When a City or County Refuses to Certify: Options Under State Law
A TABC application can run into a wall that looks final but often is not: a city or county that refuses to certify. Because local certification…
Texas TABC reference
Texas Tabc Guide
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99 entriesDistillery Permits in Texas and the Rules on On-Site Sales
Texas craft distilling has grown rapidly, and with it interest in the permit that makes it possible and the rules that govern selling spirits at the…
What Texas Dram Shop Law Is and Who It Can Hold Liable
When someone is hurt by a drunk driver in Texas, the law's attention does not stop at the driver. Under the state's dram shop law, the…
Pour Cost Analysis: How Auditors Estimate Unreported Alcohol Sales
When a mixed beverage business cannot fully document its sales, the Comptroller does not simply give up; it estimates. The primary tool for that estimation is…
Texas Laws on Selling Alcohol to Minors and the Penalties
Selling alcohol to someone under 21 is among the most serious mistakes a Texas alcohol business or employee can make. It is a criminal offense with…
How the TABC AIMS Online System Works for License Applicants
Most interactions a Texas business has with TABC now run through a single online portal called AIMS, the Alcohol Industry Management System. For an applicant, AIMS…
Federal TTB Permits vs. Texas TABC Permits for Alcohol Producers
An alcohol producer in Texas answers to two governments, not one. The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, known as TTB, and the Texas…
Legal Hours of Alcohol Sale in Texas and How They Vary
Knowing exactly when alcohol can legally be sold is a daily necessity for any Texas alcohol business, because selling even minutes outside the permitted window is…
Compliance Risks for Retailers Selling Consumable Hemp Products
For a retailer that holds a TABC alcohol permit and also sells consumable hemp products, the hemp side of the business is not a low-stakes sideline.…
Breach of the Peace and How It Creates TABC Liability for a Venue
A bar can do everything right at the point of sale and still face TABC trouble because of what happens on its floor. Texas alcohol law…
Partially Wet Areas: How One City Can Allow Some Sales but Not Others
It surprises many people to learn that a single Texas city can permit some alcohol sales while prohibiting others within its own boundaries. A resident might…
To-Go and Delivery Alcohol Rules for Texas Businesses
What began as a pandemic-era emergency measure has become a permanent feature of Texas dining: alcohol to go. Restaurants can now sell certain alcoholic beverages for…
How Prior Violations Affect the Penalty for a New TABC Offense
In TABC enforcement, a violation is never judged in a vacuum. The same offense can draw a light penalty for a business with a clean record…
Brewpub License vs. Brewery License: Which One Authorizes What
Texas craft beer runs on two different licenses that are easy to confuse: the brewpub license and the brewer's license. Both involve making beer, but they…
The TABC Licensing Process in Texas: A Step-by-Step Overview
Opening a business that sells alcohol in Texas means clearing a licensing process run by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, known as TABC. The process is…
Management and Concession Agreements at Permitted Premises
Not every business that wants to be involved in selling alcohol can or wants to hold the permit itself. A hotel may want a restaurant group…
Winery Licensing in Texas: From Production to Tasting Room Sales
Texas has a thriving wine industry, and behind every winery is a licensing path that runs from federal approval through state permitting to the tasting-room sales…
The Difference Between Required and Voluntary TABC Training
Ask whether TABC seller-server training is required in Texas, and the honest answer is a frustrating "it depends on what you mean by required." As a…
How a Business’s Entity Structure Affects Its TABC Application
Before a business ever applies for a TABC permit, it has to exist as a legal entity, and the form that entity takes, an LLC, a…
How to Get a Brewery License in Texas: Permits and Production Tiers
Opening a brewery in Texas means navigating both federal and state requirements, choosing the right production model, and understanding the volume thresholds that shape what a…
The Role and Enforcement Authority of TABC Agents
When most people picture TABC, they think of licensing paperwork, but the agency also has a law-enforcement arm. TABC agents are commissioned peace officers, and their…
Selling a Business That Holds an Alcohol Permit: The TABC Steps
Selling a bar, restaurant, or store that holds a TABC permit involves more than handing over the keys and the inventory. Because the alcohol permit does…
Home Distilling and Brewing in Texas: What the Law Allows
Making your own beer, wine, or spirits at home occupies a complicated corner of the law, where federal and state rules meet and where a recent…
Distance Variances: How Businesses Obtain Exceptions
When a promising location falls just inside a distance restriction from a church, school, or hospital, the business is not always out of luck. Texas provides…
The City, County, and Comptroller Certification Sequence Explained
Gathering the certifications for a TABC application is not just a matter of collecting signatures; it is a matter of collecting them in the right order.…