Winery permits and licenses in California
The statewide credentials every winery needs to operate in California, plus city-specific guides for the cities we cover.
This page covers only the California statewide credentials for wineries. Federal credentials that apply nationwide are on the Wineries overview, and each city layers its own permits on top.
The credentials below are the California-wide requirements that apply to every winery in the state. Each city and county layers its own permits, fees, and inspections on top. To see the requirements for a specific city, choose it from the California cities list below.
California credential overview
| Credential | Level | Fee | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Business Registration (LLC, Corporation, or Fictitious Business Name) | State | $70 to file LLC Articles of Organization or $100 for a stock corporation, then a $20 Statement of Information ($25 for a corporation) due within 90 days and on a recurring cycle. California also bills an $800 minimum annual franchise tax through the Franchise Tax Board, owed whether or not you turn a profit. A Fictitious Business Name (DBA) is filed with the county clerk, commonly $26 to $60, plus newspaper publication. | Formation is one-time; a Statement of Information every 2 years for an LLC or yearly for a corporation, the $800 franchise tax every year, and a Fictitious Business Name every 5 years |
| ABC Type 02 Winegrower License | State | A $1,135 application fee plus a production-based annual fee (2026 schedule): $155 a year up to 5,000 gallons, $215 up to 20,000, $425 up to 100,000, $500 up to 200,000, and $705 up to 1,000,000 gallons, with the first year's annual fee collected at application. Fees are CPI-adjusted each January. | Annual |
| ABC Type 02 Winegrower Duplicate License (only for a satellite tasting room) | State | A $550 application fee plus a $215 annual fee for each off-site location (2026 schedule) | Annual (renewed with the master Type 02) |
| ABC Type 93 Winegrower Estate Tasting Event Permit (only for off-site estate events) | State | A $210 annual permit fee plus $100 per event authorization, up to 36 events a calendar year | Annual (renewed with the master Type 02) |
| CDTFA Winegrower Alcoholic Beverage Tax (State Wine Excise Tax) | State | $0 to register the account. The tax is $0.20 per gallon on still wine (at any ABV) and $0.30 per gallon on champagne and sparkling wine. It is separate from, and on top of, the federal TTB excise tax. | A return is filed monthly, by the 15th, even when no tax is due |
| Seller's Permit (Sales Tax) | State | $0 (free to register). CDTFA can ask for a security deposit based on projected sales. Sales tax runs from the 7.25 percent base up, by the district where the wine is delivered or picked up. | No expiration while you operate |
| CDFA Grape Crush Report and Winegrape Assessments (only if you crush grapes) | State | A crush and acreage assessment of $0.14 per ton of grapes crushed, plus the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter assessment of $1.25 per $1,000 of winegrape value (2025 harvest). Neither has a small-crusher exemption. | Filed annually with CDFA (the main report is due January 10) |
| California Employer Payroll Tax Registration (only once you hire) | State | No registration fee. Payroll taxes (UI, ETT, SDI, and PIT withholding) begin once you register. | One-time registration, then ongoing quarterly filings |
| Workers' Compensation Insurance (only once you hire) | State | Premiums are set by the carrier from your payroll and job class; there is no state fee for the coverage itself. Going without it is a misdemeanor with steep civil penalties. | Annual policy renewal |
| Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Certification | State | A $3 server registration fee to ABC, plus an approved training course set by the provider, commonly $8 to $15. Under SB 476 the employer pays the cost. | Every 3 years |
| California Food Handler Card (only if your tasting room serves food) | State | Capped at $15 per person for the course, exam, and card. Under SB 476 the employer pays the cost and the training time. | Every 3 years |
| California Water Right (only if you draw your own surface water) | State | An application fee that varies by the size of the diversion, commonly a few thousand dollars, plus annual water-right fees once a permit issues. Check the Division of Water Rights fee schedule for the current amount. | An annual report of diversion and use; a permit must be developed into a license over time |
| SWRCB Winery Process Water Discharge Order (only if you discharge process water to land) | State | An annual fee set by tier on the volume of process water discharged to land, with the application fee equal to the first year's annual fee. The per-tier amounts are set in the State Water Board's water quality fee schedule, so confirm the current figure with the Water Board. Discharging under 10,000 gallons a year is exempt. | Annual; enrollment continues as long as the discharge does |
| SB 1383 Organic Waste Compliance | State | No state permit fee. The cost is operational: organics collection through your hauler, or land application or off-site composting of pomace. | Ongoing operational obligation; no separate renewal |
California cities
City and county rules stack on top of the statewide credentials.
Each winery credential in California, explained
Grouped by the level of government that issues it, broadest first. Every winery in California needs these regardless of city.
