The City’s entertainment permit, the 2 a.m. close, how a bar gets its liquor license, what the bill and the team cost, and the nights that fill the city, for anyone running a club, lounge or bar here.
Sacramento’s night runs along K Street. In Midtown, Lavender Heights is home to queer-owned businesses, clubs among them, and Badlands, Faces and Mango’s, with its four dance floors, all sit on K Street. Downtown, The Kay mixes hotels, restaurants and nightlife, and the Kings play at Golden 1 Center in the Entertainment District. This is the state capital, so the calendar follows government too: state workers have the Friday after Thanksgiving off. From May to October, Midtown’s Second Saturday ends in after-parties from 10 p.m. Selling stops at 2 a.m., as it does across California, and a DJ or live act needs a City entertainment permit with conditions written for your room.
The state sets the 2 a.m. close, and in Sacramento your entertainment permit does much of the rest. Its conditions, which you sign, can set your entertainment hours, your guests’ ages and your security. The State of California sets the hours and issues the bar license through its Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and the City of Sacramento adds its business tax certificate, its entertainment permits and an Office of Nighttime Economy. Liquor licenses come from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. ban on selling and drinking is state law and has no New Year’s exception. Sacramento sets no citywide closing time of its own: a General Entertainment Permit sets the days and hours of entertainment as conditions, venue by venue. Entertainment Zones run only during approved special events. Confirm with ABC or the City.
The full state rules are on the California rules page.
Read the ruleEvery on-premises server and manager in Sacramento must be RBS certified within 60 days of their first day.4
None of it replaces RBS.
Read the ruleThe City runs a quarterly Pubs, Clubs and Bars training with Code Compliance, Police and Fire. The Office of Nighttime Economy also lists free bystander training from the SAFE Bar Network, WEAVE’s Safe Night Out, police de-escalation and active shooter sessions, and Stop the Bleed and naloxone training for hospitality staff.
Ask the Office of Nighttime Economy for the next dates.17
Read your permit conditions first, then email the Office of Nighttime Economy for the current approved list.
Read the ruleRegistered private patrols or security guards working for your business must be approved by the City of Sacramento, and your entertainment permit’s conditions set any specific security requirements.
The state guard card rules are on the California rules page.16
The full state rules are on the California rules page.
Read the ruleA bar, lounge or nightclub in Sacramento needs an ABC Type 48 On-Sale General license, which bars minors.2
ABC publishes no price for a transferred license, so it is a private deal.
Read the ruleABC’s priority drawings offer Sacramento County new off-sale general licenses only, the kind a store holds. With no drawing for new on-sale general licenses, a bar buys an existing one from its holder, by person-to-person transfer.
Put an escrow in place before you file.5
File there.
Read the ruleABC issues the license through its Sacramento district office at 3927 Lennane Drive, Suite 200, phone (916) 419-1319.
The full state rules are on the California rules page.6
Ask the Revenue Division what you will owe each year, and the City’s planning staff whether your site needs a conditional use permit before you pay for a license.
Read the ruleSacramento issues no general business license. Instead, City Code chapter 3.08 requires every business operating in the city to hold a Business Operations Tax certificate. The application goes to the Community Development Department to check the zoning, and the certificate is mailed once the location is approved.12
A club needs the General permit.
Read the ruleEntertainment open to the public on private property needs a City Entertainment Permit, and live music, DJs, karaoke and comedy all count. Ongoing entertainment takes a two-year General permit, and there are Temporary and Limited permits too. A Limited permit covers venues where entertainment is secondary, with an occupancy of 299 or less and entertainment ending at 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends.
Permits belong to the City and can’t be transferred, so a new owner or a new address applies again.13
Fees are due with the application and aren’t refunded.
Read the ruleA new two-year General permit costs $2,230 and a renewal $1,720. A Temporary permit costs $1,820, and a Limited permit $750 new and $650 to renew. Changing permit conditions costs $120 after the first free request, and Live Scan fingerprinting is $88 for each applicant, co-applicant and manager.
Live Scan results can take four to six weeks, and the application isn’t complete until Live Scan is approved.13
Fire Department fees may apply on top, such as $739 for a place of assembly with 100 or more occupants.
