Applying for an alcohol license in San Diego?
In the last 12 months ABC issued 241 new retail alcohol licenses in San Diego (San Diego County), and 686 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 San Diego, last 12 months
| License type | New licenses |
|---|---|
| Type 41 — On-sale beer & wine, eating place (restaurants) | 109 |
| Type 47 — On-sale general, eating place (restaurants with full bar) | 81 |
| Type 20 — Off-sale beer & wine (markets, convenience stores) | 25 |
| Type 21 — Off-sale general (liquor stores) | 15 |
| Type 48 — On-sale general, public premises (bars, nightclubs) | 6 |
| Type 42 — On-sale beer & wine, public premises (wine bars, pubs) | 3 |
| Type 70 — On-sale general, restrictive service (hotels) | 2 |
| Total | 241 |
Pending applications in San Diego today
| License type | Pending |
|---|---|
| Type 47 — On-sale general, eating place (restaurants with full bar) | 250 |
| Type 41 — On-sale beer & wine, eating place (restaurants) | 179 |
| Type 21 — Off-sale general (liquor stores) | 98 |
| Type 20 — Off-sale beer & wine (markets, convenience stores) | 74 |
| Type 48 — On-sale general, public premises (bars, nightclubs) | 46 |
| Type 70 — On-sale general, restrictive service (hotels) | 16 |
| Type 42 — On-sale beer & wine, public premises (wine bars, pubs) | 15 |
| Type 57 — Special on-sale general | 4 |
| Type 40 — On-sale beer (bars, taverns) | 4 |
Active retail licenses in San Diego
2981 active retail licenses across 266 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) | 1081 |
| Type 47 — On-sale general, eating place (restaurants with full bar) | 911 |
| Type 21 — Off-sale general (liquor stores) | 445 |
| Type 20 — Off-sale beer & wine (markets, convenience stores) | 309 |
| Type 48 — On-sale general, public premises (bars, nightclubs) | 124 |
| Type 42 — On-sale beer & wine, public premises (wine bars, pubs) | 46 |
| Type 70 — On-sale general, restrictive service (hotels) | 33 |
| Type 57 — Special on-sale general | 13 |
What your San Diego 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 San Diego County
Oceanside · Chula Vista · Escondido · Carlsbad · La Jolla · El Cajon · Encinitas · San Marcos
Source: California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control statewide license export, retrieved 2026-10-03. Retail license types only; counts by premises city.