Updated November 8, 2026. This article was written in October 2024, after Assembly Bill 2174 was signed and before its January 1, 2025 effective date. It describes the new Type 91 beer caterer’s permit as summarized by ABC. Current procedures are described separately at the end. It is general information, not legal advice.
Breweries get their own catering permit
California breweries have long been part of festivals, street fairs, and community events. Starting January 1, 2025, licensed beer manufacturers will have a dedicated way to sell their own beer at approved events: a new Type 91 beer caterer’s permit created by Assembly Bill 2174 (Aguiar-Curry, Chapter 308, Statutes of 2024).
ABC’s 2024 chaptered legislation summary describes the new permit in detail. This article explains what it allows, its limits and fees, and what brewery teams should do to prepare their staff before the first event season of 2025.
This is different from the Type 58 caterer’s permit available to certain on-sale retail licensees, which we covered in our Type 58 catering guide. The Type 91 is designed for beer manufacturers.
What the permit allows
According to ABC’s summary, AB 2174 amends Business and Professions Code section 23320 and adds section 23399.01. It establishes a beer catering permit, the Type 91, that ABC can issue to a licensed beer manufacturer. The permit authorizes the sale of beer produced by or for the beer manufacturer for consumption at conventions, sporting events, trade exhibits, picnics, social gatherings, community events, or similar events held anywhere in the state approved by ABC.
The permit alone does not authorize an event. ABC’s summary explains that to exercise the permit’s privileges, the beer manufacturer must apply to ABC for a catering event authorization and receive local law enforcement approval. If approved, the brewery may sell beer produced by or for it within a specified area at the event.
Key restrictions
ABC’s summary lists several conditions:
- On-sale only. The privileges are exclusively on-sale, meaning beer cannot be removed from the licensed area of the event. No to-go cans or growlers leaving the event area under the permit.
- Own beer only. Sales are limited to beer produced by or for the beer manufacturer.
- License privileges only. At approved events, the permit holder is restricted to privileges authorized by its license and permit.
- Full ABC Act compliance. The permit holder must comply with all provisions of the ABC Act, which ABC’s summary says includes completion of Responsible Beverage Service training.
- Discipline at events counts. Violations at a catered event are grounds for discipline against the license, including suspension or revocation, as if the violation occurred at the licensed premises.
Limits on events and sales
ABC’s summary sets out the numbers:
- No more than 36 total event authorizations per permit holder in a calendar year.
- No more than two beer caterers may participate per day at a single event.
- No more than 124 gallons of beer sold by a beer caterer at each event.
- Records of all beer sales under the permit must be kept for at least three years.
The two-caterer limit is worth noting for event organizers who imagine a large lineup of breweries each operating under its own Type 91 permit. That model would need a different license structure.
Fees
According to ABC’s summary, beginning January 1, 2025:
- The Type 91 permit carries an annual fee of $275, subject to increases tied to the California Consumer Price Index as authorized for other ABC license types.
- Each event authorization carries a fee of $100 when anticipated attendance is under 1,000; $325 for 1,000 to 4,999; and $1,000 for 5,000 or more.
- The permit may be renewed annually at the same time as the beer manufacturing license.
Preparing a brewery team for events
Certify event staff
Because ABC’s summary specifically notes RBS training as part of ABC Act compliance, brewery staff pouring at events should hold current RBS certification. That includes taproom staff who may be sent to festivals, and any additional staff hired for event season. ABC’s RBS FAQ explains that alcohol servers include anyone who checks ID for alcohol service, takes alcohol orders, pours, or delivers alcohol.
Define the area
Because the privileges are exclusively on-sale within a specified area, staff need to know exactly where that area ends. Plan fencing, signs, and staff positions at exits.
Track volume
With a 124-gallon limit per event, someone should track kegs tapped and cans opened. A simple keg log at the booth, reconciled with the brewery’s inventory after the event, also supports the three-year record requirement.
Check IDs consistently
Festivals attract all ages. Decide whether IDs are checked at an entry gate, at the booth, or both. Staff should check every guest who appears under the house threshold and should not serve anyone wearing the wrong wristband or no wristband.
Watch for intoxication
Festival guests often sample from many vendors. Booth staff may see a guest for only a moment, so they need to assess quickly. Selling to an obviously intoxicated person is prohibited by section 25602, and a violation at an event counts against the license.
Plan pour sizes
Tasters and smaller pours help guests pace themselves and stretch a 124-gallon allotment. Higher-alcohol beers deserve smaller pours.
Coordinate with the organizer
Agree in writing on who controls entry, wristbands, security, and the alcohol area boundaries. Share the law enforcement approval and event authorization with the organizer.