Read the ruleBook an intake appointment by email; applications aren’t taken by mail. Bring the property owner’s signature, a current Business Operations Tax certificate, the ABC license and its conditions, the fire occupancy and a floor plan. Fingerprint results from ABC or another city can’t be reused. City staff inspect plumbing and mechanical, building and life safety, electrical and fire. Fire, Police, Code Enforcement, the Office of Nighttime Economy and Planning review the file, the Council office and neighborhood association are asked for input, and property owners within 500 feet are notified. The City has 60 days to approve once the application is complete.
Spending on a remodel, equipment or a lease before approval is at your own risk.14
Whenever there is entertainment, the permit holder or an approved manager who has cleared fingerprinting must be on site.
Read the ruleEach permit is issued with conditions the holder signs, based on staff review, the location and the ABC license’s own conditions. They can cover security and safety, crowd management, noise, the age of guests, and when and what kinds of entertainment you offer.15
There is no New Year’s exception.
Read the ruleSelling or giving alcohol between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. is a misdemeanor in Sacramento, as in all of California. The City adds no later hour.
The full state rules are on the California rules page.1
To take part, contact the zone lead, notify ABC online quoting ordinance 2025-0030, and email the Office of Nighttime Economy.
Read the ruleIn approved Entertainment Zones, licensed bars, restaurants and wineries may sell drinks in approved open containers for the outdoor event area. A zone is active only during an approved special event, under City Code chapter 12.50. The approved zones include 20th and K Street, 24th and K Street, the Arena and the Handle District.
Drinks leave in non-glass, non-metal cups.18
Read the current noise chapter of the City Code before you set levels, and check what your permit conditions say.
Read the ruleYour entertainment permit’s conditions can include noise restrictions of their own, on top of the City Code’s noise rules.15
Outdoor seating on private property is a building permit with Community Development instead.
Read the ruleSeating on a public sidewalk goes through Public Works: an online interest form, then the café permit application. The invoice must be paid before review starts, and a first review takes 10 working days, a second 7 and later ones 5. Two permits issue: an Encroachment Permit for the work and a Revocable Permit to keep the café in the right of way.
The City has offered grants of up to $20,000 for new or expanded sidewalk cafés, so ask whether one is open.20
Bring it in early when a permit stalls or a neighbor complains.
Read the ruleThe City’s Office of Nighttime Economy is the link between nightlife and hospitality businesses, the community and City departments. It reviews entertainment permit applications and wrote the Entertainment Zone ordinance with the Entertainment Services Division.16
The application runs the same way everywhere in California, so the steps, fees and timings sit on one page. Read the license path
Rules for every bar and club in California
General information, not legal advice. Laws and license conditions change and vary by venue. Confirm with ABC’s Sacramento district office or the City before acting on it.
Covers here stay modest, so a Sacramento night is made at the table, where the sales tax reaches the service charge as well as the bottles.
| Minimum spend | $1,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Service charge 20%, added by the venue | $200.00 |
| Sales tax 8.75% of both lines | $105.00 |
| Guest pays | $1,305.00 |
| Tip the guest chooses to add | No tax |
Food and drink in the City of Sacramento carry 8.75% combined sales and use tax in the state’s rate list effective 1 October 2026. Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova are also at 8.75%; unincorporated Sacramento County, Folsom, Citrus Heights and Roseville are at 7.75%.7
The example taxes the 20% service charge. Under CDTFA Regulation 1603(h) a mandatory service charge, including one added to the bill automatically, is taxable; an optional tip the guest chooses is not.8
Before you print a bill, check with the Labor Commissioner or a lawyer whether a mandatory service charge is also a tip owed to staff.8
No Sacramento club publishes a table minimum. MIX Downtown sets its table minimums in bottles only and adds tax and a 22% service charge, so compare how each room words its charges.31
Ask the CDTFA whether sales tax applies to a cover charge, and the City’s Revenue Division whether any other tax applies.7
Rough estimates for tickets and bottle-service tables, from public listings and venues’ own pages.
$10 to $15
Typically about $10
From venues’ own pages: Dive Bar says its Friday and Saturday cover is generally $10, and The Press Club lists its 21+ club nights at $10 and $13.20. Mango’s lets 21+ guests in free on Thursdays, and on Saturdays before 10:30 p.m. Holiday and special nights can cost more.
