Local Alcohol Approval (CUB / Restaurant Beverage Program) — Los Angeles
Serving alcohol in the City of Los Angeles requires local land-use approval — a Conditional Use (CUB) or the streamlined Restaurant Beverage Program — in addition to the state ABC license.
What it is. City land-use approval to sell/serve alcohol, paired with the California ABC state license.
Who issues it. Los Angeles City Planning (City layer) — via a Conditional Use Permit for alcoholic beverages (CUB) or, for qualifying sit-down restaurants, the Restaurant Beverage Program (RBP) administrative clearance.
When you need it. Before serving alcohol. CUB requires a public hearing; RBP offers a faster administrative path for eligible full-service restaurants.
How to apply. File with City Planning's Beverage and Entertainment Streamlining (BESt) unit via the City's appointment portal; confirm alcohol-service permission for your zone in ZIMAS.
Fees. Per City Planning fee schedule — see source (⟢ VERIFY; CUB and RBP fees differ).
What SpoonSeal tracks. The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
References
- Los Angeles City Planning, Alcohol & Entertainment — https://planning.lacity.gov/project-review/alcohol-sales — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.