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TABC Food and Beverage (FB) and Late Hours (LH) Certificates

FB and LH are add-on certificates that sit next to a bar or restaurant's main permit. FB means the place qualifies as a restaurant. LH means it can serve until 2 a.m. Right now about 17,900 active on-premise permits carry an FB and about 9,900 carry an LH.

Food and Beverage Certificate (FB)

Holders of an MB, BG, BE or any private club permit can add an FB. To qualify, a business has to meet the legal definition of a restaurant or keep alcohol at 60% or less of its total sales, along with other requirements in Texas law and TABC rules.

Why FB matters

To-go cocktails: an MB holder needs an FB to sell any kind of alcohol to go, and it has to go out with food.
Signs: FB holders don't have to post the red 51% handgun sign or the human trafficking sign that other bars do.
A quick tell: FB on a record usually means a restaurant. No FB usually means the place is mainly a bar.

Late Hours Certificate (LH)

An LH lets an MB, BG, BE or private club holder sell and serve from midnight to 2 a.m. Without one, service stops at midnight. Late hours also depend on the city and county allowing them, so you'll see LH most often in big cities and nightlife districts.

Filter every license in your area by FB and LH. All licenses

Sources: TABC License and Permit Types · TABC Sign Requirements · TABC Alcohol Delivery and Pickup. This guide explains what public records show; it isn't legal advice. Check with TABC before acting on a licensing question.

Questions

What does FB mean on a TABC license?

FB is a Food and Beverage Certificate. It means the business qualifies as a restaurant under Texas law, or keeps alcohol to 60% or less of its sales and meets other requirements.

What does LH mean on a Texas liquor license?

LH is a Late Hours Certificate. It lets the business sell and serve alcohol from midnight to 2 a.m.

Does a Texas bar need an FB to sell cocktails to go?

A Mixed Beverage Permit holder needs an FB to sell alcohol to go, and the drinks must go out with a food order.

More permit guides

TABC Permit Types Explained: Every Texas Alcohol License CodeWhat MB, BG, BE, N, FB, LH, CD and the other TABC license codes mean, which ones bars and restaurants hold, and how to look up any business's permits.On-Premise vs Off-Premise Alcohol Permits in TexasThe difference between on-premise and off-premise TABC permits, which businesses hold each, what to-go rules apply, and why only on-premise sales are public.Texas Alcohol Taxes: What Bars Pay vs What Stores Pay (Current Rates)Current Texas alcohol tax rates: the 6.7% mixed beverage gross receipts tax, the 8.25% mixed beverage sales tax, sales tax on store purchases, and excise taxes per gallon.The History of the TABC and Why It ExistsHow the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission came out of the end of Prohibition, what it does today, and why Texas regulates alcohol the way it does.TABC Certification: Why Bars Recertify Their Staff Every Two YearsWhat TABC seller/server certification is, whether Texas requires it, why it expires after two years, and how keeping staff current protects a bar's license.Texas To-Go Cocktail Rules: What You Can and Can't BuyMyths and truths about buying cocktails, beer and wine to go from Texas restaurants: the food rule, sealed containers, ID, delivery limits and where to keep it in the car.What Is a Texas Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)?What a TABC Mixed Beverage Permit allows, how MB holders buy liquor, to-go cocktail rules, and how to see any MB holder's monthly sales.Beer and Wine Permits in Texas: BG vs BEThe difference between a TABC BG permit and a BE license, what each allows for to-go and delivery, and why beer-and-wine places have no public sales.Texas Private Club Permits: N, NB and NE ExplainedHow Texas private club permits work, the difference between N, NB and NE, why clubs can serve in dry areas, and how to see a club's sales.The Red 51% Sign in Texas Bars: What It MeansWhy some Texas bars post the red 51% handgun sign, which businesses must post it, and what the RED and BLUE values in TABC's records mean.Texas Consumer Delivery Permit (CD): Who Can Deliver AlcoholWhat a TABC Consumer Delivery Permit is, which companies hold one, and how bars, restaurants and stores deliver alcohol to customers in Texas.Which Texas Bars and Restaurants Can Cater Alcohol?Which TABC permits allow serving alcohol at events away from the business, how temporary event approval works, and how to find caterers in your area.How to Look Up a Texas Liquor License (and a Bar's Sales)Three ways to look up any Texas bar or restaurant's TABC license: who owns it, what it can serve, whether it's active, and how much alcohol it sells.