U.S. state · federal alcohol permits
Alcohol permits in Kentucky
Every TTB Federal Basic Permit holder in Kentucky - wineries, distilleries, importers, and wholesalers, from the public List of Permittees.
- 927
- Total permits
- #25
- National rank
- 20.5
- Per 100k residents
- 170
- Cities covered
Kentucky in one line
Kentucky holds 927 federal alcohol permits, led by wholesalers (428) - at 20.5 per 100,000 residents, the 23rd densest state.
- #25
- by total permits
- #23
- by permits per capita
- 151
- wineries
- 198
- 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 Kentucky's 927 permits split across the four classes.
Top cities in Kentucky
Bar length = federal alcohol permit holders in the city
- Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
252 permits
- Lexington 94
Lexington, Kentucky
94 permits
- Bardstown 54
Bardstown, Kentucky
54 permits
- Frankfort 33
Frankfort, Kentucky
33 permits
- Lawrenceburg 17
Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
17 permits
- Owensboro 17
Owensboro, Kentucky
17 permits
- Paducah 17
Paducah, Kentucky
17 permits
- Versailles 16
Versailles, Kentucky
16 permits
- Shelbyville 15
Shelbyville, Kentucky
15 permits
- Nicholasville 13
Nicholasville, Kentucky
13 permits
All permit holders (927)
Page 13 of 19Related 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 Kentucky?
Kentucky has 927 active federal alcohol Basic Permits - 151 wineries, 198 distilleries, 150 importers, and 428 wholesalers. That is the 25th most of any U.S. state or territory.
What is Kentucky's per-capita permit rate?
Kentucky has 20.5 federal alcohol permits per 100,000 residents (U.S. Census Vintage-2023 population), ranking 23rd by density. Per-capita rates are high in wine- and spirits-producing states with smaller populations.
Which Kentucky city has the most permit holders?
Louisville leads Kentucky with 252 federal alcohol permit holders, followed by Lexington, Bardstown, Frankfort.
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.