How to Submit an Alcohol Exemption Application

Interested in selling alcohol at your business? 

You must have two items before you can sell alcohol on your premises: 

  1. An alcohol license with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) 
  2. An alcohol permit with the city of Santa Monica. You can start both applications with the two agencies, but ABC will require the appropriate city permit before they will provide you with an alcohol license. For more information on applying for an alcohol license, please refer to the Lakewood/Long Beach District ABC Office for Santa Monica locations:

3950 Paramount Blvd., Suite 250 
Lakewood, CA 90712 

Phone: (562) 982-1337 

Fax: (562) 275-4174 

Email: LongBeach/Lakewood@abc.ca.gov 


If you plan to sell alcohol for on- or off-site consumption, you will need either a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) that requires a public hearing or a streamlined Alcohol Exemption (AE) that is approved at the staff level.

Expanded Uses Allowed for Alcohol Sales in Third Street Promenade Area - Bayside Conservation (BC) District 

Recent changes to the AE process have expanded the uses eligible for an AE in the Third Street Promenade area to nearly all commercial uses, from retail and entertainment to bars and liquor stores. Within the area of the map shown above, just about every use qualifies for the streamlined alcohol exemption process. A sample of the kinds of uses that qualify are restaurants, food halls, bars, nightclubs, lounges, retail stores, convenience markets, liquor stores, arts & crafts studios, museums, virtual experiences, barcades, and similar uses and experiences. 

Uses allowed for alcohol sales citywide except Third Street Promenade area 

For the rest of the city outside the Promenade area shown in the above map, Alcohol Exemptions are generally limited to eating and drinking establishments.  

What can I expect from the Alcohol Exemption process? 

The AE process is a simple and streamlined process that is cheaper and faster than a CUP. 

The AE application requires agreement with standard operational conditions like service hours and noise limits. There are different conditions for businesses located in the Promenade Area and for all other businesses located Citywide. These conditions can be easily found in the Alcohol Exemption Permit applications for your respective location. Applicants simply self-certify that they comply with each operating standard and provide any required plans and supplemental materials.  

You can expect approval within two weeks or less as long as everything required in the application is submitted for review. 

The CUP process is needed only if you do not meet the standard operational conditions of the AE. CUPs require approval by the Planning Commission at a public hearing and typically take approximately four to six months to process.  

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Step-by-Step Guide to Submit an Alcohol Exemption 

  1. Location and Land Use Eligibility

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    Confirm that your business is eligible to apply for an AE. 

  2. Prepare your Application

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    • Citywide Businesses (Non-Promenade Area): Download the Citywide Alcohol Exemption Application form from the Santa Monica City Planning Website. 
    • Promenade Area Businesses: Download the Downtown Alcohol Exemption Application form from the Santa Monica City Planning Website. 
    • Project Description: Provide details of your type of business, ABC license type, and the hours of operation. 
    • Plans: Provide a floor plan and make sure all information is provided, including the square footage, labels identifying each room (e.g. dining area, kitchen, restrooms, waiting area, entertainment areas), bars and seats (labeled and numbered), and storage areas for alcohol. 
    • Photos: Provide a comprehensive set of photos of the interior and exterior. 
    • Security Plan: Have the security plan reviewed and stamped from the Santa Monica Police Department and attach it to your application. This should be done before applying for the AE. 
    • For On-Site Consumption: For businesses serving alcohol on-site, please include the Alcohol Awareness Server Training Policies and a Designated Driver Program. 
    • Conditions of Approval: Make sure to self-certify all of the conditions of approval for your type of land use. Note: if you check off “no” to any of the conditions, you are not eligible for an Alcohol Exemption and require CUP. 

  3. Submit the Application

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    Submit the complete application package online to the Santa Monica City Planning Division. Schedule a virtual appointment by selecting “Planning Application Submittals”.  Appointments may be booked for every Tuesday or Thursday. You will receive a confirmation email with information regarding your upcoming virtual appointment including how to pay the application fee online. 

  4. Pay the Application Fee

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    Make sure to check the current Application Fees at Planning Resources as fees are subject to change. 

    Payments can be made online by credit or debit card.  

    Review of the application will not begin until the fee has been paid. 

  5. Wait for Approval

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    An assigned Planner will review your application and issue an approval. You may be asked for additional information or modifications. Please allow approximately 2 weeks for review.  

    Note: If there are more than 50 seats for on-site alcohol consumption, public noticing will be sent out to the surrounding neighbors. 

    If approved, you will receive an official exemption allowing you to serve alcohol.