Priority Registration Drawings

Licenses to sell beer and wine are available year-round to qualified applicants. However, general licenses, which authorize the retail sale of beer, wine, and distilled spirits are only available once per year during the designated priority application period. A priority license refers to a brand new (original) general license or a general license that is being transferred from one county to another county (intercounty transfer). 

General license types that can be applied for as a priority license are types 21, 47, 48, 57, and 75. 

Unlike the priority licenses where availability is based on population ratios within each county, a special legislation on-sale general license is based on specific legislative provisions, authorized by statute, that outline unique criteria or conditions for issuance. Information about counties with special legislative on-sale general licenses, along with applicable statutory details, can be found in the county-specific announcements on our website.

The appropriate ABC-521, ABC-522 or ABC-523 forms must be submitted to the department to participate in a priority drawing. The priority drawing application forms can be found on ABC’s website. Only applicants who have submitted a complete priority drawing application and paid the required fees within the prescribed period will have an opportunity to participate in a priority drawing to be selected to thereafter apply for a priority license. (California Business and Professions Code Sections 23821 & 23961 and Title 4 California Code of Regulations

Your application will be deemed disqualified, and you will not be able to participate in the requested priority drawing, pursuant to Title 4 California Code of Regulations section 69.2 (c).