The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) issues over 30 primary permit and license types. Here's every category you'll encounter when tracking alcohol sales data across Texas venues.
In Texas, permits authorize the sale of distilled spirits (liquor), while licenses authorize the sale of beer and/or wine. A full-service bar typically holds a Mixed Beverage Permit, while a brewery holds a Brewer's License. Many venues hold multiple permits and licenses simultaneously. Licenses marked with Reports Sales require monthly gross receipts tax filings — this is the public data Bar Savvy tracks.
Licenses for bars, restaurants, and venues selling alcohol for consumption on-site.
The most common permit for full-service bars and restaurants. Authorizes on-premise sale of all alcoholic beverages — liquor, beer, and wine — plus limited catering rights. Consolidates older sub-permits like Caterer's and Minibar after the 2021 reforms.
Bars, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels
Allows on-premise sale of beer and wine only — no liquor or mixed drinks. Also permits sealed-container to-go sales. Popular with casual dining restaurants, brewpubs, and venues in areas with limited wet status.
Casual restaurants, pizza shops, brewpubs, wine bars, cafes
Previously known as "Wine and Beer Retailer's Permit" — updated to match new "malt beverage" language.
Legacy beer-only on-premises license. Authorizes sale of malt beverages for consumption on-site and to-go. Common in jurisdictions that allow only beer.
Beer bars, sports venues, beer gardens, some convenience stores
Legacy license for areas allowing only beer. Most new establishments in wet areas use BG instead.
Allows a retail licensee (MB, BG, or BE holder) to brew malt beverages on-site and sell to customers for on- or off-premises consumption. Production capped at 10,000 barrels per year.
Brewpub restaurants, taproom-restaurants
Licenses for liquor stores, grocery stores, and shops selling sealed containers to go.
The standard liquor store license. Sells spirits, wine, and beer for off-premise consumption in sealed containers. Also permits tastings and limited delivery. Cannot sell for on-premise consumption.
Liquor stores, spirits retailers
Authorizes off-premise retail sales of wine and beer (no distilled spirits). Includes tastings and limited delivery. Commonly held by specialty wine shops or stores in areas not fully wet.
Wine shops, specialty food stores, some grocery stores
Allows off-premise (take-home) sales of beer and wine in sealed containers. The standard license for grocery and convenience stores in fully wet areas. Merged older beer-only and wine-only off-premise licenses after 2021.
Grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations
Legacy beer-only off-premise license. Authorizes sale of beer in sealed containers for consumption elsewhere. Used in jurisdictions that don't allow wine.
Convenience stores and gas stations in beer-only areas
Legacy license — most new stores in wet areas use BQ instead.
Membership-based permits for clubs, fraternal organizations, and venues in dry areas.
Allows a private club to store and serve all types of alcohol to members and guests for on-premises consumption. Primarily used by clubs in dry areas or membership-only settings.
Country clubs, social clubs, membership-only bars
Beer-and-wine-only private club permit. Used in partially wet areas that allow beer and wine but not spirits.
Social clubs, community organizations in partially wet areas
For qualified fraternal and veterans organizations. Grants the same alcohol service as a private club but exempts some membership rules (like minimum local residents).
VFW posts, American Legion halls, fraternal lodges
Permits for breweries, wineries, and distilleries producing alcohol in Texas.
Authorizes manufacturing of malt beverages in Texas, including import, transport, and sale to distributors or retailers. Smaller breweries below production thresholds may sell directly to consumers. Combines the older Brewer's Permit and Manufacturer's License as of 2021.
Breweries, craft breweries with taprooms
Authorizes manufacture, bottling, labeling, and sale of wine. Wineries may sell directly to consumers at the winery, ship to consumers, and sell to retailers and distributors. Can host festivals and events with TABC approval.
Wineries, vineyards with tasting rooms
Allows manufacturing, rectifying, and blending distilled spirits and wines. Includes bottling, packaging, transporting, storing, and limited direct consumer sales up to statutory volume limits.
Distilleries, craft spirits producers
Licenses for distributors and wholesalers moving product from producers to retailers.
Authorizes wholesale distribution of malt beverages (beer/ale) in Texas, including import, transport, and sale to retailers. Absorbed older Importer's Licenses and Local Distributor's License in the 2021 reforms.