State level
14 credentials
California Business Registration (LLC, Corporation, or Fictitious Business Name)
Most wineries form an LLC or corporation, both for liability and because the ABC application names a legal entity, which has to be in good standing with the Secretary of State. A winery trading under a name like Coyote Ridge Cellars also files a Fictitious Business Name with the county clerk. The catch with an LLC is the $800 minimum franchise tax, billed every year regardless of whether a single bottle sells, which lands hard on a winery in its slow pre-release years.
- Fee
- $70 to file LLC Articles of Organization or $100 for a stock corporation, then a $20 Statement of Information ($25 for a corporation) due within 90 days and on a recurring cycle. California also bills an $800 minimum annual franchise tax through the Franchise Tax Board, owed whether or not you turn a profit. A Fictitious Business Name (DBA) is filed with the county clerk, commonly $26 to $60, plus newspaper publication.
- Renewal
- Formation is one-time; a Statement of Information every 2 years for an LLC or yearly for a corporation, the $800 franchise tax every year, and a Fictitious Business Name every 5 years
- Processing
- Online entity filings post in about 3 to 5 business days; many county clerks process a DBA the same day in person
ABC Type 02 Winegrower License
This one license does almost everything a California winery needs from the state. The Type 02 lets you produce and bottle wine, sell it at wholesale directly to California retailers without a separate distributor, pour and sell it by the glass and bottle in your tasting room, and ship it directly to California consumers, all built in, with no separate tasting-room, distributor, or in-state shipper license. The annual fee tracks the gallons you report each year on the Winegrowers/Blenders Report you file with ABC, which moves you up or down a fee tier. ABC will not issue it without your federal TTB Basic Permit and the local land-use sign-off covered on your city page.
- Fee
- A $1,135 application fee plus a production-based annual fee (2026 schedule): $155 a year up to 5,000 gallons, $215 up to 20,000, $425 up to 100,000, $500 up to 200,000, and $705 up to 1,000,000 gallons, with the first year's annual fee collected at application. Fees are CPI-adjusted each January.
- Renewal
- Annual
- Processing
- About 60 to 120 days, including a 30-day public posting at the premises; you must hold or be applying for the TTB Basic Permit first
ABC Type 02 Winegrower Duplicate License (only for a satellite tasting room)
A tasting room at any address other than the licensed winery needs its own duplicate of the Type 02 for that premises, carrying the same pour, sell, and ship privileges there. State law (SB 19) caps a winery at two off-site tasting rooms beyond the one at its production site, and the cap is statewide, so you cannot get around it by opening in different counties. Each location also needs its own local zoning approval before ABC will act, which is why the duplicate sits at the state level here but the local fee lands on your city page.
- Fee
- A $550 application fee plus a $215 annual fee for each off-site location (2026 schedule)
- Renewal
- Annual (renewed with the master Type 02)
- Processing
- About 60 to 90 days, including a 30-day posting at the new premises
ABC Type 93 Winegrower Estate Tasting Event Permit (only for off-site estate events)
New under AB 720 and available since the start of 2026, the Type 93 lets a Type 02 winery exercise its tasting privileges off the licensed premises, on land it owns or controls next to the winery, or at a non-adjacent vineyard it owns or controls. It is optional and event-based: you file a per-event authorization for each one and are capped at 36 a year. It does not override local zoning, and servers at the events still need RBS certification.
- Fee
- A $210 annual permit fee plus $100 per event authorization, up to 36 events a calendar year
- Renewal
- Annual (renewed with the master Type 02)
- Processing
- ABC has not yet published a processing time; the permit became available January 1, 2026
CDTFA Winegrower Alcoholic Beverage Tax (State Wine Excise Tax)
California charges its own per-gallon excise tax on wine, paid by the winery when wine leaves the bonded premises, and it surprises owners who thought the federal excise tax was the only one. Wine sold in bond to another winegrower or exported out of state is exempt. The state tax is in lieu of any county or city tax on the wine itself, but it does not replace sales tax on the retail price. The monthly filing cadence, with a return due even in a zero month, trips up new wineries used to quarterly federal filing.
- Fee
- $0 to register the account. The tax is $0.20 per gallon on still wine (at any ABV) and $0.30 per gallon on champagne and sparkling wine. It is separate from, and on top of, the federal TTB excise tax.
- Renewal
- A return is filed monthly, by the 15th, even when no tax is due
- Processing
- CDTFA opens the account after your ABC application is received; registration is immediate online
Seller's Permit (Sales Tax)
Beyond the excise tax, a winery collects ordinary sales tax on its retail wine, the tasting-room counter sale, the wine-club shipment to a California address, and the online order delivered in state, at the rate for the delivery point. Wholesale sales to a retailer for resale are not taxed; the buyer hands you a resale certificate instead. The excise tax and the sales tax are two different obligations on the same bottle, filed to the same agency under two accounts.
