Tijuana’s city government opened a single-window service for alcohol licensing on Monday, May 11, aiming to bring the city’s many unlicensed bars, restaurants, and liquor vendors into legal compliance. The new office, called a Ventanilla Única, is located at the local chapter of CANIRAC, the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry.
Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz’s administration launched the initiative to streamline what has long been a complicated, multi-step permitting process. Pedro Montejo Peterson, Tijuana’s Secretary of Economic Development, said the office represents a step toward transparency and modernization. He added that the city plans to introduce digital tools to speed up license issuance.
Centralizing a Notoriously Complex Process
José Alonso López Sepúlveda, Tijuana’s General Director of Government, said the new window will give the city greater control over alcohol licensing procedures. The consolidated service is designed to eliminate the runaround between multiple city offices that business owners previously faced.
Under Tijuana’s existing regulations, businesses whose primary activity is alcohol sales must be located at least 150 meters from schools, hospitals, churches, and sports centers. Restaurants and venues in designated hotel, tourism, or commercial zones face a separate set of distance rules, requiring at least 100 meters of separation from similar establishments.
Why It Matters for Bar and Restaurant Owners
A large number of Tijuana establishments currently sell alcohol without valid licenses, operating in a legal gray area that leaves them vulnerable to fines, closures, or worse. The regularization push targets these businesses directly, offering a clearer path to compliance.
For the many expat-owned or expat-frequented bars and restaurants along Avenida Revolución, in Zona Gastronómica, and across Playas de Tijuana, the new process could reduce bureaucratic headaches considerably. Getting an alcohol license in Tijuana has traditionally required a municipal inspection to verify compliance with Article 39 of the city’s alcohol regulation code, along with multiple document submissions across different offices.
The Ventanilla Única consolidates these steps into one location. CANIRAC’s offices serve as a natural host, since the organization already represents restaurant and food-service operators across the city.
The city has not yet announced specific hours or a timeline for the planned digital tools. Business owners seeking more information can contact CANIRAC Tijuana or the municipal Secretary of Economic Development directly.
This story was first reported by Zeta Tijuana and El Congresista.