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ABC Type 47 — On-Sale General, Eating Place: San Francisco restaurant guide

California ABC

What it is

State license to serve beer, wine and distilled spirits with meals at a bona fide eating place (plus beer and wine to go); minors allowed.

When a restaurant needs it

Serving cocktails/spirits at a restaurant.

How to apply

General licenses are quota-limited (one on-sale general per 2,000 county residents), so in San Francisco you usually buy an existing Type 47 and transfer it person-to-person (and premises-to-premises) through escrow at the ABC district office — transfers cannot be filed online; then complete the 30-day posting.

Documents you’ll need

Fee
Person-to-person transfer with a general license $1,565; premises-to-premises transfer $975; new general license via priority drawing $19,840; 120-day temporary permit $100 (effective January 1, 2026) — Type 47 annual fee $1,545 in cities over 40,000
Processing time
Investigations about 55–65 days; minimum 30 days; protests add months
Renewal
Annually
Who files
The transferee files; escrow and a licensing consultant/attorney are typical.

Good to know

Market prices for San Francisco Type 47s are set privately and are high. If the license is active at a premises operated in the last 30 days, ABC can issue a 120-day temporary permit so you can pour during the transfer. Under the Planning Code a restaurant with a Type 47 is still a 'Restaurant' use, not a 'Bar'.

Official source

ABC — application fee schedule (2026) · ABC — licensing FAQs

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