U.S. state · federal alcohol permits
Alcohol permits in Iowa
Every TTB Federal Basic Permit holder in Iowa - wineries, distilleries, importers, and wholesalers, from the public List of Permittees.
- 1,235
- Total permits
- #18
- National rank
- 38.5
- Per 100k residents
- 329
- Cities covered
Iowa in one line
Iowa holds 1,235 federal alcohol permits, led by wholesalers (927) - at 38.5 per 100,000 residents, the 7th densest state.
- #18
- by total permits
- #7
- by permits per capita
- 182
- wineries
- 55
- distilleries
Source: TTB List of Permittees (April 2025) · Census Vintage-2023 population.
Data updated July 2026
According to the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) List of Permittees, published April 2025, 83,590 federal alcohol Basic Permits are on file across 52 states and territories. This page lists every holder with premises in the state, drawn directly from that public federal record; see the methodology for details.
Permit mix
How Iowa's 1,235 permits split across the four classes.
Top cities in Iowa
Bar length = federal alcohol permit holders in the city
- Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
68 permits
- Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
38 permits
- Davenport
Davenport, Iowa
33 permits
- Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
32 permits
- Sioux City
Sioux City, Iowa
31 permits
- Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
29 permits
- West Des Moines 24
West Des Moines, Iowa
24 permits
- Waterloo 22
Waterloo, Iowa
22 permits
- Ankeny 19
Ankeny, Iowa
19 permits
- Urbandale 18
Urbandale, Iowa
18 permits
All permit holders (1,235)
Page 2 of 25Related guides
State Alcohol Regulations →
How state ABC rules layer on federal permits.
How to Get a TTB Permit →
The FAA Basic Permit application, step by step.
Wine Industry by State →
Where America's bonded wineries cluster.
Frequently asked questions
How many federal alcohol permits are in Iowa?
Iowa has 1,235 active federal alcohol Basic Permits - 182 wineries, 55 distilleries, 71 importers, and 927 wholesalers. That is the 18th most of any U.S. state or territory.
What is Iowa's per-capita permit rate?
Iowa has 38.5 federal alcohol permits per 100,000 residents (U.S. Census Vintage-2023 population), ranking 7th by density. Per-capita rates are high in wine- and spirits-producing states with smaller populations.
Which Iowa city has the most permit holders?
Des Moines leads Iowa with 68 federal alcohol permit holders, followed by Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Iowa City.
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 April 2025, public U.S. government data, reformatted without alteration.
Sources: TTB FOIA List of Permittees (April 2025) · U.S. Census Bureau Vintage-2023 population estimates for per-capita rates (Verify with the Census Bureau →). Reformatted without alteration; confirm any record against the official TTB list.
Every figure on PlainAlcohol is rendered directly from federal TTB permit data, no number is typed in by an editor. This state count is rendered directly from the TTB List of Permittees, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.