After the Los Angeles Fires: License Recovery Steps for ABC Licensees

Updated November 8, 2026. This article was first written at the end of January 2025, in the weeks after the Los Angeles fires. It describes ABC resources and long-standing state law available at that time. Relief announced later, and updates ABC has since made to its guidance, are kept separate in the sections near the end. It is general information, not legal advice.

When the business itself is in the path of a disaster

The fires that swept through parts of the greater Los Angeles area in January 2025 damaged homes, neighborhoods, and businesses. For restaurants, bars, wineries, and stores holding alcohol licenses, recovery raises questions that ordinary insurance claims do not answer. Can a restaurant operate temporarily at another address? What happens to damaged inventory? Can a supplier help replace a destroyed bar setup? What about staff who lost their homes or their jobs?

This guide gathers the resources and rules licensees in affected areas could use in the first weeks of recovery. It is also a planning guide for licensees anywhere in California, because fires, floods, and earthquakes can strike any community.

ABC’s helpline for affected licensees

On January 16, 2025, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) established a helpline, (916) 562-1243, and an email address, lafire@abc.ca.gov, for licensees affected by the fires. ABC said the helpline was for the exclusive use of licensees in the impacted area, and that a department representative would answer questions about their ABC licenses. ABC asked all other licensees to keep using the website or their local district offices for routine questions.

For an owner facing a damaged or destroyed premises, calling early is a sensible first step. Questions about temporary locations, license status, and inventory are easier to sort out with ABC involved from the start.

Operating temporarily at another location

State law has long provided a path for licensees whose premises are destroyed. Under Business and Professions Code section 24081, a licensee whose premises have been destroyed by fire, an act of God, or another force beyond their control may carry on the business for up to 180 days at a location within 1,000 feet of the licensed premises while the premises are repaired or rebuilt, and may then resume business at the original premises. The director of ABC may extend the 180-day period by 60 days.

The 1,000-foot limit can be difficult when an entire neighborhood burns. That is one reason disaster relief often expands these rules, as described later in this article. In any case, the first step is to talk to ABC before reopening at a temporary site.

Inventory, storage, and breakage

ABC’s Los Angeles fires advisory for licensees answers common inventory questions with references to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act and ABC rules. Key points include:

• Storage. The advisory says tax-paid wine and beer may be stored anywhere in the state without ABC approval. Distilled spirits may be stored only on licensed premises that can purchase, sell, or store distilled spirits, including Type 14 public warehouses, or in a private warehouse approved by ABC within the county of the licensed premises.
• Breakage. The advisory explains that the ABC Act has no provision allowing suppliers to replace losses from destruction of alcohol caused by natural disasters. Retailers should file claims with their insurers.
• Returns. The advisory says the ABC Act allows return of inventory damaged in fires in exchange for the identical quantity, brand, container size, and item, and notes that suppliers are not required to accept returns.
• Closures. If a retail premises closes for more than 15 days, or closes permanently, the advisory says the law requires the licensee to surrender the license. Once that is done, suppliers may pick up alcoholic beverages and credit the retailer’s account.
• Selling remaining stock. A licensee who has surrendered or canceled a license may apply to sell lawfully acquired stock to licensees authorized to resell it, and an insurer may, with ABC permission, take possession of fire-damaged alcoholic beverages and sell them to authorized licensees.

Help from suppliers with equipment

California’s tied-house laws normally restrict manufacturers and wholesalers from giving things of value to retailers. ABC’s advisory points to a natural disaster exception: a manufacturer or wholesaler may give, rent, lend, or sell equipment, fixtures, or supplies, other than alcoholic beverages, to a retailer whose equipment, fixtures, or supplies were lost or damaged in a natural disaster, when the premises are in an area the Governor has proclaimed to be in a state of disaster. The advisory notes the exception does not apply to transactions occurring three months or more after the proclamation.

That three-month window is short. A retailer rebuilding a bar should document losses quickly and talk with suppliers early if they intend to rely on this exception.

Taking care of staff

Disasters displace workers as well as businesses. Servers and bartenders may lose their homes, their workplaces, or both. A few points help:

• RBS certification follows the worker. ABC’s RBS FAQ says certification is valid for three years and applies to the person, not a specific employer. A certified server who must find work at another venue keeps their certification.
• Verify status for new hires. Venues hiring displaced workers can verify certification in the RBS Portal using the worker’s Server ID and last name. See our RBS renewal tracking guide.
• Stay in touch. Keep an updated contact list so employees can be reached about reopening dates.
• Be flexible. Employees may need time off for housing, insurance, and family matters. Clear, compassionate scheduling helps retain good staff.

