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The History of the TABC and Why It Exists

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, or TABC, is the state agency that regulates every part of the alcohol business in Texas, from the brewery to the bar. It was created in 1935 as the Texas Liquor Control Board, right after Prohibition ended, to put the legal alcohol trade under state control.

Born from the end of Prohibition

When the 21st Amendment repealed national Prohibition, regulating alcohol became each state's job. In 1935 the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Liquor Control Act, which created the Texas Liquor Control Board. Its early jobs, as the Texas State Historical Association describes them, were to promote temperance, protect the public, collect alcohol taxes, and fight bootlegging, underage drinking and organized crime.

Key moments

WhenWhat happened
1935The Texas Liquor Control Act creates the Texas Liquor Control Board.
1970The agency is renamed the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
1971The Legislature lets local voters decide whether bars and restaurants in their area can sell mixed drinks, the start of liquor by the drink.
1977The Liquor Control Act is updated and becomes today's Alcoholic Beverage Code.
May 2021House Bill 1024 takes effect, letting restaurants with a Mixed Beverage Permit and a Food and Beverage Certificate sell beer, wine and cocktails to go with food orders. The to-go rules.

Why Texas has a TABC

Criticism along the way

The agency hasn't been without controversy. Over the decades it faced charges of being too close to the industry it regulates, of uneven enforcement, and of internal problems, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Like every Texas agency, it is periodically reviewed by the Sunset Advisory Commission, which decides whether it should continue and how it should change.

What TABC does today

TABC regulates the sale, taxation, importation, manufacturing, transport and advertising of alcohol in Texas. It issues and renews tens of thousands of licenses, inspects businesses, investigates complaints, trains servers and delivery drivers through approved programs, and suspends or cancels permits when businesses break the law. Its license records are public, which is what lets anyone look up a bar's permits on Bar Sales IQ.

Look up any bar's TABC permits and compliance status. Search Bar Sales IQ

Sources: TABC About Us · Handbook of Texas: Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. This guide explains what public records show; it isn't legal advice. Check with TABC before acting on a licensing question.

Questions

When was the TABC created?

In 1935, as the Texas Liquor Control Board, after Prohibition ended. It was renamed the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in 1970.

What does the TABC do?

It regulates the sale, taxation, importation, manufacturing, transport and advertising of alcohol in Texas, licenses alcohol businesses, and enforces the Alcoholic Beverage Code.

Does the TABC collect alcohol taxes?

TABC collects excise taxes from distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers. The Texas Comptroller collects the mixed beverage taxes paid by bars and the sales tax on store purchases.

When did Texas allow liquor by the drink?

In 1971 the Legislature let local voters decide whether bars and restaurants in their area could sell mixed drinks.

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.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.TABC Food and Beverage (FB) and Late Hours (LH) CertificatesWhat the FB and LH codes on a Texas liquor license mean, who qualifies, and how they affect to-go drinks, closing time and required signs.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.

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