Need to renew your California ABC license? You may be eligible for a renewal fee waiver!
As California businesses continue their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, certain ABC licensees have been given the opportunity to save money through license renewal fee waivers. Specified licensees with on-sale privileges may be eligible for fee waivers for licenses that expire between March 1, 2021 and February 28, 2023.
Learn more about California’s ABC license renewal fee waivers — and find out whether your license is eligible — below.
Am I eligible for a renewal fee waiver?
Your business must meet all of the three following criteria to be eligible for renewal fee waivers:
- You have the following license types:
- 02 - Winegrower (licensee must have produced less than 100,000 gallons in the 2020-2021 fiscal year to qualify, and must submit the accurate production volume on the winegrowers annual report)
- 23 - Small Beer Manufacturer (and duplicate 23)
- 40 - On-Sale Beer
- 41 - On-Sale Beer & Wine - Eating Place
- 42 - On-Sale Beer & Wine - Public Premises
- 47 - On-Sale General - Eating Place (and duplicate 47)
- 48 - On-Sale General - Public Premises (and duplicate 48)
- 49 - On-Sale General - Seasonal (and duplicate 49)
- 50 - On-Sale General Club
- 51 - Club
- 52 - Veteran’s Club
- 57 - Special On-Sale General (and duplicate 57)
- 58 - Caterer’s Permit
- 59 - On-Sale Beer & Wine - Seasonal
- 60 - On-Sale Beer - Seasonal
- 61 - On-Sale Beer - Public Premises
- 64 - Special On-Sale General for Nonprofit Theater Company
- 68 - Portable Bar License
- 69 - Special On-Sale Beer and Wine Theater
- 71 - Special On-Sale General for a For-Profit Theater within the City and County of San Francisco (and duplicate 71)
- 72 - Special On-Sale General for a For-Profit Theater within the county of Napa (and duplicate 72)
- 74 - Craft Distiller
- 75 - Brewpub-Restaurant (and duplicate 75)
- 76 - On-Sale General Maritime Museum Association (and duplicate 76)
- 77 - Event Permit
- 78 - On-Sale General for Wine, Food and Art Cultural Museum, and Educational Center (and duplicate 78)
- 83 - General On-Sale License to Caterer
- 86 - Instructional Tasting License
- 87 - Special On-Sale General License for Specified Census Tracts in the City/County of San Francisco (and duplicate 87)
- 99 - On-Sale General for Special Use
- Your ABC license was active from March 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
- The primary operation at your licensed premises was disrupted by health and safety restrictions implemented to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
How to request a renewal fee waiver
Requesting a renewal fee waiver is simple — and more than 21,000 ABC licensees so far have been approved! Here’s the three-step process:
Step 1: Search your license number after receiving your renewal notice in the mail (approximately 60 days before your license expiration date).
Step 2: Verify whether your license type is eligible for the fee waiver and identify your remaining balance due, if any.
Step 3: For eligible licenses, you will be able to submit your renewal fee waiver request online if you have no balance due. You can also also submit your request by mail when sending in your payment for any remaining balance due.
Note that approved requests are only effective for the one-year license renewal period. Licensees need to submit a request every year to receive e renewal fee waiver during the annual license period of March 1, 2021 through February 28, 2023.
Be sure to review the detailed Requirements and Guidelines before submitting your fee waiver request!
Prepare for RBS Certification requirements
In addition to the licensing requirements, ABC wants to make sure your business is prepared for the Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training and Certification mandate coming into effect on July 1, 2022.
All alcoholic beverage servers and their managers must take an approved Responsible Beverage Service Training Program (RBSTP) and pass the state-delivered exam to get certified.
Userve has made it simple to get your RBS Certification. Learn all about the RBS Certification requirements, use our step-by-step guide to ensure you’re following all the right steps to get your certification and enroll in our RBS Certification Training Program today!
Need to enroll three or more staff members? Contact us to learn more about our complimentary Userve Business Accounts.
