How to Get a Texas Liquor License

By StartBusinessByState·Publisher: Robert Smith·Research process

Last updated: November 3, 2026

Texas separates employee training from business permits. Bartenders and servers do not need a state-issued individual license; TABC seller/server certification is voluntary under state law, although many employers require it. Business operators need the appropriate TABC authorization. The Mixed Beverage Permit costs $5,300 for its initial two-year term and $2,650 to renew. Paying the fee does not guarantee approval: the applicant, premises, local alcohol rules and supporting documents must qualify.

Bartending in Texas: No License, but Get Certified Anyway

Texas does not require individual bartenders, servers or cashiers to hold a state seller/server certificate. Many employers require it, and certification is one part of TABC’s safe-harbor conditions. It does not guarantee employment or replace the separate annual opioid-course requirement where that applies.

• Safe harbor: TABC can protect the business’s permit from administrative action for an employee’s sale or service to a minor or intoxicated customer when all conditions are met. The seller must already hold a current approved certificate. Employees selling, serving or delivering alcohol and their immediate managers must be certified within 30 days of hire, must read and understand the employer’s written responsible-service policies, and the business must have fewer than three covered violations in 12 months. The owner/officer and no-encouragement conditions below also apply. This does not excuse the seller’s criminal liability or cover alcohol sales to private-club members.
• Valid two years from issue, through TABC-approved schools, most of them online.
• Safe harbor also requires that the seller is not the owner or an officer of the business, and that the employer did not directly or indirectly encourage the violation. Both conditions are easy to miss and both can void the protection.

The One Course That Is Mandatory — and It Is Annual

The annual opioid-related drug overdose course applies to Mixed Beverage and Private Club permit holders that are not restaurants: at least one person named on the permit must complete it, along with employees whom the permit holder requires to complete seller/server certification. It is not a blanket annual mandate for every Texas bartender.

• It is free, and it comes from TABC directly.
• It repeats annually — unlike seller/server certification, which runs two years and is optional.
• Restaurants and their staff are exempt from this course requirement. For this purpose, a restaurant operates its own permanent food-service facility with commercial cooking equipment on the premises and prepares and offers multiple entrees for on- or off-premises consumption. Confirm the permit and operation against TABC’s course instructions.

Check both questions with the employer: whether it requires seller/server certification, and whether its permit and operation bring you within the annual opioid-course requirement. These are separate training rules.

The Business Permits: What TABC Actually Issues

The ordinary retail permits listed below run two years from the issue date and are applied for through AIMS, TABC’s online licensing system:

• Mixed Beverage Permit (MB) — liquor, beer, and wine by the drink, on-premises. $5,300 original, $2,650 renewal. Food-service operations may carry it with a Food and Beverage Certificate ($1,100).
• Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer’s Permit (BG) — $1,900. Note this authorizes beer and wine for on- and off-premise consumption, so a BG restaurant can also sell to-go; you do not need a separate store permit for that. The BQ ($1,900) is the off-premise-only version for shops.
• Retail Dealer’s On-Premise License (BE) — malt beverages only: $1,100.
• Package Store Permit (P) — the liquor store permit: $1,800. Wine-only package store (Q): $1,600.
• Late Hours Certificate — $1,100 where extended hours apply.
• Local certificates are prerequisites: the application requires city, county, and state certificates plus public notice and publisher affidavits — and it is notarized.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Mixed Beverage Permit (MB) — original	$5,300	Two-year term; liquor by the drink
Mixed Beverage Permit — renewal	$2,650	Half the original fee
Wine & Malt Beverage Retailer (BG)	$1,900	Beer and wine, on- and off-premise; the off-premise-only BQ is also $1,900
Mixed beverage gross receipts tax	6.7% of gross receipts	Paid by the business, not the customer — it cannot be added as a separate charge
Mixed beverage sales tax	8.25%	On alcoholic drinks plus mixers and ice; may be passed to the customer
Conduct surety bond	$5,000 or $10,000 face amount when required	Covered on-premises categories generally need $5,000, or $10,000 within 1,000 feet of a public school. P, Q and BQ categories need $10,000 only within that distance. An approved FB certificate provides the conduct-bond exemption. The amount is not the premium.
Performance bond	$2,000	BE or BG without an FB certificate in Bexar, Harris, Dallas or Tarrant counties
Retail Dealer’s On-Premise (BE)	$1,100	Malt beverages only
Package Store Permit (P)	$1,800	Liquor store; wine-only (Q) $1,600
Food and Beverage Certificate (FB)	$1,100	Subordinate certificate for food-service permittees
Late Hours Certificate (LH)	$1,100	Extended serving hours
TABC seller/server certification	Set by approved schools	Voluntary under state law; valid two years; many employers require it
Texas LLC	$300	Certificate of formation (Form 205), Texas Secretary of State

Confirm the Address and Eligibility Before Paying

A Mixed Beverage Permit’s $5,300 fee is only one application cost; it does not buy automatic permission to open. Verify the applicant, premises and local rules. Avoid assuming every permit category has unlimited ownership: Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code §22.04 generally limits a person’s direct or indirect interests to 250 package stores and issuance to 15 original package-store permits per calendar year, subject to the statute’s exceptions.

