Priority Registration Drawings (Lottery)

Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has announced that it will start accepting priority registration drawings (lottery) application from September 14th, 2026 to September 25th, 2026. During this time, ABC also accepts inter-county transfers of Type 47 – On Sale General and Type 21 – Off Sale General Licenses. Additionally, the drawing will be held in the week of October 26th, 2026.

Although ABC issues Type 41 – Beer and Wine Licenses year round for restaurants , Type 47 – On Sale General Eating Place Licenses for Restaurants allow individuals or organization for retail sales of beer, wine and distilled spirits. Additionally, these general licenses are only available during this time, once a year and is also based on county allotment.

Similarly, Type 21 – Off Sale General License issued to retail stores such as liquor stores, general stores, gas stations, convenience stores etc. allow individuals or organization for retail sales for beer, wine and distilled spirits.

Its is essential that the application is filled out correctly otherwise, ABC may disqualify an applicant from the lottery.

Tip for Mobile Users: Switch between the 2025 Winning Analysis and 2026 Liquor License Authorization – ABC tabs below to view each data set. For the best viewing experience on mobile devices, rotate your phone to landscape (horizontal) mode or scroll horizontally across the table.

Winning Analysis of Priority Registration Drawing – 2025

The below table summarizes the Winning Probability based on the licenses released by ABC for each county vs the number of applicants for the year 2025. The table can be used to review your chances and make an informed decision about entering the 2026 priority registration drawing.

CountyNew On-SaleNumber of ApplicantsWinning ProbabilityNew Off-SaleNumber of ApplicantsWinning Probability
Alameda192479.17%254100%
Contra Costa2519100%257100%
El Dorado21910.5%0N/AN/A
Fresno2517100%104721.3%
Imperial61100%1250%
Kern259100%4567.4%
Kings42100%0N/AN/A
Lassen11100%0N/AN/A
Los Angeles2520412.2%2519100%
Madera52100%11010%
Merced93100%2922.2%
Napa109100%0N/AN/A
Nevada4850%0N/AN/A
Orange138615.1%258100%
Placer43910.3%32412.5%
Riverside254753.2%2513100%
Sacramento242596%252986.2%
San Benito31100%11100%
San Bernardino2524100%141877.8%
San Diego2114814.2%2525100%
San Joaquin256100%84119.5%
San Mateo0N/AN/A253100%
Santa Clara73023.3%254100%
Shasta32100%0N/AN/A
Solano187100%53100%
Stanislaus124100%0N/AN/A
Sutter40100%0N/AN/A
Tehama10100%0N/AN/A
Tulare160100%21513.3%
Ventura71643.8%0N/AN/A
Yolo94100%4944.4%
Yuba32100%1911.1%
Credit: State of California – Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

Liquor License Authorizations For Each County – 2026

The table below provides a summary of counties eligible for additional On-Sale General and Off-Sale General Licenses for the year 2026.

CountyNew On-SaleNew Off-SaleIntercounty On-SaleIntercounty Off-SaleSpecial Legislation On-Sale
Alameda14250250
Colusa100000
Contra Costa252525250
El Dorado10009
Fresno2532500
Imperial60600
Kern2512500
Kings40400
Lassen10100
Los Angeles252525250
Madera51500
Merced91900
Nevada30000
Orange0250250
Placer37007
Riverside252525250
Sacramento25253250
San Benito31200
San Bernardino25132500
San Diego9250250
San Joaquin2582500
San Mateo0250200
Santa Clara10250250
Shasta10000
Solano1841800
Stanislaus120000
Sutter40400
Tehama10000
Tulare1601600
Yolo100100
Yuba31300
Credit: State of California – Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control