. They operate under a Brewer's Notice issued under the Internal Revenue Code, and that information is protected from public disclosure under IRC §6103. Because PlainAlcohol is built strictly from the public TTB List of Permittees, it covers the four FAA Basic Permit types only and does not fabricate brewery records.
What is a TTB Basic Permit?
A Basic Permit is the federal authorization required under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act before a business may produce wine or spirits, import beverage alcohol, or operate as an alcohol wholesaler in interstate commerce. The permit identifies the operating entity, its premises, and the class of activity it is authorized to conduct. It remains in effect unless surrendered, suspended, or revoked.
What is the three-tier system?
After Prohibition, U.S. alcohol commerce was separated into three tiers: producers (wineries and distilleries), wholesalers (distributors), and retailers (stores, bars, restaurants). Producers generally cannot sell directly to retailers, they go through a licensed wholesaler. This is why the wholesaler tier is the largest in the federal permit data, and why an out-of-state producer needs distribution partners in each state where it sells.
How current is the data?
The records come from the TTB FOIA "List of Permittees," published April 2025. PlainAlcohol reformats that public dataset without alteration. Newly issued permits and surrenders are reflected when TTB publishes a new edition; the source vintage is shown in the footer and on the methodology page.
Is the data free to use?
Yes. The underlying records are public U.S. government data released under FOIA. PlainAlcohol presents them for free with no signup. Always confirm a permit's current status against the official TTB Public Permit Search before relying on it for a business decision.
About this data
How PlainAlcohol works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainAlcohol is a free, searchable reformatting of the TTB List of Permittees, the federal registry of every business that holds an FAA Basic Permit to produce, import, or wholesale beverage alcohol in the United States. We add no ratings, no rankings of quality, and no sponsored placements; every one of the 83,590 permit holders is shown with the same fields pulled from the same federal source.
Editorial process
- Source. Pull the TTB FOIA List of Permittees directly from ttb.gov, the U.S. Department of the Treasury bureau that issues federal alcohol permits.
- Verify. Each record keeps its original permit type, operating name, and premises address exactly as filed, and per-capita figures are computed against U.S. Census Bureau Vintage-2023 population estimates, never invented.
- Publish. Compile state, city, and permit-type pages that link back to the official TTB Public Permit Search so readers can confirm any record against the source.
Editorial independence & corrections
The PlainAlcohol editorial team is independent and accepts no payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from any permit holder. Found an error or a stale record? Reach us via the contact page. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
What does PlainAlcohol cover?
PlainAlcohol is a directory of every business that holds a federal alcohol Basic Permit from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). That is 83,590 active permits across four industry types: 18,038 wineries, 5,590 distilled spirits plants, 21,314 importers, and 38,648 wholesalers, in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Each record carries the permit holder's name, operating (DBA) name where filed, premises address, county, and federal permit number.
Why are breweries not included?
Breweries do not hold a Federal Alcohol Administration (FAA) Act Basic Permit. They operate under a Brewer's Notice issued under the Internal Revenue Code, and that information is protected from public disclosure under IRC §6103. Because PlainAlcohol is built strictly from the public TTB List of Permittees, it covers the four FAA Basic Permit types only and does not fabricate brewery records.
What is a TTB Basic Permit?
A Basic Permit is the federal authorization required under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act before a business may produce wine or spirits, import beverage alcohol, or operate as an alcohol wholesaler in interstate commerce. The permit identifies the operating entity, its premises, and the class of activity it is authorized to conduct. It remains in effect unless surrendered, suspended, or revoked.
What is the three-tier system?
After Prohibition, U.S. alcohol commerce was separated into three tiers: producers (wineries and distilleries), wholesalers (distributors), and retailers (stores, bars, restaurants). Producers generally cannot sell directly to retailers, they go through a licensed wholesaler. This is why the wholesaler tier is the largest in the federal permit data, and why an out-of-state producer needs distribution partners in each state where it sells.
How current is the data?
The records come from the TTB FOIA "List of Permittees," published April 2025. PlainAlcohol reformats that public dataset without alteration. Newly issued permits and surrenders are reflected when TTB publishes a new edition; the source vintage is shown in the footer and on the methodology page.
Is the data free to use?
Yes. The underlying records are public U.S. government data released under FOIA. PlainAlcohol presents them for free with no signup. Always confirm a permit's current status against the official TTB Public Permit Search before relying on it for a business decision.
Use responsibly. PlainAlcohol presents public federal permit records for informational reference only, it is not legal, business, or compliance advice, and it does not promote alcohol consumption. Permit status changes over time; verify any record against the official TTB source before relying on it. See our disclaimer.