The catch is the word allowed. Texas is a local-option state: counties, cities, and precincts have voted themselves wet or dry in various combinations, and what you can sell depends on the address. That is why TABC’s application makes you collect certificates from the city, county, and state before the permit issues — the local option check is built into the process. Two doors down the street can sit in a different precinct with different rules, so verify the address with the county clerk before signing the lease, not after.

TABC says a new license can take 30–35 days after it receives a complete application; this is planning guidance, not a guaranteed opening date. Allow time for applicable business registrations, notices, affidavits and city, county and state certifications. Answer an information request within 10 business days: TABC says it will remove an unanswered application and refund the application fee.

The Permit Fee Is Not the Cost of a Texas Bar

$5,300 is the application fee, not the price of doing business. A Mixed Beverage Permit brings two Comptroller taxes whose cost depends on taxable sales:

• Mixed beverage gross receipts tax — 6.7% of gross receipts. This one is yours: the permit holder owes it and cannot add it to the check as a separate charge. It applies to alcohol and to the non-alcoholic mixers and ice sold to go with it, consumed on the premises.
• Mixed beverage sales tax — 8.25% on alcoholic drinks plus mixers and ice. This one you may pass to the customer, as a line item or built into menu pricing.

Run the arithmetic before you sign anything. At 6.7%, the gross receipts tax alone equals the entire $2,650 two-year renewal once covered sales reach about $39,550 — the time needed to reach that amount depends on your actual sales. Price your menu with the 6.7% already inside it, because you cannot bill it separately later.

Separate bond amounts from bond premiums. TABC’s conduct-bond form lists the covered categories. MB, BG, BE and specified club/transport permits generally need a $5,000 conduct bond without the FB exemption, increasing to $10,000 within 1,000 feet of a public school, measured property line to property line. P, Q and BQ permits need the $10,000 conduct bond only within that school-distance threshold. In Bexar, Harris, Dallas and Tarrant counties, BE or BG holders without an FB certificate also need a $2,000 performance bond. An approved FB certificate exempts its holder from these TABC bonds, but not from separate Comptroller tax-security requirements. The bond face amount is not its purchase price; obtain a premium quote instead of treating a $5,000 bond as a $5,000 fee.

Qualifying MB operators can also offer alcohol pickup or delivery under TABC’s separate to-go rules. The Comptroller distinguishes these sales: alcohol consumed on the premises is reported under mixed beverage taxes; eligible pickup, delivery and to-go alcohol consumed off premises is instead subject to limited sales and use tax. See the mixed beverage tax FAQ.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Check the wet/dry status of the exact address with the county clerk before committing to it.
2. Choose the business structure and complete applicable registrations. Follow TABC’s checklist for Secretary of State and Comptroller records. If choosing an LLC, its $300 formation filing is separate from the alcohol permit; the LLC itself is not required for every operator.
3. Create an AIMS account and pick the permit that matches the concept: MB for a full bar, BG for beer and wine, P for a package store.
4. Complete the local steps — city, county, and state certificates, public notices, and publisher affidavits, with signatures notarized.
5. Submit through AIMS and stay responsive. TABC describes 30–35 days after a complete application as a possible processing time, not a guarantee. Respond to a request within 10 business days or TABC will remove the application and refund its application fee.
6. Meet all safe-harbor conditions. Certify employees who sell, serve or deliver alcohol and their immediate managers within 30 days of hire; maintain current certificates and written policies they understand. The employee making a covered sale needs a current certificate. Certification alone does not establish safe harbor. Complete annual opioid training if the permit and operation require it.
7. Post required signage before opening.

Staying Licensed

The ordinary retail permits listed here have two-year terms; temporary authorizations follow different schedules. The Mixed Beverage Permit renews at $2,650, and other permits follow the current chart. For safe harbor, maintain current seller/server certificates and meet every condition described above, including the covered employee/manager group, policies and violation limit. Where required, complete the separate opioid course annually.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a liquor license cost in Texas?

TABC fees depend on the business: the Mixed Beverage Permit is $5,300 for its initial two-year term and $2,650 to renew; BG beer-and-wine is $1,900, BE malt beverages is $1,100, and P package store is $1,800. These are state permit fees, not an all-in startup quote. Add applicable taxes, local costs and bond premiums. Conduct-bond requirements depend on the permit category, school distance and FB exemption.

