Purpose

The City's  Alcohol Ordinance is intended to reduce the existing and potential for alcohol-related environmental and social problems by regulating the use, operation and location of new establishments selling alcohol beverages in relation to one another and their proximity to sensitive uses and facilities customarily to be used by children and families. Additionally, potential unequal treatment of similar applicants is intended to be limited through the imposition of minimum uniform conditions, time limits for compliance and upon all establishments selling alcoholic beverages which are subject to conditional use permits. 

Recent Changes

The City of Watsonville modified the City’s Alcohol Ordinance through Ordinance No. 1384-19 and 1385-19 (CM) to include additional permitting requirements for businesses requesting to establish or transfer an ABC alcohol license.  The City’s Alcohol Ordinance can be found here, under Chapter 14-25 of the Watsonville Municipal Code (WMC).

Frequently Asked Questions 

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here.

Helpful Links

• City of Watsonville's Zoning Ordinance
• Conditional Use Permit Application
• Conditional Use Permit Submittal Requirements for Alcohol Sales
• Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control