How TABC License Renewal Works, and What Triggers a Renewal Problem
A Texas alcohol license or permit expires two years after it is issued and is renewed in TABC's online system, AIMS. TABC accepts renewals from 30…
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80 articlesHow Sales-to-Minors Violations Arise, and What Defenses Are Available
A sale to a minor is a crime for the person who makes it and a separate administrative case against the business's permit. Under Section 106.03…
What Types of TABC Violations Can Put a Permit at Risk
TABC sorts most violations into two families. Public safety violations, such as selling to a minor or an intoxicated person, selling after hours, or allowing a…
What Signage a TABC Application and an Operating Permit Require
TABC signage comes in two stages. Before issuance, an applicant for an on-premise license or permit at a location not licensed for on-premises drinking in the…
Which arrangements, such as loans, equipment, or shared branding, trigger Tied House scrutiny?
Loans, credit, equipment, fixtures, gifts, excessive discounts, payments for special advertising or distribution services, profit-sharing, consignment, and any agreement that lets one level control another all…
What Is a TABC Emergency Suspension Order, and When Can the Agency Issue One?
An emergency suspension order lets TABC suspend a license or permit before any hearing. The Alcoholic Beverage Code gives the agency two such tools. Under Section…
What a Distance Variance Is, and When a Business Can Request One
A distance variance is permission from a city or county to locate an alcohol business closer to a church, school, or public hospital than that government's…
What Is a Package Store Permit, and What Ownership and Operating Rules Are Unique to Texas Liquor Stores?
A Package Store Permit (P) is the Texas permit that lets a retailer sell liquor in sealed, original containers for customers to take away and drink…
The Most Frequent TABC Filing Mistakes That Delay or Block Approval
TABC does not publish a ranking of filing errors. What it and the Alcoholic Beverage Code do publish are the points where an application is delayed,…
What Is a Brewpub License, and How Does It Let a Single Business Both Make and Sell Beer?
A Brewpub License (BP) lets a bar or restaurant brew beer on its own premises and sell that beer to its customers there, for drinking on…
Publication and Newspaper Notice Requirements for a TABC Application
Applicants for most original Texas alcohol permits and for beer licenses must publish notice of the application in two consecutive issues of a newspaper of general…
What a “Death Penalty” Sanction Is, and How a Single Sale Can Cost a Business Its Permit
The "death penalty" is cancellation of the license or permit. The Alcoholic Beverage Code puts cancellation within reach on a first offense for a sale to…
How Does a Comptroller Mixed Beverage Tax Audit Actually Work, Step by Step?
A mixed beverage tax audit follows the Texas Comptroller's standard audit process: selection, a notice by mail, a review of the account, an initial conference, a…
What Is a Private Club Registration Permit, and When Is It the Only Lawful Way to Serve Alcohol in an Area?
A Private Club Registration Permit (N) lets a genuine members' club store alcoholic beverages that belong to its members and serve them to members, their families,…
What Conduct Surety Bonds and Performance Bonds Does TABC Require, and Who Is Exempt?
TABC requires three kinds of bonds. A conduct surety bond of $5,000, or $10,000 near a public school, applies to most on-premise retailers and to some…
What Is a Mixed Beverage Permit, and Which Texas Businesses Are Required to Hold One?
The Mixed Beverage Permit (MB) is the Texas permit for selling distilled spirits by the drink. Under Section 28.01 of the Alcoholic Beverage Code, it lets…
When a Texas City or County Can Regulate Alcohol, and Where State Preemption Ends Their Authority
A Texas city or county can regulate alcohol businesses only where the Alcoholic Beverage Code gives it the power, such as distance rules near schools and…
How Is an Emergency Suspension Order Challenged at a Hearing?
An emergency suspension order under Section 11.614 of the Alcoholic Beverage Code is challenged at a hearing that TABC must set no later than the 10th…
What Is Seller-Server (TABC) Certification, and Which Staff Are Required to Hold It?
Seller-server certification is a TABC-approved training course for people who sell, serve, dispense, or deliver alcohol, and for the managers who directly supervise them. Texas law…
What Is a Brewer’s License, and What Can a Texas Brewery Sell On-Site Versus Only Through Distribution?
A Texas brewery's default route to market is a distributor. The Brewer's License (BW) authorizes brewing and sales to distributors; selling directly to the public at…
How TABC’s Penalty Schedule Turns a Violation Into a Fine, Suspension, or Cancellation
A TABC sanction is measured in days of suspension, up to 60 days for most permit violations, or cancellation. For most violations the Alcoholic Beverage Code…
What is the TABC AIMS system and how has it changed the way licenses are obtained?
AIMS, the Alcohol Industry Management System, is TABC's online portal for applying for and managing licenses and permits, and for renewals, reports, product registration, and excise…
Which TABC Permit Fits a Restaurant, and How Does the Alcohol-to-Food Sales Ratio Drive That Choice?
Texas has no single restaurant permit. A restaurant that pours spirits needs a Mixed Beverage Permit (MB); one that serves only wine and beer can operate…
What Is an L-Cert (Certificate of Local Compliance), and Why Does TABC Require It Before Issuing a Permit?
The L-Cert, also called the Certificate of Local Compliance, is TABC's Required Certifications form (Form L-CERT): the set of sign-offs that new license and permit applications…
What the Court Ruling Against the Federal Home-Distilling Ban Means for Texas Distillers
On April 10, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which covers Texas, held that the federal ban on distilling spirits at home…