Applying for an alcohol license in Santa Monica?
In the last 12 months ABC issued 34 new retail alcohol licenses in Santa Monica (Los Angeles County), and 66 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 Santa Monica, last 12 months
| License type | New licenses |
|---|---|
| Type 47 — On-sale general, eating place (restaurants with full bar) | 15 |
| Type 41 — On-sale beer & wine, eating place (restaurants) | 10 |
| Type 21 — Off-sale general (liquor stores) | 3 |
| Type 20 — Off-sale beer & wine (markets, convenience stores) | 3 |
| Type 42 — On-sale beer & wine, public premises (wine bars, pubs) | 1 |
| Type 48 — On-sale general, public premises (bars, nightclubs) | 1 |
| Type 70 — On-sale general, restrictive service (hotels) | 1 |
| Total | 34 |
Pending applications in Santa Monica today
| License type | Pending |
|---|---|
| Type 47 — On-sale general, eating place (restaurants with full bar) | 36 |
| Type 41 — On-sale beer & wine, eating place (restaurants) | 17 |
| Type 48 — On-sale general, public premises (bars, nightclubs) | 7 |
| Type 21 — Off-sale general (liquor stores) | 3 |
| Type 70 — On-sale general, restrictive service (hotels) | 2 |
| Type 20 — Off-sale beer & wine (markets, convenience stores) | 1 |
Active retail licenses in Santa Monica
360 active retail licenses across 25 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 47 — On-sale general, eating place (restaurants with full bar) | 159 |
| Type 41 — On-sale beer & wine, eating place (restaurants) | 104 |
| Type 21 — Off-sale general (liquor stores) | 42 |
| Type 20 — Off-sale beer & wine (markets, convenience stores) | 26 |
| Type 48 — On-sale general, public premises (bars, nightclubs) | 11 |
| Type 42 — On-sale beer & wine, public premises (wine bars, pubs) | 9 |
| Type 70 — On-sale general, restrictive service (hotels) | 5 |
| Type 40 — On-sale beer (bars, taverns) | 2 |
What your Santa Monica 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 Los Angeles County
Los Angeles · Long Beach · West Hollywood · Torrance · Santa Clarita · Glendale · Burbank · Culver City
Source: California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control statewide license export, retrieved 2026-10-03. Retail license types only; counts by premises city.