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 395 of 421How the 21,002 total splits
21,002permits
| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| Avenales Ranch Shell Creek Vineyards Wine CO., LLC | Winery |
| Shelter Cidery Shelter Distilling, INC. | Winery |
| Carol Shelton Wines Shelton-Mackenzie Wine Company | Winery |
| Carol Shelton Wines Shelton-Mackenzie Wine Company | Winery |
| Shenandoah Investment Properties Shenandoah Investment Properties, INC. | Winery |
| Sheppard Wines, LLC | Winery |
| Sherwin Family Vineyards Sherwin Family Vineyards, LLC | Winery |
| Shibumi Knoll Vineyards, LLC | Winery |
| Shifflett Ranch & Vineyard LLC | Winery |
| Wine Snob* Shift Wine LLC | Winery |
| Shiisa Cellars Shiisa Cellars, LLC | Winery |
| Shindig Cider Shindig Cider LLC | Winery |
| Shinme Wines LLC | Winery |
| Block 21 Winery Shinn Vineyards, INC. | Winery |
| Shippey Vineyards Shippey Vineyards LLC | Winery |
| Shirah Wine CO. Shirah Wine LLC | Winery |
| SHL Napa/Cathiard Family Estate/ Cathiard Vineyard SHL Cathiard LLC | Winery |
| Le Crush Winery Shokrian Winery, LLC | Winery |
| Shoreacre Wines Shoreacre Wines LLC | Winery |
| Waters Edge Winery Long Beach Shoreline Cellars INC. | Winery |
| Waters Edge Winery - Rancho Cucamonga Shoreline Cellars INC. | Winery |
| Shunyi Cellars Shunyi Cellars LLC | Winery |
| Shypoke Vineyard LLC | Winery |
| Sicilia Vineyards Sicilia LLC | Winery |
| Sidedoor Cellars Sidedoor Cellars, LLC | Winery |
| Sidetrack Mead LLC | Winery |
| Siegrund P C Yeilding & Willow Athene Laland-Yielding | Winery |
| Siempre Winery, INC. | Winery |
| Sierra Cider LLC | Winery |
| Sierra Court LLC | Winery |
| Sierra Nevada Brewing CO. | Winery |
| Sierra Reálta Wines Sierra Realta Wines LLC | Winery |
| Montevina Winery Sierra Sunrise Vineyards | Winery |
| Sierra Vista Wines Sierra Vista Wines, LLC | Winery |
| Four Winds Cellars Sierra Wine Company, LLC | Winery |
| Twenty Twenty Wines Sierra Zeiter | Winery |
| Signal Ridge Vineyard Signal Ridge Vineyards LLC | Winery |
| Signorello Estate Signorello Estate LP | Winery |
| Silkwood Wines Silkwood Wines, LLC. | Winery |
| Silva Family Vineyards LLC | Winery |
| Amok Cellars Silva Libations, LLC | Winery |
| Silver Fox Vineyards Silver Family Vineyards LLC | Winery |
| Silver Mountain Vineyard Silver Mountain Vineyards | Winery |
| Silver Oak Cellars Silver Oak Wine Cellars, LLC | Winery |
| Silver Oak Wine Cellars Silver Oak Wine Cellars, LLC | Winery |
| Silver Oak Wine Cellars Silver Oak Wine Cellars, LLC | Winery |
| Silver Oak Wine Cellars Silver Oak Wine Cellars, LLC | Winery |
| Silver Oak Wine Cellars Silver Oak Wine Cellars, LLC | Winery |
| Silver Oak Wine Cellars Silver Oak Wine Cellars, LLC | Winery |
| Northern Nomad Winery Silver Ridge Vineyards & 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.