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.
Top cities in California
Bar length = federal alcohol permit holders in the city
- Napa
Napa, California
1,811 permits
- Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
848 permits
- Paso Robles 645
Paso Robles, California
645 permits
- Santa Rosa 625
Santa Rosa, California
625 permits
- San Francisco 579
San Francisco, California
579 permits
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.
TTB-permitted producers per 100,000 residents
1 minus the Herfindahl index across distillery/winery/importer/wholesaler permit shares -- higher means no single permit type dominates
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 231 of 421How the 21,002 total splits
21,002permits
| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| Paul Hobbs Cellars Paul Hobbs Winery LP, Paul Hobbs Winery, INC GP | Wholesaler |
| Paul Marcus Wines Paul I. Marcus | Wholesaler |
| Ruza Cellars Paul J. Cupich | Wholesaler |
| Global Beverage Distribution of California Paul James Tatalovich | Wholesaler |
| Paul Lato Paul Lato Wines, LLC | Wholesaler |
| Paul Louis Ferrera | Wholesaler |
| Irish Production Paul McKairnes | Wholesaler |
| Paul M. Young Fine Wines Paul Michael Young | Wholesaler |
| Wendling Vineyards Paul Nelson Ardzrooni and Genevieve Rose Ardzrooni | Wholesaler |
| Houston Family Vineyards Paul R Houston | Wholesaler |
| Schmitz Wines Paul Schmitz | Wholesaler |
| National Distribution Paul Serrano Chua & Virginia Serrano Chua | Wholesaler |
| Stice Lane Cellars Paul Tuttle, INC | Wholesaler |
| Van Kleef Group Paul Van Kleef | Wholesaler |
| Sunshine Imports Paul William Quackenbush | Wholesaler |
| Cost/Less Inventory Services Paul's Stores INC | Wholesaler |
| Mediterranean Sol Gourmet Paula and Roberto Blanco | Wholesaler |
| Tre Gatti Vineyards Paula Dean Getzelman | Wholesaler |
| Paulies Cider LLC | Wholesaler |
| Pause Wine LLC | Wholesaler |
| Rob Lawson Wines Pavi Wines, LLC | Wholesaler |
| Phifer Pavitt Wines Pavitt Family Vineyards, LLC | Wholesaler |
| Pax Trading Partners Pax Trading Partners, LLC | Wholesaler |
| Paxton, Shreve & Hays, INC. | Wholesaler |
| Copenhagen Spirits Company Paz Angelica Sanchez | Wholesaler |
| Stone Cottage Vineyards PB Global LLC | Wholesaler |
| PCB Lucarday Wines LLC | Wholesaler |
| PCH Merchants LLC | Wholesaler |
| Juslyn Vineyards Pcj, INC. | Wholesaler |
| Sophia Samuels Pdez Spirits, INC. | Wholesaler |
| Specialty Cellars Peach Systems, INC. | Wholesaler |
| Peacock Cheese Distributing CORP. | Wholesaler |
| Peacock Family Vineyards, LLC | Wholesaler |
| Peake Ranch | Wholesaler |
| Pearl Imports, INC. | Wholesaler |
| Pearl Wines Pearl Wines LLC | Wholesaler |
| Peay Vineyards Peay Vineyards, LLC | Wholesaler |
| Pech Merle Pech Merle, INC. | Wholesaler |
| Peculiar Wines, LLC | Wholesaler |
| Pedigree Imperial Exports Pedigree Group LLC | Wholesaler |
| Fathia Wines Pedro Rodriguez | Wholesaler |
| Pisco Sour Market Peggi Carbonel | Wholesaler |
| Pelican Cellars Pelican Cellars LLC | Wholesaler |
| Ph-Importing Pelican Head Industries, LLC | Wholesaler |
| Pelican Spirits Pelican Spirits, LLC | Wholesaler |
| Pellegrini Bros. Wines. INC. Pellegrini Bros. Wines, INC. | Wholesaler |
| Pellegrini Ranches Pellegrini Ranches | Wholesaler |
| Peloton Cellars Peloton Cellars, INC. | Wholesaler |
| Winebid Peloton Imports LLC | Wholesaler |
| Peloton Services, INC. | Wholesaler |
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.