Bottom line: CA ABC's latest license export shows 6 surrendered and 12 transfer-pending quota licenses in Humboldt County, against 187 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 # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALIBI RESTAURANT & COCKTAIL LOUNGE THE ALIBI INC THE | ARCATA | 47 | Surrendered | 00564295 |
| CVS PHARMACY STORE 9681 GARFIELD BEACH CVS LLC | EUREKA | 21 | Surrendered | 00477888 |
| N & S LIQUORS SINGH MANDEEP | EUREKA | 21 | Surrendered | 00576939 |
| FOURTH STREET MARKET & DELI FOURTH STREET MARKET INC. | ARCATA | 47 | Surrendered | 00644463 |
| LOUIE'S BK FAMILY LLC | MCKINLEYVILLE | 48 | Surrendered | 00638000 |
| LOUIE'S BK FAMILY LLC | MCKINLEYVILLE | 48 | Surrendered | 00638000 |
| Active quota licenses (47/48/21) | 187 |
| Surrendered (buyable inventory) | 6 |
| Suspended / revocation-pending | 0 |
| Transfer / application pending | 12 |
| 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 Humboldt 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 187 active quota licenses and 18 surrendered or in-transfer (potentially acquirable) in Humboldt County.
Yes. CA ABC's latest export lists 6 surrendered and 12 transfer-pending quota licenses in Humboldt 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 Humboldt 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.