U.S. state · federal alcohol permits

Alcohol permits in California

Every TTB Federal Basic Permit holder in California - wineries, distilleries, importers, and wholesalers, from the public List of Permittees.

21,002
Total permits
#1
National rank
53.9
Very high density · per 100k
895
Cities covered

Count rank ≠ density rank

California holds 21,002 federal alcohol permits (#1 of 52 by count) but ranks #3 at 53.9 per 100,000 residents — count rank and density rank diverge on this state.

#1
by total permits
#3
by permits per capita
21,002
permits in state
53.9/100k
residents

Source: TTB List of Permittees (August 2026) · Census Vintage-2023 population.

Comparing more than one state? Save California to your Permit Explorer watchlist to keep this state alongside the others you are reviewing. The watchlist stays in your browser and its comparison link preserves the selected states, permit class, and sort order.

Data updated September 2026

California vs all states by federal permit count

Where this state's TTB Basic Permit count sits among every state and territory on PlainAlcohol

21,002 1st of 52 the highest of 52 states

States, banded by federal alcohol Basic Permit count

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source TTB List of Permittees · August 2026

Permit mix

How California's 21,002 permits split across the four classes.

Wholesalers9,346 · 45%
Wineries6,400 · 30%
Importers4,684 · 22%
Distilleries572 · 3%

Top cities in California

Bar length = federal alcohol permit holders in the city

permits
Source TTB List of Permittees As of August 2026

California alcohol industry score

One composite grade from California's own TTB permit data, benchmarked against every other state and territory PlainAlcohol tracks (not an external industry standard). A state missing an input is graded on the remaining dimensions alone -- the missing weight moves to them rather than deflating the score.

C 59
Producer density A+
53.9 / 100k residents

TTB-permitted producers per 100,000 residents

Industry diversity D
66/100

1 minus the Herfindahl index across distillery/winery/importer/wholesaler permit shares -- higher means no single permit type dominates

City coverage F
2.3 / 100k residents

Distinct cities with a TTB-permitted producer, per 100,000 residents

Source: TTB List of Permittees, August 2026, and U.S. Census Vintage-2023 population. See methodology.

All permit holders (21,002)

Page 10 of 421
Name Class
Gelatolove

Skylar Creations INC

Distillery
Skyrocket Distillers, LLC Distillery
Slo Stills

Slo Brewing CO, LLC

Distillery
Slo General Store, LLC Distillery
Slo-De-Vie Distillery, INC Distillery
The Rock

Slo5rock LLC

Distillery
Smart Cups, LLC Distillery
Broken Spirits Distillery

Smoke and Fire Social Eatery LLC

Distillery
Smooch Beverages USA INC Distillery
Snow-Line Orchard, LLC Distillery
SNR Performance LLC Distillery
Solamente

Solamente LLC

Distillery
Solos Technology USA, INC. Distillery
Sonoma Brothers Distilling

Sonoma Brothers Distilling, LLC

Distillery
Sonoma Coast Spirits

Sonoma Coast Spirits LLC

Distillery
Sons & Dotters

Sons & Dotters LLC

Distillery
South Fork Spirits, LLC Distillery
Southern Pacific

Southern Pacific Brewing LLC

Distillery
Southnorte Brands LLC Distillery
Southnorte Brands LLC Distillery
Corbin Cash Spirits

Souza Enterprises, INC.

Distillery
Spirit Guides, INC. Distillery
Spirits Daddy

Spiritsdaddy LLC

Distillery
Spiritsmith Distilling Company

Spiritsmith LLC

Distillery
Spottswoode Winery, INC. Distillery
The St. Barts Spirit Company

ST. Barts Spirit Company

Distillery
ST. George Spirits, INC. Distillery
ST. Supery Vineyards & Winery

ST. Supery, INC.

Distillery
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, LLC

Distillery
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, LLC Distillery
Staglin Family Vineyard LLC Distillery
Standing Journey LLC Distillery
Stark Spirits

Stark Spirits, LLC

Distillery
Building 43 Distillery

Steeltown Winery LLC

Distillery
Lompoc Wine Factory

Stephen Bridge

Distillery
Autry Cellars

Stephen P. Autry

Distillery
Jepson Vineyards

Stonecushion, INC.

Distillery
ST. Anne's Crossing

Stonecushion, INC.

Distillery
Strand Brewing CO., LLC Distillery
Jottshots!

Stupid Good Beverage Company, LLC

Distillery
Sukkah Hill Spirits

Sukkahhill Spirits LLC

Distillery
Sun-Maid Growers of California Distillery
Woods Beer & Wine CO.

Surface Area, LLC

Distillery
Sutherland Distilling Company LLC Distillery
Sutter Home Winery, INC. Distillery
Trinchero Family Estates

Sutter Home Winery, INC.

Distillery
Swan & Fox LLC Distillery
Stillwater Spirits

Sweetwater Distillers, INC.

Distillery
Swinford Spirits

Swinford Spirits, LLC

Distillery
Symrise INC. Distillery
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Data & reports

Frequently asked questions

How many federal alcohol permits are in California?

California has 21,002 active federal alcohol Basic Permits - 6,400 wineries, 572 distilleries, 4,684 importers, and 9,346 wholesalers. That is the 1st most of any U.S. state or territory.

What is California's per-capita permit rate?

California has 53.9 federal alcohol permits per 100,000 residents (U.S. Census Vintage-2023 population), ranking 3rd by density. Per-capita rates are high in wine- and spirits-producing states with smaller populations.

Which California city has the most permit holders?

Napa leads California with 1,811 federal alcohol permit holders, followed by Los Angeles, Paso Robles, Santa Rosa.

Are breweries included?

No. Breweries do not hold an FAA Basic Permit, they operate under a Brewer's Notice (IRC §6103, protected from disclosure), so they are not in the public TTB List of Permittees this directory is built from.

Where does this data come from?

The TTB FOIA "List of Permittees," published August 2026, public U.S. government data, reformatted without alteration.

Reading California's wholesalers-led permit book

California's 21,002 permits are wholesalers-led (9,346, 45% of the book), ranking #1 nationally by count and #3 by per-capita density. Federal Basic Permits authorize FAA Act activity, not retail sale, and are not a substitute for the state ABC license.

Source: TTB FOIA List of Permittees, published August 2026, public U.S. government data, reformatted without alteration. Per-capita rates use U.S. Census Bureau Vintage-2023 population (Verify with the Census Bureau →). Confirm any record against the official TTB Public Permit Search. For informational purposes only; see our disclaimer.