How to fill out ABC-251: every school, church, hospital and playground within 600 feet
Form ABC-251 is in every California retail alcohol license application. You list the schools, churches, hospitals, public playgrounds and youth facilities within 600 feet of your premises — and sign that the list is complete.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Not legal advice — always confirm with the agency.
What ABC-251 asks for
ABC-251, “Statement re: Consideration Points”, asks the applicant to list the names and addresses of all schools, churches, hospitals, public playgrounds and youth facilities located within 600 feet of the proposed premises. You fill in the left side only; the “Department use only” columns (letter, personal contact, distance and separation factors) are completed by the ABC investigator. You sign at the bottom, acknowledging that any false, misleading or omitted information can be grounds for denying — or later revoking — the license.
How the 600 feet is measured
The form says to measure “by direct line from the closest edge of the facility structure to the closest edge of your structure”. In practice:
- It's a straight line (“as the crow flies”), not walking or driving distance.
- It's edge to edge: the nearest wall of your building to the nearest wall of theirs — not centre to centre and not from your front door.
- For parks, playgrounds and school campuses, the facility's grounds matter, so check the edge of the playground or field as well as the buildings.
- If something is close to 600 feet, list it. Listing a place that turns out to be 620 feet away costs nothing; leaving off one at 580 feet can sink the application.
What counts as each type of consideration point
| Type | Includes | Easy to miss |
|---|---|---|
| School | Public, charter and private K-12 schools, often preschools | Small private schools in office buildings, school annexes |
| Church | Any place of worship — churches, mosques, synagogues, temples | Storefront congregations, churches meeting in rented halls |
| Hospital | Licensed acute-care and psychiatric hospitals | Ask ABC whether nursing homes count in your district |
| Public playground | City and county parks with play areas, public playgrounds | Pocket parks, school playgrounds open to the public |
| Youth facility | Child-care centres, youth centres, Boys & Girls Clubs, scouting halls | After-school programs, youth sports and dance studios |
What happens if there's one within 600 feet
A consideration point doesn't automatically stop your license. ABC weighs whether the license would interfere with it (Business & Professions Code §23789 for schools, public playgrounds and nonprofit youth facilities) and often issues the license with conditions — limited hours, no sales of single cans, no advertising facing a school. What hurts applicants is a consideration point the investigator finds that the applicant left off.
Common questions
Is ABC-251 required for every license?
It's part of the application package for retail licenses at a new premises (on-sale and off-sale). Your ABC district office tells you which forms your application needs.
What if there are none within 600 feet?
Write “None” in the first row, then sign and date the form.
What if there are more than nine?
The form has nine rows and says to continue on the reverse. Attach a continuation sheet in the same format.
Does ABC check my list?
Yes. A licensing investigator visits the area, measures distances and fills in the department columns. Omissions can delay or derail the application.
How does MapClerk build the list?
We merge U.S. Department of Education school locations, California-licensed child-care centres and hospitals, OpenStreetMap and FEMA building data, measure every distance edge to edge from your building's footprint, and pre-fill the applicant side of ABC-251 (and ABC-247) for you to review and sign.