Every federal alcohol permit
in America.
84,273 wineries, distilleries, importers, and wholesalers licensed by the TTB, searchable by state, city, and class. Free federal data, no signup.
- Wineries
- 18,120
- Distilleries
- 5,670
- Importers
- 21,526
- Wholesalers
- 38,957
- Total permits
- 84,273
The national mix, by permit class
Count is not density
According to the TTB List of Permittees (August 2026), California holds the most federal alcohol permits at 21,002 (#1 of 52) but ranks #3 at 53.9 per 100,000 residents; Oregon is denser at 70.0 per 100k (#1 of 52).
- 21,002
- California permits #1
- #3
- California density rank
- 70.0/100k
- Oregon density #1
- #6
- Oregon permit count rank
Per-capita uses U.S. Census Vintage-2023 population. Registry voice only — not production volume or consumption guidance. Source: TTB FOIA List of Permittees, August 2026.
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.
38,957
Businesses holding a TTB Federal Basic Permit to operate as wholesalers and distributors — the middle tier of the U.S. three-tier alcohol distribution system.
21,526
Businesses holding a TTB Federal Basic Permit to import foreign-produced beverage alcohol into the United States for sale or distribution.
18,120
Bonded wineries and blenders holding a TTB Federal Basic Permit to produce or blend wine from grapes and other fruit — estate wineries, commercial wineries, farm wineries, meaderies, and cideries.
5,670
Distilled spirits plants (DSPs) holding a TTB Federal Basic Permit to produce or bottle whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, brandy and other spirits — from craft micro-distilleries to large producers.
States with the most federal alcohol permits
Bar length = total active TTB Basic Permits in the state
- CA
California
21,002 permits
- FL 5,936
Florida
5,936 permits
- NY 5,887
New York
5,887 permits
- TX 5,153
Texas
5,153 permits
- WA 4,139
Washington
4,139 permits
- OR 2,963
Oregon
2,963 permits
- PA 2,450
Pennsylvania
2,450 permits
- IL 2,342
Illinois
2,342 permits
- VA 2,025
Virginia
2,025 permits
- NC 1,913
North Carolina
1,913 permits
What this shows California leads the nation with 21,002 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 | 21,002 | 6,400 | 572 | 53.9 |
| 2 | Florida | 5,936 | 213 | 203 | 26.3 |
| 3 | New York | 5,887 | 854 | 347 | 30.1 |
| 4 | Texas | 5,153 | 1,013 | 332 | 16.9 |
| 5 | Washington | 4,139 | 1,430 | 239 | 53.0 |
| 6 | Oregon | 2,963 | 995 | 156 | 70.0 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 2,450 | 622 | 327 | 18.9 |
| 8 | Illinois | 2,342 | 204 | 117 | 18.7 |
| 9 | Virginia | 2,025 | 643 | 158 | 23.2 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 1,913 | 312 | 186 | 17.6 |
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: 60,483 of the 84,273 permits are wholesalers and importers, not producers. See wholesalers
- Wine is the production story: 18,120 wineries hold permits versus 5,670 distilleries. See wineries
- Oregon has the densest permit base at 70.0 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 84,273 active permits across four industry types: 18,120 wineries, 5,670 distilled spirits plants, 21,526 importers, and 38,957 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 August 2026. 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 84,273 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
PlainAlcohol 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 84,273 active permits across four industry types: 18,120 wineries, 5,670 distilled spirits plants, 21,526 importers, and 38,957 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 August 2026. 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.
Download the 52-jurisdiction TTB permit landscape: ttb-state-landscape.csv (CC0). Method notes on /statistics.
According to the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the August 2026 List of Permittees source contains 84,273 federal Basic Permit records. See the methodology behind these numbers and report a data error if a displayed value differs from the source.
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.