Liquor Control Board, Washington State

What Liquor Control Board, Washington State does

The Liquor Control Board of Washington State is a state government agency responsible for regulating and controlling the sale, distribution, and taxation of alcoholic beverages within Washington State. Operating under the State of Washington as a government state entity, the agency is staffed by approximately 40 employees and is headquartered in Olympia, Washington. Its jurisdiction covers Washington's population of more than 8.1 million residents and the businesses that participate in the regulated alcohol supply chain, including producers, distributors, retailers, and licensees. The agency's digital presence is integrated into the broader WA.gov state portal, which is undergoing a platform migration from SecureAccess Washington (SAW) to a unified WA.gov single-login system intended to provide one account across all state services.

The agency holds a statutory monopoly over alcohol regulation in Washington and operates under a government entity cost-recovery and fee-based model rather than commercial revenue mechanics. No product offerings, pricing model, technology stack, management team, or partnership data is disclosed in the source material. The WA.gov portal — the primary source artifact — describes general state government services (how-to guides, license searches, agency directories, flood recovery resources, Discover Pass access, World Cup 2026 safety information) rather than agency-specific functionality. The agency is a parentless operating unit of the State of Washington, with no subsidiaries, no M&A history, and no funding events because it is a tax-funded government body rather than a commercial enterprise.

Source data does not disclose any revenue figures, headcount trend, or AI/technology capabilities specific to the Liquor Control Board. The competitive position is defined entirely by statute, and strategic optionality outside the regulatory mandate is effectively zero. Investors evaluating this entity should note it is not a commercial business and the standard PE/VC/M&A analytical framework applies only in the limited sense of assessing the public-sector organization itself rather than an investable opportunity.

Name

Liquor Control Board, Washington State

Legal name

Liquor Control Board, Washington State

Website

https://liq.wa.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Liquor Control Board of Washington State is a state government agency that regulates and controls the sale, distribution, and taxation of alcoholic beverages in Washington. It serves the state's 8.1 million residents and licensed alcohol industry participants under statutory authority.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Alcohol Beverage Regulation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

akta.pro primary industry

Gambling, Alcohol & Controlled Substances Regulators (BPAIAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Alcohol beverage regulation
• Liquor distribution
• State alcohol control
• Alcohol licensing
• Spirits retail

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Core offering

The Liquor Control Board is a Washington State government agency responsible for regulating and controlling the sale, distribution, and taxation of alcoholic beverages within the state. It administers the state's liquor licensing system, oversees compliance for retailers, distributors, and producers, and operates the state's spirits distribution framework.

Product overview

No specific product or service information for the Liquor Control Board, Washington State is available in the provided source data. The source content pertains to the general WA.gov state government portal, which provides access to various state services, how-to guides, and government information, but does not contain product-specific details for the Liquor Control Board.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Alcoholic Beverage Licensing State-issued licenses and permits for the manufacture, distribution, and retail sale of alcoholic beverages in Washington, serving producers, distributors, retailers, and licensees operating within the state.
• Alcoholic Beverage Regulation and Compliance Oversight of lawful sale, distribution, and taxation of spirits, wine, and beer in Washington State, including enforcement of alcohol laws and administrative rules for industry participants.
• State Liquor Sales and Distribution Framework Administration of Washington's spirits distribution and retail system, facilitating the flow of liquor products from producers to licensed retailers and, where applicable, to consumers through state-contracted stores.

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• Idaho State Liquor Division: Idaho state agency that operates state liquor stores and manages alcohol distribution. Comparable to the Washington State Liquor Control Board in operating within a regional control-state framework in the Pacific Northwest.
• Montana Department of Revenue — Liquor Control Division: Montana's state-level alcohol regulatory division overseeing licensing and distribution. Operates in a similar control-state capacity as the Washington State Liquor Control Board, with comparable geographic and regulatory context.

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board: State-level alcohol regulatory agency that, like the Washington State Liquor Control Board, regulates alcohol sales, distribution, and taxation in Pennsylvania. Both agencies operate as state government entities with overlapping functions in licensing, wholesale, and enforcement.
• Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority: Virginia's state-run alcohol authority that both regulates and operates ABC retail stores. Mirrors the Washington State Liquor Control Board's combined regulatory and (historically) retail role within a state government framework.
• Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board: State agency in Alabama that regulates alcohol sales, licensing, and distribution. Similar to the Washington State Liquor Control Board in being a state-level body governing alcohol control within a control-state framework.
• Michigan Liquor Control Commission: Michigan's state regulatory body for alcohol licensing, distribution, and enforcement. Directly comparable to the Washington State Liquor Control Board in its regulatory scope over alcohol sales and licensing in a U.S. state.
• Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division: Iowa's state agency responsible for alcohol regulation, licensing, and wholesale distribution. Comparable to the Washington State Liquor Control Board in its combined regulatory and wholesale distribution functions.
• Oregon Liquor Control Commission: Oregon state agency with regulatory authority over alcohol sales, distribution, and licensing — and also over recreational cannabis. Highly comparable to the Washington State Liquor Control Board in scope, structure, and Pacific Northwest geography.
• Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services: Utah's state agency that both regulates and directly sells alcoholic beverages. Functionally analogous to the Washington State Liquor Control Board as a state-run entity combining regulatory authority with control over alcohol distribution.
• North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission: State agency regulating alcohol sales and distribution in North Carolina, including oversight of local ABC boards. Comparable to the Washington State Liquor Control Board as a state-level institution governing alcohol licensing and distribution.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liquor-control-board-washington-state

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Liquor Control Board, Washington State