§ 23950. To whom made.
Application for a license shall be made to the department upon a form prescribed by the department and shall be accompanied by such other information as the department may require to assist it in determining whether the applicant and the premises qualify for a license.
(Amended by Stats. 1957, Ch. 1270.)
§ 23951. Contents of application.
The application shall contain the following information:
(a) The name of the applicant.
(b) For a general partnership, the names of the individual partners.
(c) For a limited partnership, limited liability company, or a corporation, the name of the entity.
(d) The location of the premises for which the license is applied.
(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 639, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 1999.)
§ 23952. Additional contents.
The application shall also contain a statement to the effect that the applicant has not been convicted of a felony and has not violated and will not violate or cause or permit to be violated any of the provisions of this division or any rule of the department applicable to the applicant or pertaining to the manufacture, sale, or distribution of alcoholic beverages, particularly any of the provisions of Sections 25500 to 25504, inclusive, or Sections 25611 to 25615, inclusive. If the applicant cannot make this statement the application shall contain a statement of the violation, if any, or reasons which will prevent the applicant from being able to comply with the requirements with respect to the statement.
(Amended by Stats. 1955, Ch. 447.)
§ 23953. Signatures on application.
(a) The application shall be signed by the applicant.
(b) For a general partnership, the application shall be signed by each of the partners, and for the purposes of this division the partners shall be deemed the applicant for any license and the licensees under any license issued pursuant to that application.
(c) For a limited partnership, the application for any license shall be signed by each of the general partners.
(d) For a limited liability company that has elected to be managed by its members, the application shall be signed by each member or by an officer authorized by the articles of organization or the operating agreement to bind the company. In the case of a limited liability company that has elected to be managed by a manager or managers, the application shall be signed by the manager or managers or by an officer authorized by the articles of organization or the operating agreement to bind the company.
(e) For a corporation, the application shall be signed by two officers of the corporation, one from each of the following categories:
- The chairperson of the board, the president, or a vice president.
- The secretary, assistant secretary, chief financial officer, or assistant treasurer.
(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 639, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1999.)
§ 23954. Verification; License fee.
The application shall be verified under oath and accompanied by the license fee.
(Added by Stats. 1953, Ch. 152.)
§ 23954.6. “Original on-sale general license”.
As used in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 23320, “original on-sale general license” includes an original special on-sale general license; provided, that the fee prescribed in that subparagraph shall not be required in connection with the exchange of an on-sale general license for a special on-sale general license, or for the exchange of a special on-sale general license for an on-sale general license.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 29, Sec. 44. (SB 82) Effective June 27, 2019.)
§ 23955. Wine grower’s license fee.
Any applicant for a wine grower’s license shall, at the time of filing application for license, accompany the application with a license fee based upon a reasonable estimate of the amount of wine gallonage to be produced by the applicant.
(Added by Stats. 1953, Ch. 152.)
§ 23956. Offsale general license fee.
Any applicant for an offsale general license shall, at the time of filing application for such license, accompany the application with the minimum license fee required or such larger fee as the applicant elects.
(Amended by Stats. 1963, Ch. 1040.)
§ 23957. Premises under construction.
Applications for licenses for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages for premises which are to be constructed or which are in the process of construction shall contain the information required by this article and such other information concerning the proposed premises as the department may require to assist it in determining whether the proposed premises will qualify for a license.
(Amended by Stats. 1979, Ch. 373.)
§ 23958. Investigation of application; Grounds for denial.
Upon receipt of an application for a license or for a transfer of a license and the applicable fee, the department shall make a thorough investigation to determine whether the applicant and the premises for which a license is applied qualify for a license and whether the provisions of this division have been complied with, and shall investigate all matters connected therewith which may affect the public welfare and morals. The department shall deny an application for a license or for a transfer of a license if either the applicant or the premises for which a license is applied do not qualify for a license under this division.
The department further shall deny an application for a license if issuance of that license would tend to create a law enforcement problem, or if issuance would result in or add to an undue concentration of licenses, except as provided in Section 23958.4.
(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 630, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995.)
