California Type 47 Liquor License for Restaurants Serving Spirits
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A Type 47 liquor license lets a California restaurant serve distilled spirits. The state regulator, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), lists it as "On-Sale General - Eating Place" and describes it as a license for restaurants. Its statewide report counted 16,552 active Type 47 licenses on June 30, 2026, plus 1,830 in a separate starred row.
The number of on-sale general licenses in each county is capped by statute. So the first question is whether a new license is on offer in your county this year, or whether you will purchase one that already exists. Liquor License Agents works with restaurant owners, buyers, and sellers on that question.
What The License Authorizes And What It Requires
ABC's description of the Type 47 license sets out the privileges. Other sections of the Business and Professions Code (BPC) fill in the rest.
- On-premises sales cover beer, wine, and distilled spirits.
- Off-premises sales under the license itself cover beer and wine only.
- Through 2026, BPC 23401.5 allows spirits to go in manufacturer-sealed containers. The customer must pick up the order and show identification.
- Minors are permitted in the restaurant.
- Sales stop at 2 a.m. and may not resume until 6 a.m. BPC 25631 sets those hours for every on-sale and off-sale licensee.
In return, the business has to run as a bona fide eating place. ABC requires suitable kitchen facilities and "actual and substantial sales of meals for consumption on the premises." BPC 23038 defines meals as the usual assortment of foods commonly ordered at various hours of the day. A menu of sandwiches or salads alone falls short. The section does not require a guest to buy food with a drink.
Responsible Beverage Service rules also apply. ABC gives servers and their managers 60 days from the first date of employment to be certified.
Who A Type 47 Liquor License Fits And What Limits It
The license fits a restaurant that meets the eating place test and wants spirits on the menu. A restaurant pouring only beer and wine belongs under a Type 41 license, which ABC offers year-round to qualified applicants. A bar or night club pouring spirits falls under a Type 48: food service is not required, and minors may not enter and remain, apart from the musician exception in BPC 25663.5.
Supply and cost decide the rest:
- The county cap in BPC 23816 is one on-sale general license per 2,000 residents.
- New licenses are offered only in ABC's priority application period each September. In 2026 ABC took applications from September 14 to 25.
- The 2026 authorizations differed by county: 25 new on-sale general licenses in Los Angeles County, 9 in San Diego County, and 0 in Orange County.
- A priority application costs $19,840 on the fee schedule ABC has in force for 2026. The first annual fee is collected with it.
- The 2026 annual fee follows city population: $1,545 above 40,000 people, $1,260 from 20,000 to 40,000, and $985 in smaller cities and unincorporated areas.
Outside that period, ABC points to one alternative: buying a license of the same type from a holder in the county where you will operate.
How Liquor License Agents Helps With A Type 47
Our work starts with the restaurant itself. We review your concept, site, and floor plan against the eating place rule before you commit to an address. Then we advise whether the September priority period or a purchase and transfer suits your county. Clients who decide to buy a liquor license rely on us for valuing it, negotiating terms, and coordinating escrow.
Where a purchase price is involved, BPC 24074 has the buyer deposit the full amount with an escrow holder ahead of the transfer filing. Owners who want to sell a liquor license get the same support.
The application, premises diagrams, and disclosures are prepared by our team. We also speak with planning staff at the city or county, since ABC advises checking with local officials on zoning and the need for a Conditional Use Permit at a new location. Once ABC opens its review, we track it and help you respond when the agency raises questions, a neighbor protests, or conditions are proposed.
Type 47 in major markets: Alameda County, Los Angeles County, San Diego County, San Francisco.
California Type 47 FAQs
1. Does a Type 47 allow to-go sales?
Yes, for beer and wine. ABC's description authorizes their sale for consumption off the licensed premises. BPC 23401.5 adds spirits in manufacturer-sealed containers, but ABC states that this statute is scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2027.
2. Is there a minimum food sales percentage for a Type 47?
No percentage appears in BPC 23038 or in ABC's description of the license. Both are worded in terms of kitchen facilities and meal service, with no sales figure attached to either.
3. What does ABC charge for a new Type 47?
The priority application fee is $19,840 in 2026, and the first annual fee is paid with it. ABC has announced $20,495 for applications from January 1, 2027. A Type 47 on public property has a 2026 application fee of $7,515.
4. Can a Type 41 be converted into a Type 47?
No. BPC 23816 says an on-sale general license may not be issued in lieu of a surrendered beer and wine license. A restaurant adding spirits has to win a priority application or buy a general license already issued in its county.
5. How many days does a Type 47 approval take?
ABC's requirements page puts the average near 75 days when ownership passes from one person to another, and near 90 days for an original license. It adds that the wait is often longer.
6. How long must a Type 47 application notice stay posted?
At least 30 consecutive days at the entrance to the premises, under BPC 23985. Where the site holds no license today, BPC 23985.5 also has the applicant mail notice to every resident inside a 500-foot radius. ABC says anyone can protest.
To talk through whether your restaurant should enter the September priority period or purchase a Type 47 already issued in its county, call Liquor License Agents at (800) 799-9081. Bring your menu, floor plan, and address.