Beer distributors, beverage distribution companies
Authorizes wholesaling of distilled spirits and wine — purchase from distillers/wineries, sell to retailers. Includes import and transport authority.
Spirits and wine wholesalers
Authorizes wholesaling of wine and malt beverages (no distilled spirits). Covers import and sale to retailers.
Wine and beer wholesalers
Allows qualifying craft brewers to distribute their own products directly to retailers, bypassing a distributor. Consolidates older DA/DB permits after 2021.
Craft breweries distributing their own beer
Allows a holder of a General Distributor's License (BB) to operate additional distribution branch locations.
Distribution branch warehouses
Permits for out-of-state producers selling or shipping into Texas.
Allows out-of-state brewers to sell and ship malt beverages into Texas to licensed distributors or brewpubs. Consolidates older Nonresident Manufacturer's License and Nonresident Brewer's Permit.
Out-of-state breweries selling into Texas
Authorizes out-of-state wineries to ship wine directly to Texas consumers in permitted quantities.
Out-of-state wineries shipping to Texas consumers
Allows out-of-state distilleries or wineries to sell and ship distilled spirits and wine into Texas to authorized importers. No longer covers high-alcohol beer (moved to BN in 2021).
Out-of-state distilleries and wineries
Supplemental certificates paired with a primary permit for additional privileges.
Not a standalone license — paired with a Mixed Beverage Permit to indicate the venue derives significant income from food (max 60% from alcohol). Often required by local municipalities to operate as a restaurant and admit minors. Codified by 2021 law (SB 911).
Restaurants pairing with MB permit in partially wet or food-required areas
Allows eligible on-premise retailers (MB, BG, BE, or Private Club) to serve alcohol until 2:00 AM. Without this certificate, standard service ends at midnight.
Late-night bars, nightclubs, restaurants with late service
Allows a Package Store (P or Q) to also sell or wholesale liquor and wine to on-premise accounts (bars, restaurants) within the same county.
Liquor stores serving as local distributors
Delivery, promotional, nonprofit event, and passenger transit permits.
Allows third-party services to deliver alcoholic beverages directly to consumers on behalf of retailers. Introduced in 2019 and expanded in 2021 for the home delivery market.
Third-party delivery services (e.g., Drizly, Instacart)
Allows qualified nonprofits to sell, serve, or auction alcohol at temporary fundraising events.
Charity galas, nonprofit fundraisers, auction events
Allows third-party agencies to conduct tastings and promotions of alcoholic beverages on behalf of manufacturers or wholesalers. New in 2021 to formalize marketing activities.
Marketing agencies, promotional companies
Allows airlines, cruise ships, trains, and buses to serve alcoholic beverages to ticketed passengers during transit. Consolidates older airline, railroad, and boat permits.
Airlines, cruise lines, Amtrak, charter buses
A specialty permit for a BG holder operating a water park along the Comal River. Allows broader alcohol sales across park property and inventory transfer between owned locations.
Schlitterbahn-type water parks in specific areas
Very narrow in scope — tailored for specific Comal River water parks.
Carrier, warehouse, and cartage permits for moving and storing alcohol.
Allows common carriers (water, rail, air, motor) to transport alcoholic beverages in sealed containers within or across Texas. Consolidates older Common Carrier and Private Carrier permits.
Trucking companies, freight carriers, logistics firms
Allows operation of a bonded warehouse to store distilled spirits and wine for producers and wholesalers under bond. Strictly storage — no retail sales.
Bonded warehouses, storage facilities
Permits storing imported malt beverages (often from Mexico) for export out of Texas. Cannot sell within Texas.
Border-area import/export warehouses
Allows a permitted manufacturer (brewer, distiller, winery) to operate a regional warehouse to forward products to Texas distributors. New in 2021.
Producer-operated regional distribution warehouses
Allows the holder (usually a retailer or designated carrier) to deliver alcoholic beverages within a city or county.
Retailers doing local delivery, local carriers
Allows a business to transport and deliver alcohol for hire within city limits on behalf of licensees. Created in 2021, distinct from the E permit which retailers hold themselves.
Third-party local delivery services
Bar Savvy tracks alcohol sales revenue alongside license data for every reporting venue in Texas. See how different license types perform across cities, compare revenue by permit category, and identify market trends.
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