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 313 of 421How the 21,002 total splits
21,002permits
| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| Chacewater Wine Company Chacewater, INC. | Winery |
| Covenant Wines Chaim, LLC | Winery |
| Chaise Ventures, INC. | Winery |
| Chaix Wines Chaix Winery, LLC | Winery |
| Chamisal Vineyards, LLC | Winery |
| Une Femme Champagne Campaign, INC. | Winery |
| Chaname Wines Chaname Wines LLC | Winery |
| Chaney Family Winery, INC. | Winery |
| Chanin Wine Company Chanin Wine Company, INC. | Winery |
| Sunstone Winery Channel Islands Management LLC | Winery |
| Harper's Rest Vineyard Chaos Vineyards LLC | Winery |
| Chapin Family Vineyards Chapin Family Vineyards LLC | Winery |
| Chappellet Winery INC | Winery |
| Chapter 11 Cellars, INC Chapter 11 Cellars, INC. | Winery |
| Char Vale Vineyards, LLC | Winery |
| D'anbino Vineyards & Cellars Charity Vines, INC. | Winery |
| Cox Vineyards Charles & Kerri F. Vau | Winery |
| Poalillo Vineyards Charles a. Poalillo | Winery |
| Charles B. Mitchell Vineyards Charles B. Mitchell | Winery |
| Winery BY the Creek Charles B. Mitchell | Winery |
| Mansfield Family Wines Charles Bret Mansfield | Winery |
| Carlson Wines Charles E. Carlson, III | Winery |
| Dutch Bill Creek Winery Charles E. Heintz | Winery |
| Maramonte Wines Charles F. Mara, INC. | Winery |
| Helena View Johnston Vineyards Winery Charles Leland Johnston III | Winery |
| Elsbree Family Vineyards Charles Norman Elsbree, JR. and Diana Lynn Elsbree | Winery |
| Charles Otto Schetter & Karen Renee Schetter | Winery |
| Tucker Creek Vineyard Charles Tucker | Winery |
| Bella Vista Winery & Cilurzo Vineyard Charlotte Joan Winery, LLC | Winery |
| Charlotte Vineyard & Winery Charlotte Vineyard & Winery LLC | Winery |
| Chasing Ether Chasing Ether INC. | Winery |
| Chasing Sunlight Chasing Sunlight LLC | Winery |
| Chateau Bellevue 1881 Estate Chateau Bellevue 1881 Estate LLC | Winery |
| Chateau Caroline Chateau Caroline LLC | Winery |
| Chateau Davell Winery Chateau Davell Winery | Winery |
| Chateau Diana Chateau Diana, LLC | Winery |
| Chateau Felice Chateau Felice CORP. | Winery |
| Chateau Lettau Chateau Lettau, LLC | Winery |
| Chateau Noir Vineyards, LLC | Winery |
| Chateau Potelle Chateau Potelle Holdings, LLC | Winery |
| VGS Chateau Potelle Chateau Potelle Holdings, LLC | Winery |
| Chateau Sur Mer Chateau Sur Mer Cellars LLC | Winery |
| Chateauneuf-Du-Fargosonini LLC | Winery |
| Checkerboard Vineyards Checkerboard Vineyards, LLC | Winery |
| Chene Wines Chene Vineyards, LLC | Winery |
| Chenoweth Wine Group Chenoweth Wine Group, INC. | Winery |
| Cherokee Creek Wines Cherokee Creek Wines, LLC | Winery |
| Cherry Glen Winery, INC. | Winery |
| Cherry ST LLC | Winery |
| Cherry Wood Winery LLC | Winery |
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.
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.