- Fee
- $0 (free to register). CDTFA can ask for a security deposit based on projected sales. Sales tax runs from the 7.25 percent base up, by the district where the wine is delivered or picked up.
- Renewal
- No expiration while you operate
- Processing
- Immediate when you register online; CDTFA opens it alongside the excise account
CDFA Grape Crush Report and Winegrape Assessments (only if you crush grapes)
Every winery that crushes or buys California winegrapes files an annual grape crush report with CDFA, listing tons crushed by variety, district, price, and sugar, and remits two assessments with it. The Pierce's Disease assessment is the one new owners never see coming: it funds the fight against a vine-killing bacterium and its insect vector, and it applies to your own-grown and purchased fruit alike, with no break for a small crusher. A winery that buys juice rather than whole grapes should check with CDFA whether the report applies; a winery that crushed nothing files a no-activity certification.
- Fee
- A crush and acreage assessment of $0.14 per ton of grapes crushed, plus the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter assessment of $1.25 per $1,000 of winegrape value (2025 harvest). Neither has a small-crusher exemption.
- Renewal
- Filed annually with CDFA (the main report is due January 10)
- Processing
- Ongoing reporting obligation; no permit is issued
California Employer Payroll Tax Registration (only once you hire)
A solo owner-operator winery can wait, but the first cellar hand or tasting-room pourer paid more than $100 in a calendar quarter triggers registration with the EDD within 15 days. It sets up a payroll tax account carrying unemployment insurance and the employment training tax you pay plus disability insurance and income tax withholding from wages. Harvest brings seasonal crews, so most wineries register early, and new hires go to the state registry within 20 days.
- Fee
- No registration fee. Payroll taxes (UI, ETT, SDI, and PIT withholding) begin once you register.
- Renewal
- One-time registration, then ongoing quarterly filings
- Processing
- Same day online through e-Services for Business; about 10 to 14 days by mail
Workers' Compensation Insurance (only once you hire)
Labor Code Section 3700 makes every employer with even one employee carry workers' compensation before that person starts, and a winery is physical work, forklifts, presses, tank ladders, and harvest crews. You line up a policy through a licensed carrier or the State Fund and post the coverage notice. It is not optional once you bring on your first cellar or tasting-room worker.
- Fee
- Premiums are set by the carrier from your payroll and job class; there is no state fee for the coverage itself. Going without it is a misdemeanor with steep civil penalties.
- Renewal
- Annual policy renewal
- Processing
- Obtained from a licensed insurer; timing depends on the carrier
Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Certification
Pouring a tasting flight is alcohol service under California law, so everyone who pours, sells, or supervises service in the tasting room registers with ABC, completes approved RBS training, and passes the ABC exam, all within 60 days of starting. It applies at the main winery and at any satellite tasting room. The certification follows the person and lasts three years, after which they retrain and retest, there is no quick renewal.
- Fee
- A $3 server registration fee to ABC, plus an approved training course set by the provider, commonly $8 to $15. Under SB 476 the employer pays the cost.
- Renewal
- Every 3 years
- Processing
- About a 2-hour online course, then the ABC exam, completed within 60 days of a new hire's first day
California Food Handler Card (only if your tasting room serves food)
A pour-only tasting room needs no food handler cards, only RBS. The card kicks in when the tasting room prepares or serves food, a cheese and charcuterie program, small plates, or a café, in which case the food workers earn a card within 30 days of hire. If you run a real kitchen alongside the tasting room you also pick up a county food facility permit, which is a local matter on your city page.
- Fee
- Capped at $15 per person for the course, exam, and card. Under SB 476 the employer pays the cost and the training time.
- Renewal
- Every 3 years
- Processing
- Self-paced online course and exam; the card usually issues the same day
California Water Right (only if you draw your own surface water)
A winery or vineyard that diverts its own surface water, from a creek, river, spring, or reservoir, for irrigation or process water needs an appropriative water right from the State Water Board if the diversion began after 1914. Pre-1914 and riparian rights do not need a permit but do require a statement of diversion. Percolating groundwater pumped from a well on the overlying land usually needs no state water right, though the parcel may still answer to a local groundwater agency under SGMA. A winery on municipal water skips this entirely.
- Fee
- An application fee that varies by the size of the diversion, commonly a few thousand dollars, plus annual water-right fees once a permit issues. Check the Division of Water Rights fee schedule for the current amount.
