San Diego Liquor Licenses for Sale

Types of San Diego Liquor Licenses

Known for its tourism industry and large population, San Diego is one of the most popular counties in which to buy a San Diego liquor license. Why? In Southwest California, San Diego County is the state of California’s second-largest county by population. The county seat is in the city of San Diego. Known for the world-renowned San Diego Zoo as well as LEGOLAND California, San Diego County is not only a great place to live but also a popular tourist destination. The San Diego County Fair - Del Mar, located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, takes place every summer during the months of June and July. 

To help you serve all of those thirsty tourists, we offer online auctions for liquor licenses in San Diego County for the following liquor license types:

• Type 20: Permits the sale of beer and wine for off-premises consumption in San Diego County.
• Type 21: Permits all liquor sales -- beer, wine, and spirits -- for off-premises consumption in San Diego.
• Type 41: Permits restaurants to sell beer and wine for on-site consumption in San Diego, CA.
• Type 47: Permits restaurants to sell all liquor -- beer, wine, and spirits -- for on-site consumption, as well as beer and wine "to go" for off-site consumption in San Diego County, California.
• Type 48: Permits bars and nightclubs to sell all liquor -- beer, wine, and spirits -- for on-site consumption, as well as beer and wine "to go" for off-site consumption in the County of San Diego.
• Type 57: Permits organizations, such as a veteran’s hall, VFW's or golf courses, to sell all liquor -- beer, wine, and spirits -- to members and guests for on-site consumption, as well as beer and wine "to go" for off-site consumption in San Diego, California.

Each California liquor license grants the holder the right to sell in a specific California county, such as San Diego County. Liquor licenses are not transferable between counties. They are, however, transferable between owners, which means you can legally buy or sell any San Diego ABC license.

How to Buy a San Diego Liquor License

There are two ways to get your San Diego alcohol license: through the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control -- the CA ABC -- or on the open market through a liquor license broker like Liquor License Auctioneers. 

Using a brokerage is often the fastest or even the only way to acquire a San Diego liquor license because San Diego county limits the number of alcohol licenses available. In some cases, you may have to wait for someone to sell a liquor license before you can buy one. 

That’s where we come into the picture. With our extensive connections to business owners and lawyers across the nation, we have exclusive access to San Diego liquor licenses that no other brokerage can claim. Even if we don’t have a license available on our innovative liquor license auction platform, we can find a San Diego alcohol license at a fair price to suit the needs of your business.

We can help you navigate the eight steps below to secure your San Diego liquor license.

1. Secure the location: First, you need to buy, lease, or rent the premises on which you plan to operate to serve alcoholic beverages.
2. Select your liquor license: Determine which San Diego liquor license type you need and whether you’ll buy it from a broker or try to go directly through the CA ABC.
3. Open your escrow account: This account is held by a third party, ideally, an independent escrow company rather than the brokerage itself, to fund any financial obligations that the new owner needs to meet. All funds get placed into escrow.
4. Survey the location: Contract a surveyor or Liquor License Auctioneers to complete an official survey of the premises.
5. Complete your ABC Application and submit it to the Department of ABC.
6. Post a notice: The CA ABC will issue you a notice of the intent to sell alcohol that needs to be posted visibly for 30 days on your premises.
7. Submit to investigation: After the 30 days have elapsed, the CA ABC will investigate the business to determine whether to issue the San Diego liquor license.
8. Receive the liquor license: After all of the steps have been completed, the CA ABC will issue the San Diego alcohol license and mail it to you for display in your establishment.

While this process takes care of the state of California’s requirements for applying for your San Diego liquor license, many municipalities also have requirements that must be met, such as zoning permits (CUP’s), regulations, and other legal stipulations. Contact your municipal government to identify those requirements early so that you can work them into the process above without causing delays.

Competition for liquor licenses in San Diego is fierce based on the number of businesses that want to sell alcohol. We pride ourselves on our ethical and genuinely helpful customer service. Check out our San Diego liquor licenses for sale at auction above, or contact us today to locate your San Diego alcohol license.