What taxes does a Texas bar pay on alcohol?

For taxable on-premises sales, the business owes 6.7% mixed beverage gross receipts tax and collects 8.25% mixed beverage sales tax. The 6.7% cannot be added to the customer’s price as a separate charge. The 8.25% can be separately stated or included in the price under the Comptroller’s rules. Eligible off-premises pickup, delivery and to-go sales instead go on the limited sales and use tax return; they are not subject to these mixed beverage taxes.

Do Texas bartenders have to take any mandatory training?

Seller/server certification is voluntary under state law, although an employer may require it. A separate free annual opioid course applies to nonrestaurant Mixed Beverage and Private Club permit holders: at least one person named on the permit and employees required by the permit holder to complete seller/server certification must take it. Restaurants meeting the stated definition and their staff are exempt.

Does a Texas restaurant need a Food and Beverage Certificate?

An FB certificate may be required by the local authorization or useful for an eligible operation, but it is not automatically required of every restaurant. It costs $1,100 and is available with specified permit categories under TABC’s eligibility rules, including the restaurant or alcohol-receipts test and other requirements. It exempts its holder from TABC conduct and performance bonds, not the separate Comptroller tax security. Confirm eligibility using TABC’s permit descriptions before counting on the exemption.

Do you need a license to bartend in Texas?

No state-issued individual bartender license is required. TABC seller/server certification is voluntary under state law, but many employers require it. It lasts two years and is one part of safe harbor: the selling employee must have a current certificate, covered staff and their immediate managers must be certified within 30 days of hire, and all other conditions must also be satisfied. Annual opioid training can apply separately.

How long does it take to get a TABC permit?

TABC says a new license can take 30–35 days after receipt of a complete application. This is an estimate, not a guaranteed approval date. Complete the required registrations, local certificates and notices, and allow longer for paper or incomplete applications. An unanswered information request after 10 business days leads to removal of the application and refund of its application fee.

What is a Texas Mixed Beverage Permit?

An MB permit authorizes distilled spirits, wine and malt beverages for on-premises consumption. It costs $5,300 for the first two years and $2,650 to renew. Some operations also need an FB certificate ($1,100); eligible MB/FB operations may sell alcohol to go subject to separate conditions. Beer-and-wine-only businesses can assess the BG category ($1,900) instead, subject to its location and operating rules.

Can you sell alcohol anywhere in Texas?

No — Texas is a local-option state. Whether alcohol can be sold at your address, and what kinds, depends on the wet/dry status of the county, city, or even precinct, decided by local elections. That is why the TABC application requires certificates from the city, county, and state before a permit issues. Check the address before you sign the lease.

Does Texas limit the number of liquor licenses?

Do not assume permits are unlimited or that paying a fee guarantees approval. Every application must meet the relevant eligibility and local rules. Package stores have specific ownership and issuance restrictions: §22.04 generally caps a person’s interests at 250 package stores and original permits at 15 per calendar year, subject to statutory exceptions. That package-store rule should not be confused with the requirements for a bar’s Mixed Beverage Permit.

Forming the company, taxes, insurance, and hiring are covered in our full guide to starting a business in Texas.

Sources

Source	What It Covers
TABC — License and Permit Fees Chart (two-year fees, effective 9/1/21)	Every permit fee quoted: MB $5,300/$2,650, BG $1,900, P $1,800, FB $1,100
TABC — License and Permit Fees Chart page	Ordinary permit terms and the separate temporary-event fee categories
TABC — New Licenses and Permits (AIMS process)	AIMS application, SOS/Comptroller registration, public notices and publisher affidavits, city/county/state certificates, 30–35-day planning estimate and removal/refund after an unanswered 10-business-day request
TABC — Certification FAQs	Certification voluntary under state law, valid two years, safe-harbor conditions including the 30-day hire window, the owner/officer bar and the no-encouragement condition
TABC — Certification (opioid course)	Annual opioid course for nonrestaurant MB/private-club permit holders and employees required by those holders to obtain seller/server certification
Texas Comptroller — Mixed Beverage Gross Receipts Tax	The 6.7% rate, owed by the permittee and not chargeable to the customer as a separate item
Texas Comptroller — Mixed Beverage Sales Tax	The 8.25% rate on alcoholic beverages, mixers and ice, which may be passed to the customer
TABC — Bonds	Conduct bonds depend on permit class and school distance; $2,000 performance bond for BE/BG without an FB certificate in Bexar, Harris, Dallas and Tarrant; FB exemption does not eliminate Comptroller tax security
Texas SOS — Form 205, Certificate of Formation (LLC)	$300 LLC filing fee