$300 to $1,000
A typical table, about $500
No Sacramento club publishes a table minimum on its own page, so this is a general estimate for the lowest table, generalized from the San Diego and San Francisco estimates, before tax and tip. MIX Downtown sets its table minimums in bottles only.
Figures are estimates from the sources and samples listed. They change often and may be wrong. Check with the venue or the relevant authority before relying on them. Venues and events named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide. Price sources: Dive Bar, The Press Club, Mango’s, MIX Downtown.
Sacramento sets no minimum wage of its own, so the state rate is the floor, and the median wages for bar and floor staff sit close to it.
| Role | Range, low to high | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Bartenders$16.50 to $39.18 | $17.07 | |
| Servers$16.50 to $38.33 | $16.86 | |
| Hosts$16.50 to $22.40 | $16.99 | |
| Security guards$17.55 to $25.99 | $18.97 | |
| Cooks$17.67 to $23.30 | $21.27 | |
| Managers$23.80 to $55.36 | $36.62 |
Minimum wage $16.90 an hour, since 1 January 20269
Bar: lowest to highest wage reported. Dot: median. 24
Sacramento has no City minimum wage, so the state rate applies: $16.90 an hour for all employers not covered by a higher industry or local rate.9
The state minimum wage rises to $17.40 an hour on 1 January 2027.10
California has no tip credit, so bartenders and servers get the full minimum wage before tips.9
A tip line the guest fills in isn’t subject to sales tax. A mandatory service charge is.8
Sacramento’s year follows the Capitol and the arena: state holidays hand state workers long weekends, and Kings season brings game nights downtown from late October.
A federal and state holiday that follows the biggest night of the year.
A federal and state holiday Monday makes a long weekend.
The dinner and date crowd. When it falls midweek, couples book the weekend before too.
A federal and state holiday Monday makes a long weekend.
A fixed-date bar night, whatever the weekday.
No city-wide dates
An all-day art and music celebration in Midtown, with after-parties at bars and clubs from 10 p.m. until close.
Official siteA long weekend that opens the summer season.
A weekend festival on Capitol Mall, with the march on the Sunday morning. Plan staff and stock for the weekend.
Official siteWhen it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
A holiday weekend crowd, with fireworks nights.
The fair at Cal Expo brings visitors and a summer concert series to town.
Official siteNo city-wide dates
The last long weekend of summer.
Four days of rock and metal at Discovery Park, where the American River meets the Sacramento, with shuttles from Cal Expo and Sacramento Valley Station.
Official siteA federal holiday Monday makes a long weekend for federal workers.
Home games at Golden 1 Center bring game night crowds to the Entertainment District and Downtown Commons, before and after tip-off.
Official siteClubs run costume nights, some across several nights. When it falls midweek, plan for the weekend before too.
A federal and state holiday. When it falls on a weekend, it is observed on the nearest weekday.
A federal holiday that starts a long weekend.
A state holiday, so state workers get a four-day weekend and the Friday and Saturday nights are free for them.
Official siteWhen it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
The state’s 2 a.m. cutoff has no New Year’s exception, so plan the countdown around it.
Most of the night sits on or near K Street, from the Lavender Heights clubs in Midtown to The Kay and the Entertainment District downtown.
The Midtown Association maps 22 nightlife businesses here, among them Mango’s, Harlow’s and The Golden Bear.
Home to many queer-owned businesses, from cafés and clubs to shops and galleries.
Downtown’s corridor of hotels, restaurants, nightlife and comedy at the Crest Theater.
Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings and big concerts, with Downtown Commons beside it.
The most visited downtown district, where businesses mix the old with the new.
MIX Downtown, a rooftop club with an intimate dance floor, at 16th and L.
