U.S. state · federal alcohol permits

Alcohol permits in California

Name: California Federal Alcohol Permit Holders
Creator: PlainAlcohol
License: https://www.usa.gov/government-works

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%

Napa

1,811
Los Angeles

848
Paso Robles

645
Santa Rosa

625
San Francisco

579

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 212 of 421

How the 21,002 total splits

21,002permits

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

Name	City	Class	Permit #
Meadiocrity Mead Meadiocrity Meadery INC	San Marcos	Wholesaler	CA-P-27015
Meadowlark Vineyards Meadowlark Investments, LP	Santa Ynez	Wholesaler	CA-P-16932
Meadowood Associates, a Limited Partnership	Saint Helena	Wholesaler	CA-P-16175
Meansun Global Trading, INC.	San Jose	Wholesaler	CA-P-23824
Mears Enterprises, LLC	San Leandro	Wholesaler	CA-P-22420
Medea Medea INC.	Pleasanton	Wholesaler	CA-P-22566
Medic Group INC	El Monte	Wholesaler	CA-P-24380
Mediterraneam Imports, LLC	San Diego	Wholesaler	CA-P-21777
Mediterranean Cellar and Food LLC	Pleasanton	Wholesaler	CA-P-27484
Mediterraneo Taste, INC.	Newport Beach	Wholesaler	CA-P-18956
Medlock Ames Medlock Ames Vintners, LLC	Healdsburg	Wholesaler	CA-P-8808
Meeker Vineyards Meeker Vineyards, INC.	San Miguel	Wholesaler	CA-P-9499
Meg Blonde Ale Holdings LLC	Los Angeles	Wholesaler	CA-P-22374
Megawine, INC.	Van Nuys	Wholesaler	CA-P-9112
Megha Megha INC.	Woodland Hills	Wholesaler	CA-P-26071
Meitao Trading, INC.	Lake Forest	Wholesaler	CA-P-24929
Mejans Imports LLC	American Canyon	Wholesaler	CA-P-27034
Melange a Trois, LLC	Calistoga	Wholesaler	CA-P-15193
Melhill Vineyards, LLC	Los Angeles	Wholesaler	CA-P-24135
Melim/Maacama Creek Vineyards Melim LTD.	Healdsburg	Wholesaler	CA-P-7621
Ancient Oak Cellars Melissa Moholt-Siebert	Santa Rosa	Wholesaler	CA-P-16423
Tessieturbo Melissa Osuna	Alhambra	Wholesaler	CA-P-21729
Melka Wines Melka Estates, LLC	Saint Helena	Wholesaler	CA-P-8305
Mellor Ranch Wines	Linden	Wholesaler	CA-P-26563
Melograna LLC	Los Angeles	Wholesaler	CA-P-25321
Melograno Cocktails Melograno Drinks LLC	San Diego	Wholesaler	CA-P-26250
Melysi Wines Melysi Wines LLC	Stockton	Wholesaler	CA-P-24790
Mendelson Wines Mendelson, LLC	Napa	Wholesaler	CA-P-8152
Mendocino Beverage Company LLC	Hopland	Wholesaler	CA-P-27425
Mendocino Wine Group Mendocino Wine Group, LLC	Ukiah	Wholesaler	CA-P-15151
Suspiro Wines Mendoza Wine Company LLC	Napa	Wholesaler	CA-P-26323
Meniketti Wines LLC	Santa Clara	Wholesaler	CA-P-23465
Yamatt Menkir Tamrat	Fremont	Wholesaler	CA-P-15915
Yamatt Menkir Tamrat	Fremont	Wholesaler	CA-P-22315
Meraz & CO.	San Francisco	Wholesaler	CA-P-24444
Mercado Latino, INC. Mercado Latino, INC. (A Corporation)	City of Industry	Wholesaler	CA-P-7393
Mercado Wine Products, INC.	Irvine	Wholesaler	CA-P-23062
Lieu-Dit Wine & Spirits Mercantile & CO. LLC	Oakland	Wholesaler	CA-P-24825
Franco Wine Imports Mercato Vinarium Corporation	San Clemente	Wholesaler	CA-P-17637
Merchanlink Merchanlink, INC.	Hayward	Wholesaler	CA-P-21244
Merchant23 Merchant23, INC.	Santa Rosa	Wholesaler	CA-P-26861
Merchants Duty Free INC.	Irvine	Wholesaler	CA-P-8425
Merchants of Thirst Merchants of Thirst LLC	Benicia	Wholesaler	CA-P-24163
Merchants of Thirst LLC	Benicia	Wholesaler	CA-P-25023
Mercury Network LLC	Santa Rosa	Wholesaler	CA-P-21769
Meritaj, INC.	San Carlos	Wholesaler	CA-P-21893
Lago Di Merlo Merlo Ranch, L.P.	Geyserville	Wholesaler	CA-P-8370
Merrimack River Wines, LLC	Petaluma	Wholesaler	CA-P-23026
McIlroy Family Wines Merry D. McIlroy and William a. McIlroy	Sebastopol	Wholesaler	CA-P-6735
Mersenne Wines INC.	Santa Rosa	Wholesaler	CA-P-22516

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What to do with California's numbers

California's permit count only matters next to a peer state or the national landscape.

Compare California's 21,002 permits against national totals and class mix. National TTB statistics
See the closest-ranked state by permit count, Florida. Florida permits
See how California's numbers were calculated. Methodology

TTB List of Permittees, published August 2026; per-capita rates use U.S. Census Bureau Vintage-2023 population.

Data & reports

National TTB statistics →

Citeable national permit totals, class mix, and state rankings from the same TTB extract.

Permit release changes →

What changed between TTB List of Permittees releases: new, closed, and net permit counts.

52-state landscape CSV →

Downloadable state-level permit counts for every jurisdiction in this directory.

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.

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.

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.