Paperwork to keep at the booth
- The ABC event authorization and any conditions.
- Local law enforcement approval.
- A diagram or description of the specified sales area.
- Staff RBS status, verified in ABC’s portal.
- The keg or volume log.
How this fits with other options
Breweries may still participate in events in other ways, such as pouring for a nonprofit that holds a daily license. Our daily license guide explains that model. The Type 91 adds a path for the brewery to sell its own beer directly at approved events.
A scenario for spring 2025
A small brewery with a Type 23 small beer manufacturer license plans to apply for a Type 91 permit once it becomes available. The owner maps out eight spring and summer events, budgets the $275 annual fee and per-event fees based on expected attendance, and schedules RBS renewals for two taproom staff whose certifications will expire midsummer. For each event, the team will request local police approval early, bring a keg log, and fence a small sales area next to the stage.
Choosing the right events
With a cap of 36 event authorizations a year and a 124-gallon limit per event, breweries will need to choose events strategically. Questions to weigh include:
- Expected attendance, which determines the event authorization fee tier.
- Whether the organizer already has alcohol sales arranged through another license, and whether another beer caterer is already participating, given the two-caterer daily limit.
- Whether the event’s audience and hours fit the brewery’s ability to staff the booth with certified, experienced servers.
- How long local law enforcement approval typically takes in that jurisdiction.
Planning a season calendar in early 2025, with applications submitted well ahead of each event, will avoid last-minute surprises.
Staffing the booth
A festival booth is a small bar with unusual pressures: long lines, sun or cold, noise, and guests who have visited many other booths. A typical setup might include one person checking IDs or wristbands, one or two pourers, and a lead who handles cash, watches the line for intoxicated guests, and makes refusal decisions. Rotate staff for breaks, provide water for workers, and plan a clear way to reach event security. If temperatures are high, the outdoor heat illness rules in our heat illness guide may apply to booth staff.
Closing the booth
Plan when sales will stop, ideally before the event itself ends, so guests are not leaving with full cups. Collect empty cups, confirm that no beer has left the specified area, and record final volumes in the keg log. After the event, reconcile volumes with inventory and file records with the event authorization so they can be found later. A short debrief with staff about refusals, lines, and any problems will help the next event go better.
Records that travel with the booth
Because the permit requires records to be kept for three years, it helps to build a simple event packet: the event authorization, the law enforcement approval, a list of servers with their Server IDs and RBS status, the keg or package log with starting and ending volumes, and incident notes. Keep a printed copy at the booth during the event and file the completed packet afterward. A consistent packet makes it easy to answer questions from an organizer, an ABC agent, or a local officer, and to show that the 124-gallon limit was respected. Assign one person to own the packet for each event so nothing is lost when staff rotate.
After the first few events, compare the packets side by side. Patterns in refusals, line length, and volume used will show whether staffing levels and the event mix are right for the rest of the season.
Breweries that already pour at fairs under nonprofit daily licenses can use those experiences to estimate staffing, volumes, and line management for their first Type 91 events in 2025.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Type 91 permit start?
ABC’s summary lists AB 2174 as effective January 1, 2025.
Can we sell other breweries’ beer?
No. ABC’s summary says sales are limited to beer produced by or for the beer manufacturer.
Can guests take beer home?
No. ABC says the privileges are exclusively on-sale and beer cannot be removed from the licensed area.
Current context as of November 8, 2026
As of this update, ABC’s Caterer’s Permit page lists the Type 91 beer manufacturer’s caterer’s permit as available to holders of a beer manufacturer license (Type 01 or 23), with a maximum of 36 event days that can be authorized per calendar year, and states that all Type 91 catering events must be approved by the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction. ABC’s Type 58 authorization page also notes that Type 91 catering authorization applications are not available online. Check ABC’s current pages for forms and procedures.
The bottom line
The Type 91 permit gives breweries a direct route to sell their own beer at approved events, with clear limits on events, volume, and area. Certified staff, a defined sales area, a volume log, and careful ID checks will make the first season run smoothly.
Certify the Booth Crew
Every event pour counts. ServeTrain’s ABC-approved online RBS course helps California brewery staff and managers certify before festival season begins. Before enrolling, register or log in to your RBS Portal account with ABC and confirm your chosen course appears in the portal’s training provider search.
Sources
- ABC: 2024 Chaptered Legislation
- ABC: Caterer's Permit (current note)
- ABC: Apply for a Type 58 Catering Authorization (current note)
- ABC: RBS Frequently Asked Questions
- California BPC 25602
This article is general information, not legal advice.