Badlands draws more searches than the other four rooms together, and like Faces it sits on K Street in Midtown.
| Rank | Venue | Nights | Music | Published price | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BadlandsClubMidtown · 2003 K St3334 | Nightly, to 1:30 a.m. or 1:45 a.m. on Fri and Sat | Pop dance music, Latin nights and drag | Not listed | 2,300 |
| 2 | FacesClubMidtown · 2000 K St3335 | Mon to Sat 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sun from 3 p.m. | Not listed | Not listed | 150 |
| 3 | Mango’sClubMidtown · 1930 K St3336 | Thu to Sat, to 1:30 a.m. | Hip hop and Latin on four dance floors | Not listed | 90 |
| 4 | The Press ClubClubMidtown · 1119 21st St3337 | Wed to Sun from 5 p.m., with 21+ club nights | Not listed | Club nights $10 to $13.20 | 60 |
| 5 | Social NightclubClubThe Kay (K Street) · 1000 K St3338 | Thu to Sat, 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. | Not listed | Not listed | 20 |
Ranked by monthly Google searches in the United States for each venue’s name with the city, as Ahrefs estimates them. Few rooms publish a capacity, so this measures demand, not size. Only rooms that their own site or Instagram shows open are listed. Venues named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide. Details come from each venue’s own pages and can change; a venue can ask us to correct or remove its entry.
Sacramento sits at the center of a four-county metro, so the crowd on K Street draws on far more people than the city alone holds.
Sell tickets, take table bookings with deposits, run the guest list and check guests in at the door, in one place. Built for clubs, lounges and bars.
Yes. Servers and managers at a Sacramento bar must be RBS certified within 60 days of starting. The City’s quarterly Pubs, Clubs and Bars training is extra and doesn’t replace it.
There is no drawing for new on-sale general licenses in Sacramento County, so you buy an existing Type 48 from its holder by person-to-person transfer, with an escrow if there is a price. ABC’s Sacramento district office at 3927 Lennane Drive handles it. The City’s Business Operations Tax certificate and entertainment permit are separate steps.
Sacramento bars stop selling at 2 a.m. under state law, and drinks can’t be consumed on the premises from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. The City adds no later hour, and an entertainment permit can set earlier hours for entertainment.
The price of an existing license is a private deal that ABC doesn’t publish. ABC’s own transfer and annual fees are on the California rules page.
Food and drink in the City of Sacramento carry 8.75% combined sales and use tax. A mandatory service charge is taxable too; an optional tip is not.
Club nights cost about $10 to $15 on venues’ own pages, and Mango’s lets 21+ guests in free on Thursdays and on Saturdays before 10:30 p.m. No Sacramento club publishes a table minimum, so about $300 to $1,000 for the lowest table is a general estimate from San Diego and San Francisco, before tax and tip.
Sacramento has no City minimum wage, so the state rate applies: $16.90 an hour, rising to $17.40 on 1 January 2027. There is no tip credit.
Yes, for entertainment open to the public on private property, including live music, DJs, karaoke and comedy. A club needs the two-year General permit, which comes with conditions you sign and can’t be transferred.
A new General permit is $2,230 for two years and a renewal $1,720. A Temporary permit is $1,820 and a Limited permit $750 new. Live Scan is $88 a person, and Fire Department fees may apply. The City has 60 days to approve once the application is complete.
Sacramento issues no general business license. Every business needs a Business Operations Tax certificate instead, and the City checks the zoning before it is issued.
In an approved Entertainment Zone, during an approved special event, licensed bars may sell drinks in open containers for the outdoor event area, until 11:59 p.m. A sidewalk café needs Public Works permits, and outdoor seating on private property a building permit.
Your entertainment permit’s conditions can include noise restrictions on top of the City Code’s noise rules. Read the current noise chapter of the City Code and your conditions before you set levels.
VenueStack publishes this guide for general information. We take care to keep it accurate and list our sources and review dates, but we can’t guarantee it is complete, current or correct, and we aren’t responsible for decisions made on it. Nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Prices, minimums and wages are estimates from the samples described and don’t represent any particular venue. Venues, events and organisations named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide.
Data gathered in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
HonoluluHawaii, United States
The 2 a.m. dispenser close and the 4 a.m. cabaret, the 500-foot notice and neighbor protest, liquor cards, GET on the bill, the tip credit and the year’s big nights.
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ClevelandOhio, United States
The 1 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. closes by permit class, the D-5 quota and waiting list, the City dance hall license, 8% sales tax, the 8% admissions tax, the $5.50 tipped wage and the year’s big nights.
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New YorkNew York, United States
Closing time, getting an SLA liquor license, temporary permits, the noise code, sales tax on service charges, door staff, wages and the year’s big nights.
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