§ 23958.1. Investigation of application; Exception.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 23958, the department is not required to investigate the personal qualifications of a licensed beer and wine wholesaler who applies for additional beer and wine wholesaler licenses.
(Added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 1887.)
§ 23958.2. Investigation by department where license transferred between partners.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 23958, the department is not required to investigate the personal qualifications or premises of a currently licensed person when a license is being transferred between partners and no new partner is being licensed.
(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 477.)
§ 23958.4. “Undue concentration”; Requirements for issuance of license; Number of licenses issued.
(a) For purposes of Section 23958, “undue concentration” means the case in which the applicant premises for an original or premises-to-premises transfer of any retail license are located in an area where any of the following conditions exist:
- The applicant premises are located in a crime reporting district that has a 20 percent greater number of reported crimes, as defined in subdivision (c), than the average number of reported crimes as determined from all crime reporting districts within the jurisdiction of the local law enforcement agency.
- As to on-sale retail license applications, the ratio of on-sale retail licenses to population in the census tract or census division in which the applicant premises are located exceeds the ratio of on-sale retail licenses to population in the county in which the applicant premises are located.
- As to off-sale retail license applications, the ratio of off-sale retail licenses to population in the census tract or census division in which the applicant premises are located exceeds the ratio of off-sale retail licenses to population in the county in which the applicant premises are located.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 23958, the department may issue a license as follows:
- With respect to a nonretail license, a retail on-sale bona fide eating place license, a retail license issued for a hotel, motel, or other lodging establishment, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 25503.16, a retail license issued in conjunction with a beer manufacturer’s license, or a winegrower’s license, if the applicant shows that public convenience or necessity would be served by the issuance.
- With respect to any other license, if the local governing body of the area in which the applicant premises are located, or its designated subordinate officer or body, determines within 90 days of notification of a completed application that public convenience or necessity would be served by the issuance. The 90-day period shall commence upon receipt by the local governing body of (A) notification by the department of an application for licensure, or (B) a completed application according to local requirements, if any, whichever is later.
If the local governing body, or its designated subordinate officer or body, does not make a determination within the 90-day period, then the department may issue a license if the applicant shows the department that public convenience or necessity would be served by the issuance. In making its determination, the department shall not attribute any weight to the failure of the local governing body, or its designated subordinate officer or body, to make a determination regarding public convenience or necessity within the 90-day period.
(c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
- “Reporting districts” means geographical areas within the boundaries of a single governmental entity (city or the unincorporated area of a county) that are identified by the local law enforcement agency in the compilation and maintenance of statistical information on reported crimes and arrests.
- “Reported crimes” means the most recent yearly compilation by the local law enforcement agency of reported offenses of criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, theft, and motor vehicle theft, combined with all arrests for other crimes, both felonies and misdemeanors, except traffic citations.
- “Population within the census tract or census division” means the population as determined by the most recent United States decennial or special census. The population determination shall not operate to prevent an applicant from establishing that an increase of resident population has occurred within the census tract or census division.
- “Population in the county” shall be determined by the annual population estimate for California counties published by the Demographic Research Unit of the Department of Finance.
- “Retail licenses” shall include the following:
- Off-sale retail licenses: Type 20 (off-sale beer and wine) and Type 21 (off-sale general).
- On-sale retail licenses: All retail on-sale licenses, except Type 43 (on-sale beer and wine for train), Type 44 (on-sale beer and wine for fishing party boat), Type 45 (on-sale beer and wine for boat), Type 46 (on-sale beer and wine for airplane), Type 53 (on-sale general for train and sleeping car), Type 54 (on-sale general for boat), Type 55 (on-sale general for airplane), Type 56 (on-sale general for vessels of more than 1,000 tons burden), and Type 62 (on-sale general bona fide public eating place intermittent dockside license for vessels of more than 15,000 tons displacement).
- A “premises-to-premises transfer” refers to each license being separate and distinct, and transferable upon approval of the department.
(d) For purposes of this section, the number of retail licenses in the county shall be established by the department on an annual basis.
(e) The enactment of this section shall not affect any existing rights of any holder of a retail license issued before April 29, 1992, whose premises were destroyed or rendered unusable as a result of the civil disturbances occurring in Los Angeles from April 29 to May 2, 1992, to reopen and operate those licensed premises.
