The Most Common TABC Violations Cited Against Texas Businesses
Most TABC violations are not exotic. They cluster around a handful of recurring problems that come up again and again at bars, restaurants, and stores across…
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99 entriesBuying a Business With a TABC Permit: What Transfers and What Doesn’t
Buying a bar or restaurant that already sells alcohol can feel like buying a turnkey operation, but there is a critical catch that surprises many buyers:…
How Mixed Beverage Taxes Are Calculated and Reported in Texas
Holding a mixed beverage permit in Texas comes with a recurring obligation that has nothing to do with pouring drinks: filing and paying mixed beverage taxes…
How TABC License Renewals Work and When to Begin Them
A TABC license is not a one-time achievement; it is a status that has to be maintained on a schedule. Texas alcohol licenses and permits run…
Mixed Beverage Permit vs. Beer and Wine Permit: The Key Differences
For most restaurants and bars in Texas, the central licensing decision comes down to two options: a mixed beverage permit or a beer and wine permit.…
Social Host Liability vs. Dram Shop Liability in Texas
Both dram shop liability and social host liability deal with responsibility for serving alcohol to someone who later causes harm, but they apply to very different…
Common Reasons a TABC License Application Is Delayed or Denied
Most TABC applications that run into trouble do so for a handful of recurring reasons, and nearly all of them are preventable. A denial is not…
How a TABC Case Moves Through the State Office of Administrative Hearings
When a TABC matter is genuinely contested, it does not get decided by TABC alone behind closed doors. It goes to the State Office of Administrative…
How Private Club Permits Allow Alcohol Service in Dry Areas
In parts of Texas where retail alcohol sales are prohibited, you can sometimes still find an establishment serving drinks to its members. The explanation is the…
Liability for Serving Minors vs. Over-Serving Adults
Provider liability in Texas comes in two flavors, and they are not the same. Serving an adult who is dangerously intoxicated and providing alcohol to a…
Texas Consumable Hemp Product Licensing and Registration Explained
Consumable hemp products have become a significant and fast-changing part of the Texas retail landscape, and the rules governing them have been in flux. For businesses…
Zoning and Certificate of Occupancy Issues for Alcohol Locations
Getting a TABC permit is not the only approval an alcohol business needs from government. Local zoning and building requirements, including the certificate of occupancy, operate…
What Happens During a Texas Comptroller Alcohol Tax Audit
A Comptroller alcohol tax audit can feel like an interrogation, but it is actually a structured examination with recognizable stages. Knowing what to expect, from the…
Alcohol Permit Considerations for Convenience Stores and Gas Stations
Convenience stores and gas stations are among the most common places Texans buy beer and wine, and for the businesses themselves, alcohol can be an important…
A Guide to the Main TABC License and Permit Categories in Texas
Texas alcohol licensing can look like an alphabet soup of permit codes, and for good reason: the state regulates many different kinds of alcohol businesses, each…
Why Texas Cities Cannot Regulate Alcohol Beyond What the Code Allows
Texas takes an unusually centralized approach to alcohol. While cities and counties regulate countless aspects of local business, alcohol is different: the state has reserved that…
Taproom and Tasting Room Rules for Texas Alcohol Manufacturers
The taproom at a brewery, the tasting room at a winery, the sampling bar at a distillery: these on-site spaces have become central to craft alcohol…
How Unrelated Tax Debt Can Trigger a Comptroller Hold on a Permit
One of the most frustrating ways a TABC application can stall has nothing to do with the alcohol business itself. It comes from the Texas Comptroller…
The Texas Three-Tier System: Manufacturers, Distributors, Retailers
Almost every rule in Texas alcohol law makes more sense once you understand the structure underneath it: the three-tier system. This framework divides the alcohol industry…
How to Check ID Correctly and Avoid Sales to Minors
The single most important skill for anyone who sells alcohol in Texas is checking identification well. A correct ID check is what stands between a lawful…
The Late Hours Permit: Serving Alcohol Between Midnight and 2 a.m.
In Texas, the standard cutoff for serving alcohol is midnight on most nights, but many bars and restaurants pour past that hour. The reason is the…
Package Store Permits and the Rules Unique to Texas Liquor Stores
The package store permit governs the businesses Texans know as liquor stores, the only retail outlets where sealed distilled spirits can be bought to take home.…
TABC Emergency Suspension Orders: When and Why They Are Issued
Most TABC enforcement unfolds over time, through notices, hearings, and decisions. But some situations are too urgent to wait for the ordinary process. When a licensed…
The History Behind Texas’s Patchwork of Wet and Dry Jurisdictions
Drive across Texas and the rules for buying alcohol seem to change from one county to the next, sometimes from one town to the next. This…
Recordkeeping Practices That Help Prove TABC Compliance
Compliance with Texas alcohol law is not just about doing the right things; it is about being able to show that you did. When a question…