Kern's 51 Liquor-License Opportunities Include 25 Transfers; Applications Close September 25

The filing window closes September 25

BAKERSFIELD — Applicants must be inside an ABC office by 5 p.m. Friday, September 25, 2026, to file in person. Mailed applications must be postmarked by September 25. The Bakersfield office is at 4800 Stockdale Highway, Suite 213; questions can be directed to (661) 395-2731.

Nearly half of Kern's opportunities are transfers

ABC's allocation lists 25 new on-sale general licenses, one new off-sale general license and 25 intercounty on-sale transfers for Kern. Adding the categories gives 51 opportunities, but only 26 are newly issued licenses. The other 25 move existing licenses into the county.

Our calculation puts transfers at approximately 49% of Kern's allocation: 25 divided by 51. The headline total therefore cannot be treated as 51 newly created statewide licenses or 51 confirmed business openings.

Kern has the same transfer allocation as Fresno but two fewer new licenses. These figures compare available opportunities; they do not measure applications received, demand or eventual openings.

Budget for the application and later costs

The priority filing fee is $19,840 for an original general license or $7,515 for an intercounty transfer. ABC accepts certified checks, cashier's checks or money orders. Annual and fingerprint fees are collected later with the formal application; the initial fee is not a complete startup budget.

Complete ABC-521 and the applicable ownership attachments. An applicant may seek both an original and an intercounty license of the same type, but overlapping ownership interests can violate duplicate-application restrictions. Review the instructions before submitting through related businesses.

What happens after applications close

ABC schedules drawings for the week of October 26 where applications exceed availability, with details due October 19. Its application-package selector asks for the county, license type, transaction and ownership structure to identify the required forms.

A successful priority position still requires a formal premises application. ABC gives eligible applicants 90 days after notification to complete that step; winning priority does not authorize alcohol sales.

Reporting and update note

Updated September 24 with the filing deadline, current instructions and our county comparison. The August 31 report cited BakersfieldNow's local coverage; this update checks the allocation directly against ABC's published table.