If you sell alcohol to a minor in Merced, a teen in Torrance, or a youth in Eureka, expect a visit from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). The agency regulates the manufacture, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages throughout the Golden State. Through 24 field offices across California, the agency handles the administration, compliance, and licensing of retail locations that sell alcohol. The ABC divides the state into two districts, Northern and Southern. The agency is headed by a governor-appointed director, and is a department of the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.