- Renewal
- An annual report of diversion and use; a permit must be developed into a license over time
- Processing
- About 12 to 36 months, including CEQA environmental review
SWRCB Winery Process Water Discharge Order (only if you discharge process water to land)
A winery that puts out 10,000 gallons or more a year of process water, the high-strength wash and crush-pad water from barrels, tanks, and equipment, and disposes of it to land through a pond, irrigation, or a leach field has to enroll in the statewide Winery Order, which protects groundwater from the nitrogen, salt, and oxygen demand in winery effluent. An urban winery plumbed entirely to the municipal sewer is generally exempt, while a rural winery discharging to land almost always enrolls. This is a water-quality permit, separate from a water right, and a vineyard winery can need both.
- Fee
- An annual fee set by tier on the volume of process water discharged to land, with the application fee equal to the first year's annual fee. The per-tier amounts are set in the State Water Board's water quality fee schedule, so confirm the current figure with the Water Board. Discharging under 10,000 gallons a year is exempt.
- Renewal
- Annual; enrollment continues as long as the discharge does
- Processing
- File a Notice of Intent at least 190 days before a new facility opens
SB 1383 Organic Waste Compliance
SB 1383 makes every California business separate organic waste from the trash, and a winery has two sources of it. Grape pomace and press solids are organic waste: a winery that land-applies them may handle that under the Winery Order, but one that would otherwise landfill them subscribes to organics or composting collection instead. A tasting-room kitchen that generates food scraps subscribes to organics collection too. There is no state permit, but the local jurisdiction enforces it and can fine you.
- Fee
- No state permit fee. The cost is operational: organics collection through your hauler, or land application or off-site composting of pomace.
- Renewal
- Ongoing operational obligation; no separate renewal
- Processing
- Not applicable; this is a compliance duty, not a permit
California-specific things to watch for
Frequently asked questions
How much is a winery license in California?
The core state license is the ABC Type 02 Winegrower license. The application fee is $1,135, plus a production-based annual fee: $155 a year up to 5,000 gallons, $215 up to 20,000, $425 up to 100,000, $500 up to 200,000, and $705 up to 1,000,000 gallons. Both the application fee and the first annual fee are due at application, and the fees are CPI-adjusted each January. CDTFA tax registration is free.
Do you need a license for a wine tasting room in California?
If the tasting room is at your licensed winery, no separate license is needed, because pouring and selling by the glass and bottle are built into the Type 02 Winegrower license. To open a tasting room somewhere other than the winery, you need a Type 02 duplicate license for that location ($550 to apply, $215 a year), and California limits a winery to two such off-site tasting rooms. Every pourer also needs RBS certification.
Do California wineries pay state wine tax?
Yes. California levies its own alcoholic beverage excise tax, $0.20 a gallon on still wine and $0.30 on champagne and sparkling wine, paid by the winery to CDTFA when wine leaves the bonded premises and filed monthly. It is separate from and on top of the federal TTB excise tax. Wine sold in bond to another winery or exported out of state is exempt, and the state tax is in lieu of any local tax on the wine itself.
What is the Pierce's Disease assessment for California wineries?
It is a CDFA assessment on California winegrapes, $1.25 per $1,000 of grape value for the 2025 harvest, that funds research and control of Pierce's disease and the glassy-winged sharpshooter that spreads it. Every winery or processor that crushes or buys winegrapes pays it, with no exemption for small crushers, and it is remitted annually with the grape crush report (the main filing is due January 10).
Can a California winery ship wine directly to consumers?
Within California, yes, with no extra permit: direct shipping to adult California consumers is a built-in privilege of the Type 02 Winegrower license, so no separate direct-to-consumer or shipper permit is needed for in-state orders. California sales tax and the state excise tax still apply to each shipment. Shipping to consumers in other states requires a direct shipper permit in each destination state, which is a separate matter from California licensing.
You just read through every credential your winery needs in California.
Each one has a different renewal date, a different fee, and a different agency. CredentiAlert tracks all of them and reminds you before any of them lapse, so you can spend your time running your business, not managing a renewal calendar.
- California ABC, License Fees
- California ABC, Annual Fee Schedule
- California ABC, Application Fee Schedules
- California ABC, Winegrowers/Blenders Report
- California ABC, Type 93 Winegrower Estate Tasting Event Permit
- California ABC, Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training
- CDTFA, Tax Guide for Winemakers (Getting Started)
- CDTFA, Special Taxes and Fees, Alcoholic Beverage Tax Rates
- CDFA, Grape Crush Report Program
- CDFA, Pierce's Disease Control Program, Assessment and Referendum
- State Water Board, Water Rights Applications
- State Water Board, Winery Process Water Order (WQ 2021-0002-DWQ)
- CalRecycle, SB 1383 Organic Waste Reduction
- California Business and Professions Code Section 23013 (winegrower definition)
- California Secretary of State, bizfile Online
Last verified 2026-06-14. Requirements change. Always confirm with the issuing department before applying.