California ABC rules regarding online store names?

[PeterJ]

I'm still working on details for a client and a question has come up. I'm going to ask the California ABC, but my experience with calling them for info suggests that it may take some time to get a knowledgeable response. So.................. if anyone has any experience with this it may help me navigate these waters more quickly.

The question is this: Type 21 (General OffSale) license is held in a corporate name and the physical retail shop is listed as the Business Name (DBA) on the license. If the corporation wants to do online sales, conducted through the retail shop space, can it add a second DBA to the license which would be the online store's name (different from the retail space DBA)?? Secondarily, if that is not allowed, can it use it's corporate name for the online business or does it have to use the DBA for both businesses? ............. Or get a separate license for online sales (not really desirable).

[PeterJ]

Just got off the phone with ABC. I actually got to speak with someone who was very knowledgeable and understood the question. My apologies for the negative anticipation.

So.................. in case you're ever in this situation.................. the California ABC doesn't seem to care what you call you online store, so long as you operate it under a valid license. The guy told me he wasn't sure they even had a way to enter a second DBA on a license, but didn't think it was necessary. He did suggest, however, that my client list his corporate name somewhere on the site just to provide a visible link to the license should any question come up. I'm not sure that doesn't possibly defeat the anonymity reasoning in this, so I'll probably look further to see if that's really necessary.

I know this is a bit obscure, especially for those of you outside California............. I just thought it might be of interest. If anyone has any different experience on this, I'd really like to hear about it.