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 295 of 421
Name Class
Kunde Family Winery

Adair Kunde, LLC

Winery
Viansa Winery

Adair Viansa, LLC

Winery
Wild Jag

Adam Beck

Winery
Carruth Cellars

Adam C. Carruth

Winery
3H Winery

Adam Hasper

Winery
Fermented Vision

Adam Mettler

Winery
Perch Wine CO

Adam Saake

Winery
Bella Vineyards

Adams Winery, LLC

Winery
Adamvs

Adamvs, LLC

Winery
Adelaida Cellars, INC. Winery
Adler-Deutsch Vineyard

Adler-Deutsch Vineyard, LLC

Winery
Adobe Hill

Adobe Hill, LTD.

Winery
Adrian Fog Winery

Adrian Fog Winery

Winery
Adruni Vineyards LLC Winery
Aec Farming INC Winery
Aequitas Vineyards

Aequitas Cellars, LLC

Winery
Aergo Napa Valley LLC Winery
Regency Wine Group

Aerovin, LLC

Winery
Aesthete Wines

Aesthete Wines LLC

Winery
Aesthetic Wines, LLC Winery
Afterwords Wines

Afterwords Wines, LLC

Winery
Agajanian Vineyards and Wine Company

Agajanian, INC.

Winery
Agathon Holdings Gp, LLC Winery
Agharta Wines

Agharta, LLC

Winery
Racines

Agritetrad Wine Company, LLC

Winery
Agu Enterprises LLC Winery
Agu Enterprises LLC Winery
Agua Dulce Winery, LLC Winery
Ah Wines, INC. Winery
Memento Mori

Aha Partners LLC

Winery
Ahart Cellars

Ahart Cellars

Winery
Door by Aeb

Aheb, LLC

Winery
Ahnfeldt

Ahnfeldt Wines LLC

Winery
Mount St Helena Vineyard

Ahst 173 LLC

Winery
Airoso Vineyards LLC Winery
Aja Cellars

Aja Vineyards, LLC

Winery
Ak Wines

Ak Cellars LLC

Winery
Scribe Winery

Aka Wines, LLC

Winery
Akash Vineyards & Winery

Akash Winery & Vineyards LLC

Winery
Villa Helena Vineyards

Al Di LA Vineyards, INC. & Arger Cellars, INC

Winery
Lion Imports

Alain P. Leonnet

Winery
Mount Tehama Winery

Alain Renee Teutschmann

Winery
Alamitos Vineyards

Alamitos Vineyards, INC.

Winery
Georgeff Vineyards

Alan Georgeff

Winery
Elk Prairie Vineyard

Alan James Estrada and Sandra LYN Estrada

Winery
Kerr E. Nation Wine Company

Alan Richard Phillips

Winery
Alapay Cellars

Alapay Cellars, INC.

Winery
Alara Cellars

Alara Cellars, LLC

Winery
Alban Vineyards

Alban Vineyards, INC.

Winery
Albatross Ridge

Albatross Ridge LLC

Winery
← Previous Page 295 of 421 Next →

What to do with California's numbers

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

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

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.

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.