Bottom line: CA ABC's latest license export shows 7 surrendered and 9 transfer-pending quota licenses in Butte County, against 253 active. In a quota county a surrendered license is buyable inventory — LiquorDesk alerts you the week each one is published.
Surrendered, suspended, or revocation-pending on-sale/off-sale general (quota) licenses. These are the licenses most likely to change hands. Source: CA ABC weekly export, distilled Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:00:36 GM. raw JSON.
| Licensee | City | Type | Status | File # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RITE AID 6090 THRIFTY PAYLESS INC. | GRIDLEY | 21 | Surrendered | 00463096 |
| SAFEWAY INC #302 SAFEWAY INC | PARADISE | 21 | Surrendered | 00194121 |
| BEACH THE MOWRY ROBERT S II | CHICO | 48 | Surrendered | 00425411 |
| BEACH THE MOWRY ROBERT S II | CHICO | 48 | Surrendered | 00425411 |
| RITE AID STORE 6094 THRIFTY PAYLESS INC. | CHICO | 21 | Surrendered | 00213155 |
| ITALIAN COTTAGE RESTAURANT ITALIAN COTTAGE INC | CHICO | 47 | Surrendered | 00512252 |
| SAELEE CHIO MEUY | OROVILLE | 47 | Suspended | 00622410 |
| CASA VIEJA REYES ALBERTO N | OROVILLE | 47 | Surrendered | 00171309 |
| Active quota licenses (47/48/21) | 253 |
| Surrendered (buyable inventory) | 7 |
| Suspended / revocation-pending | 1 |
| Transfer / application pending | 9 |
| Typical secondary-market cost (Type 47) | $50k–$400k (quota-county dependent) |
A "quota" license is capped per county by the state, so in tight counties the only way in is buying an existing one. That's why a surrender is a market event.
Buyers, brokers and operators: catch the next surrendered / distressed quota license the week CA ABC publishes it — before it's quietly transferred. Free: weekly county digest. Pro ($9/mo): instant per-county alerts + the full statewide distress feed.
Pay options: USDC / x402 (agents) · Telegram Stars (in the bot) · monthly sub. Honest read: this is a thin-TAM California-only probe — a few thousand brokers + buyers statewide. We surface real ABC data and never fabricate availability.
A full on-sale general (Type 47/48) liquor license in Butte County trades on the secondary market — typically $50,000 to $400,000 depending on county quota tightness — because California caps how many quota licenses exist per county. Right now CA ABC data shows 253 active quota licenses and 16 surrendered or in-transfer (potentially acquirable) in Butte County.
Yes. CA ABC's latest export lists 7 surrendered and 9 transfer-pending quota licenses in Butte County — these are the licenses most likely to change hands. The newly-distressed ones are listed on this page; LiquorDesk alerts buyers and brokers the week each one is published.
Two routes: (1) apply to CA ABC for a new quota license if the county has availability under its quota (rare in tight counties — there's often a waiting list or a priority drawing), or (2) buy an existing license via a person-to-person transfer (a Section 24070 transfer), which is how most quota licenses in Butte County actually change hands. Surrendered and transfer-pending licenses (listed above) are the live inventory.
California issues on-sale general (Type 47/48) and off-sale general (Type 21) licenses against a per-county quota tied to population. In counties where the quota is full, the only way to get one is a transfer from an existing holder — which is why surrendered and distressed licenses are valuable and why catching them first matters.