(f) This section shall not apply if the premises have been licensed and operated with the same type license within 90 days of the application.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 29, Sec. 46. (SB 82) Effective June 27, 2019.)
§ 23959. Credit and refund of fee.
If an application is denied or withdrawn, the nonrefundable portion of the license application fee shall be deposited in the Alcohol Beverage Control Fund as provided in Section 25761. The balance of this amount, if any, shall be credited on any taxes then due from the applicant under Part 14 (commencing with Section 32001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or the Sales and Use Tax Law, and the remaining portion, if any, shall be returned to the applicant.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 29, Sec. 47. (SB 82) Effective June 27, 2019.)
§ 23961. Drawing to determine priority of applications; Residence requirements.
(a)
- If, at the conclusion of the period prescribed by the department for the filing of applications for issuance or transfer of on-sale general licenses or off-sale general licenses in any county in its notice of intention to receive applications therefor published pursuant to Sections 23821 and 24070, the department finds that there are more applicants for the particular type of license than there are licenses available for issuance or transfer under Sections 23821 and 24070 the department shall, within 60 days following the conclusion of said period, conduct a drawing to determine the priority in which all of such applications filed with it shall be considered. No more than one such drawing shall be made in any county in any one year, and no person will be entitled to more than one opportunity to participate in such a drawing in any county with respect to an application for issuance or transfer of any one type of license. The number drawn by any applicant shall indicate the priority to be given to the consideration of the application but shall not insure the issuance of a license by the department.
- In order to participate in the drawing, an applicant shall pay a fee in an amount equal to the fee for licenses identified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 23320. Any participant that does not file a formal application shall receive a refund of the fee less a service charge of one hundred dollars ($100). Any participant that files a formal application and whose application is thereafter denied or withdrawn is entitled to the refund specified in Section 23320.
(b) If a drawing is not conducted as provided in subdivision (a) of this section, applications for issuance of original on-sale general licenses and off-sale general licenses in a county or transfer of the licenses into the county shall be made and considered as otherwise provided in this article.
(c) No person shall be qualified to participate in such a drawing unless such applicant is a resident of California for at least 90 days prior to the drawing. Prior to the issuance of any license, pursuant to such a drawing, the applicant shall present proof of such residency status. A corporation incorporated in a state other than California, but registered with the Secretary of State to do business in California for 90 days, shall be deemed to have satisfied the residency requirement for the purpose of this section.
(d) The department shall advertise, in connection with a drawing conducted pursuant to this section, that participation in such a drawing is available only to California residents.
(e) The department shall make the drawing available for viewing via a live video feed.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 375, Sec. 3. (AB 1704) Effective October 7, 2023.)
§ 23962. Insufficient number of applications; Additional notice.
Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (b) of Section 23961, if at the conclusion of the period prescribed by the department for the filing of applications for issuance or transfer of on-sale general licenses in any county in its notice of intention to receive applications therefor published pursuant to Sections 23821 and 24070, the department finds there are less applicants than there are on-sale general licenses available for issuance or transfer under Sections 23821 and 24070, the department may, within 90 days of the conclusion of the period, publish pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code in the county where such new original on-sale general licenses may be issued or into which on-sale general licenses may be transferred, notice of the department’s intention to receive applications for the issuance of such new original licenses or for the intercounty transfer of such licenses, setting forth the date, time, manner, and place of acceptance of such applications within the county.
If at the conclusion of the period prescribed by the department pursuant to this section, the department finds there are more applicants for such licenses than there are licenses available for issuance or transfer under Sections 23821 and 24070, the provisions of subdivision (a) of Section 23961 requiring priority drawings shall apply.
No person who has applied in any county for a new original on-sale general license or for intercounty transfer of an on-sale general license during the period prescribed by the department in its notice of intention to receive applications therefor published pursuant to Sections 23821 and 24070, shall be permitted to file application for such new original license or for the intercounty transfer of such license in that county during the period prescribed for receiving applications pursuant to this section.
(Added by Stats. 1969, Ch. 1466.)