Managers should also remember that many employees will be dealing with the same disaster at home. Simple gestures, like sharing information about local relief resources and allowing shift swaps without penalty, can make a real difference to a team trying to recover.

Reopening safely

When a venue reopens, at its original location or a temporary one, a careful restart helps. Confirm license status with ABC, restock only from licensed suppliers, check that all servers are certified, and brief staff on any changes to layout, exits, or procedures. A temporary location may have different entrances, lighting, and security needs. Walk the space with staff before the first service.

Communities recovering from a disaster may also see more stress-related drinking. Servers should be especially attentive to signs of intoxication and ready to refuse service under section 25602 when needed.

Documenting losses

Good records make every next step easier: insurance claims, supplier returns, and conversations with ABC. As soon as it is safe to enter the premises, photograph damage room by room, including storage areas and coolers. List damaged alcohol by brand, size, and quantity, and keep invoices that show what was on hand. Note which products are sealed and which containers are broken, since the return rules described in ABC’s advisory refer to exchanges of identical items. Keep copies of every message with ABC, suppliers, landlords, and insurers in one folder, with dates. If an insurer intends to take possession of damaged alcohol and sell it, remember that the advisory says this requires ABC permission.

Talking with guests and neighbors

Regular guests will want to know what happened and when you will return. A short, honest update on social media or your website, without speculation about timelines you cannot control, keeps goodwill. If you operate at a temporary location, explain where it is and that it is a temporary arrangement while the original premises are rebuilt. When you reopen, consider how your venue can support the recovery: hosting fundraisers, hiring displaced workers, or partnering with neighboring businesses. Any fundraiser involving alcohol must still follow your license privileges, so check with ABC before offering anything unusual, such as donation-based drinks.

A disaster readiness checklist for any licensee

Businesses outside the fire zone can still prepare:

1. Keep digital copies of your license, conditions, floor plan, and insurance policy in cloud storage.
2. Keep an inventory record that can support an insurance claim.
3. Know your local ABC district office contact information.
4. Keep a staff contact list with backup phone numbers and emails.
5. Record each employee’s RBS Server ID and expiration date so certification status is easy to confirm later.
6. Identify possible temporary locations nearby and review section 24081 with your attorney.
7. Talk to your insurer about business interruption coverage and how alcohol inventory is valued.

Our insurance and RBS article discusses records insurers may ask for.

A scenario in a damaged neighborhood

A neighborhood restaurant’s dining room is badly damaged. The owner calls ABC’s helpline, documents the damage and inventory losses for the insurer, and contacts suppliers about returning damaged sealed product. A wholesaler offers to lend refrigeration equipment under the natural disaster exception. The owner keeps in touch with staff by text, and several servers pick up shifts at a sister restaurant across town, where the manager verifies their RBS status in the portal before scheduling them.

Frequently asked questions

Can a supplier replace destroyed alcohol for free?

ABC’s advisory says the ABC Act has no provision permitting suppliers to replace losses from natural disaster destruction. Insurance is the usual path.

Do displaced servers need to recertify?

No, as long as their certification is valid. ABC says certification applies to the person.

What came later: renewal fee relief

On March 7, 2025, after this article was first written, ABC notified wholesalers that licensees affected by the 2025 Los Angeles fires could defer license renewal fees under an executive order the Governor issued in January. ABC said it was tracking more than 300 eligible businesses, that licensees deferring payment were still considered valid and would not be put into the penalty phase, and that their listing on ABC’s license lookup page would show an “LA wildfire renewal extension.”

Current context as of November 8, 2026

ABC’s fires advisory notes it was updated on January 16, 2026 to reflect new guidance, including a later executive order that covers specific zip codes, temporary relocation anywhere within Los Angeles County for up to 360 days, and suspended deadlines through January 31, 2027. This article relies on the long-standing statutory rules described in the advisory; affected licensees should read the current advisory and contact ABC for the relief that applies to them now.

The bottom line

Disaster recovery is hard enough without license uncertainty. Call ABC early, document everything, use the statutory options available, and keep your certified team connected so the business can return when the community does.

Sources

1. ABC: Los Angeles Fires Licensee Helpline (Jan. 16, 2025)
2. ABC: Los Angeles Fires Advisory Information for ABC Licensees (Jan. 29, 2025; updated Jan. 16, 2026)
3. California BPC 24081
4. ABC: Renewal Fee Extensions for Fire-Impacted Businesses (Mar. 7, 2025, later update)
5. ABC: RBS Frequently Asked Questions
6. California BPC 25602

This article is general information, not legal advice.