Applying for an alcohol license in Costa Mesa?
In the last 12 months ABC issued 33 new retail alcohol licenses in Costa Mesa (Orange County), and 82 applications are pending today. Every one needs an ABC-251 listing schools, churches, hospitals, playgrounds and youth facilities within 600 feet — and an ABC-247 listing homes within 100 feet. Check your premises free.
No address handy? Try 5500 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
New retail licenses in Costa Mesa, last 12 months
| License type | New licenses |
|---|---|
| Type 41 — On-sale beer & wine, eating place (restaurants) | 17 |
| Type 21 — Off-sale general (liquor stores) | 7 |
| Type 47 — On-sale general, eating place (restaurants with full bar) | 6 |
| Type 48 — On-sale general, public premises (bars, nightclubs) | 2 |
| Type 20 — Off-sale beer & wine (markets, convenience stores) | 1 |
| Total | 33 |
Pending applications in Costa Mesa today
| License type | Pending |
|---|---|
| Type 41 — On-sale beer & wine, eating place (restaurants) | 25 |
| Type 47 — On-sale general, eating place (restaurants with full bar) | 23 |
| Type 21 — Off-sale general (liquor stores) | 14 |
| Type 20 — Off-sale beer & wine (markets, convenience stores) | 12 |
| Type 48 — On-sale general, public premises (bars, nightclubs) | 8 |
Active retail licenses in Costa Mesa
386 active retail licenses across 26 census tracts. Where a census tract already has more licenses per resident than the county average, ABC treats it as having “undue concentration” (Business & Professions Code §23958.4), and a new license there usually needs a finding of public convenience or necessity — worth checking before you sign a lease.
| License type | Active |
|---|---|
| Type 41 — On-sale beer & wine, eating place (restaurants) | 146 |
| Type 47 — On-sale general, eating place (restaurants with full bar) | 107 |
| Type 21 — Off-sale general (liquor stores) | 57 |
| Type 20 — Off-sale beer & wine (markets, convenience stores) | 38 |
| Type 48 — On-sale general, public premises (bars, nightclubs) | 22 |
| Type 42 — On-sale beer & wine, public premises (wine bars, pubs) | 10 |
| Type 57 — Special on-sale general | 5 |
| Type 40 — On-sale beer (bars, taverns) | 1 |
What your Costa Mesa application needs
- ABC-251: every school, church, hospital, public playground and youth facility within 600 feet.
- ABC-247: every residence within 100 feet of the premises or its parking lot (Rule 61.4).
- For many new premises, the 500-foot resident notice (ABC-207-E / ABC-207-F).
Other cities in Orange County
Huntington Beach · Anaheim · Garden Grove · Irvine · Santa Ana · Orange · Fullerton · Newport Beach
Source: California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control statewide license export, retrieved 2026-10-03. Retail license types only; counts by premises city.