In business for 35 years
Permits and licensing for Southern California businesses.
We prepare and file the city, county, state and federal approvals a business needs to open, expand or change ownership, and follow each application through to a decision.
Who we work with
Our clients range from convenience and pharmacy chains to owners opening their first location.
- Retail chains
- Franchise owners
- Small business owners
- Builders and developers
- Property managers
- Real estate agents
What we handle
Most projects need approval from more than one agency.
A store selling beer and wine, for example, may need a conditional use permit from the city, a license from the ABC, a seller’s permit from the CDTFA and a building permit for its improvements. We prepare and coordinate all of them.
Conditional use permits
City or county approval for uses the zone allows only under conditions, such as alcohol sales, drive-throughs or extended hours.
ABC licensing
State licenses from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to sell or serve beer, wine and spirits, including license transfers.
TTB permits
Federal permits from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for producers, importers and wholesalers.
Zoning
Confirming what the zoning allows at an address, and applying for a variance or other land-use approval when it doesn’t.
Building permits
Plan submittal, plan-check corrections and permit issuance for tenant improvements and new construction.
Signage
Sign permits for storefronts, monument signs and shopping-center sign programs, including landlord sign criteria.
Seller’s permits
Seller’s permits from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for businesses that sell taxable goods.
Business formation
Forming and registering the entity your permits and licenses will be issued to.
Representation
Representation at public hearings, planning commission meetings and agency reviews.
Don’t see what you need? Tell us what the city has asked for.
How we work
How a project usually goes.
Intake
You tell us about the project
The address, what you plan to sell or build, and any correspondence you have received from the city.
Review
We research the address
We review the zoning and permit history and determine what the city, county and state will require there.
Strategy
We plan the sequence
Some approvals depend on others, so we order the filings to keep any one from waiting on another.
Filing
We prepare and file
Applications, plans and supporting documents, submitted to each agency that must sign off.
Agency
We follow each application
We stay in contact with planners, plan checkers and licensing staff, and attend hearings on your behalf.
Corrections
We respond to corrections
When an agency issues corrections, we resolve them with you and your architect or engineer and resubmit.
Open
You open for business
With the permits issued and the licenses in your name, you are ready to open.
Where we work
All six Southern California counties.
Each city sets its own planning rules, and the county governs the unincorporated land between them. We work with both.
Drag to turn the model. Click a county to fly in. Pinch, or use the buttons, to zoom.
Relief at 2.5× true height · Elevation: AWS Terrain Tiles · Cities, freeways and county lines: US Census Bureau
The cost of waiting
A delayed permit still costs rent.
Once a lease begins, each week an application sits is another week of rent on a space that cannot open, often with payroll and loan interest on top.
Start your projectCommon questions
Before you sign a lease or file an application.
What is a conditional use permit?
Permission from the city or county for a use the zoning allows only with specific approval. The application usually goes to a public hearing before a zoning administrator or the planning commission, and an approval carries conditions the business must continue to meet, such as operating hours or security measures.
Do I need both a CUP and an ABC license to sell alcohol?
Often, yes. The license comes from the state and the CUP from the city or county. ABC checks local zoning, so where a CUP is required for alcohol sales, the license generally waits on it. The approvals you need, and their order, depend on the address.
What happens at a public hearing?
Staff present a report and recommendation, the applicant or a representative speaks, and the public may comment. The hearing officer or commission then approves, denies or continues the item to a later date. We prepare you in advance and can appear on your behalf.
Do permits transfer when I buy an existing business?
Some do. An ABC license can usually be transferred to a new owner through an application to ABC. A seller’s permit does not transfer, so the new owner needs one in their own name. A CUP generally stays with the property, and its conditions apply to you once you take over. We recommend reviewing each one before the sale closes.
Start your project
Tell us about your project.
A few questions about the work and the location. We will follow up by phone or email to discuss next steps. You can also call us at (909) 544-7955.