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 300 of 421
Name Class
Artisan Uprising

Artisan Uprising LLC

Winery
Artisan Wines of California, LLC Winery
Artiste Winery

Artiste Management CO., LLC

Winery
Artivine LLC Winery
Arza Wines

Arza Wines LLC

Winery
Sodhani Winery

As Vineyards, LLC

Winery
Ascension Cellars

Ascension Cellars LLC

Winery
Ashkahn Wines

Ashkahn Shahparnia

Winery
Equinox

Ashley Jackson-Yi LLC

Winery
Longoria Winery

Ashton Brooke Christain; Lindsey Martin Christian

Winery
Aspect Wines, LLC Winery
Aspire Estate LLC Winery
Oceano Wines

Astrodynamic Wines, LLC

Winery
Asv Wines

Asv Wines, INC.

Winery
Asv Wines

Asv Wines, INC.

Winery
Asv, LLC Winery
Atelier Baer, LLC Winery
Atelier Des Savants Fous LLC Winery
Punchdown Cellars

Atelier-Copain, LLC

Winery
Athair Wines

Athair Wines INC.

Winery
Sill Family Vineyards

Atlas Peak Mountain Winery, LLC

Winery
Opal Moon Crush

Atlas Wine Company, LLC

Winery
Atm Vineyards LLC Winery
Solo Nostro

Atto Due, LLC

Winery
Atwal Winery

Atwal Winery LLC

Winery
Au Bon Climat

Au Bon Climat LLC

Winery
Au Sommet Winery

Au Sommet LLC

Winery
Aubert Wines

Aubert Winegrowing Incorporated

Winery
Augur Wine CO.

Augur Wine CO, LLC

Winery
August Briggs Winery

August Briggs Jr., INC.

Winery
August Legendre Cellars, LLC Winery
August West

August West Wines, LLC

Winery
Ausa Pacific LLC Winery
Mid Life Crisis Wines

Austin Harlow Winery INC.

Winery
Austin Hope Winery Winery
Auteur Wines

Auteur Wines LLC

Winery
Autonom, LLC Winery
Autumn Moon Cellars

Autumn Moon Wine Cellars LLC

Winery
Avaline

Avaline LTD

Winery
Avanguardia Wines

Avanguardia Wines LLC

Winery
Avatar Vintners, INC. Winery
Avelina Wine Company LLC Winery
High Camp Estate & Vineyard

Avella LLC

Winery
Avenue 8

Avenue Eight LLC

Winery
Avenue Wine Company

Avenue Wine Company, LLC

Winery
New World Wine Group

Avid, INC.

Winery
Avidity Boutique Cellars

Avidity Boutique Cellars, LLC

Winery
Avila Valley Barn

Avila Valley Barn, INC.

Winery
Avivo

Avivo LLC

Winery
Clé Cachée

Aware Holdings LLC

Winery
← Previous Page 300 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.