ABC Type 48 — On-Sale General, Public Premises (bar, no meals): Los Angeles restaurant guide

California ABC

What it is

State license for a bar that sells beer, wine and distilled spirits without operating as a restaurant; minors may not enter. General licenses are quota-limited, so a new one usually means buying an existing license or entering the priority drawing.

When a restaurant needs it

A bar with no kitchen serving spirits.

How to apply

Transfers and priority-drawing applications are filed with the ABC district office (not online); open escrow for a purchased license. Post the Public Notice of Application for 30 days.

Documents you’ll need

ABC application and premises diagram
Purchase/escrow agreement for the existing license
Lease
Entity documents, affidavits and fingerprints
City Conditional Use Beverage (CUB) approval

Fee

General license via priority drawing $19,840; non-priority original $1,135; person-to-person transfer with a general license $1,565; premises-to-premises $975; 120-day temporary permit $100 (plus annual fees) — effective Jan 1, 2026

Processing time

Investigations take about 55–65 days; a buyer of an active license can get a 120-day temporary permit if the premises operated within the prior 30 days

Renewal

Annually

Who files

The licensee applies; transfers go through escrow with a broker or attorney.

Good to know

No person under 21 may be on a public-premises licensed site, so a Type 48 bar cannot host all-ages events.

Official source

ABC — license types (Type 48) · ABC — application fee schedules

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Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Guidance only, not legal advice.