Local Government Officials

This page provides information for local government officials — like tax assessor-collectors, city secretaries, county clerks, and county judges — to help them navigate their responsibilities related to TABC licenses and permits.

Learn about certifying TABC applications, reimbursements for counties, charging local fees for TABC licenses and permits, filing complaints about businesses in your jurisdiction, and accessing helpful TABC data.

Certification Requirement for City Secretaries and County Clerks

When someone is applying for a TABC license or permit for a location, the city and/or county that has jurisdiction over the proposed location must certify whether the location is “wet” or “dry” for the activity that is authorized by the proposed license or permit.

When the city secretary and/or the county clerk receive certification forms from a TABC license or permit applicant, each must certify the application or refuse to certify it within 30 days of receipt.

See Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 11.37 and Section 61.37.

How to Certify a Location’s Wet/Dry Status

There are two types of certification forms you might receive from TABC applicants, both of which are acceptable:

• AIMS Application Summary (View sample summary): The application summary from our AIMS system includes information such as principal parties of the applicant entity, proposed location address, and measurement distances (residence, school, and church).
• Required Certifications Form (L-CERT) (View sample L-CERT): the traditional paper form. 

Local governments should certify based on the latest option elections for that jurisdiction — and not the type of permit the applicant is applying for.

Certification is required by both the city and the county if the proposed location is within a city's jurisdiction. Either the city or the county may sign the certification document first, and the order in which they sign does not matter.

Certification is required by the county only (i.e., the city does not certify) if the proposed location is not within a city’s jurisdiction.

TABC also maintains wet/dry status and election information related to alcohol sales for use by the public and county officials.

TABC is required by law to remit 5% of each license fee (not permit fee) that we collect back to the county in which the license was issued. See Code Section 61.35(e).

This means TABC only reimburses counties for the following licenses:

• Brewer's License (BW)
• Brewer's Self-Distribution License (SD)
• General Distributor's License (BB)
• Branch Distributor's License (BC)
• Malt Beverage Retail Dealer's On-Premise License (BE)
• Malt Beverage Retail Dealer's Off-Premise License (BF)
• Brewpub License (BP)

TABC submits these 5% license fee reimbursements to the counties each month via electronic deposits.

5% County Reimbursement Invoices: County tax assessor-collectors can verify the amount due to their county from TABC by reviewing our 5% county reimbursement invoice database. This database provides two years’ worth of monthly 5% reimbursement invoices for each county where TABC issued a license.

Cities and counties may assess and collect a fee from a business in their jurisdiction when TABC issues a license or permit to the business, and when the business renews their TABC license or permit.

However, the law prohibits cities and counties from charging a local fee for all of the following license and permit types:

• Passenger Transportation Permit (TR), Carrier Permit (C), Private Club Registration Permit (N), and Local Cartage Permit (E).
• Mixed Beverage Permits (MBs) during the three-year period following the initial issuance of the permit.
• A TABC-licensed or -permitted business that operates a food establishment on their premises if the business has already paid a fee to operate to the Texas Department of State Health Services or to any county, municipality, or public health district.

The fee may not exceed one-half of the fee that was established for that license or permit in the Alcoholic Beverage Code as of Aug. 31, 2021.

The fee for a Brewer’s License (BW) or Brewer’s Self-Distribution License (SD) may not exceed one-half of the fee that is set by TABC Rule.

The chart below outlines fees local governments can charge under Texas law.

Please email any questions about local fees to city-countyfeesowed@tabc.texas.gov.

See Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 11.38 and Section 61.36; and Texas Health and Safety Code Section 437.01235.

Step 1: Before notifying TABC of non-payment of local fees:

• Check the status of the license or permit to ensure it is still current/active or that an application has been approved. TABC can only take action to help with collections on current/active licenses or permits.
• Try to collect the fees that are owed by the license or permit holder.
  • Contact the license or permit holder and inform them of the consequences of not paying. 
  • Contract with a third party to help collect unpaid fees owed to the city or county. See Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 11.38 (b-1)(b-2) and Section 61.36 (b-1)(b-2).

Step 2: Notify TABC of non-payment of local fees:

• Email TABC at city-countyfeesowed@tabc.texas.gov to notify the agency of delinquent license or permit holders from whom you have tried to collect a local fee.
• In your email to TABC, list each delinquent license or permit holder and include for each all of the following:
  • License/permit number.
  • Business’s tradename.
  • Fee amount the business owes.
• Each email should include no more than 10 delinquent license or permit holders. Send additional emails if you have more than 10 delinquent license or permit holders to report. Please submit one email only for your city or county per week.
• Do not send TABC multiple notices about a delinquent license or permit holder. Once reported, the license or permit holder will stay on TABC’s list until you notify the agency that the liability has been paid.
• Please notify TABC immediately when payment has been made.
• TABC can only take action against a delinquent license or permit if the local fee is more than 180 days past due. 

The law requires that all peace officers in the state enforce the provisions of the Alcoholic Beverage Code and help TABC detect violations. If a local government suspects any unlawful activity at a TABC-licensed location, file a complaint with us so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

TABC provides several datasets that may help local government officials perform their duties related to TABC licenses and permits:

• TABC Licenses and Permits Issued: Check the new licenses or permits issued in your county by visiting the Texas Open Data Portal. Browser Compatibility: Do not use Internet Explorer to access this link. Use Google Chrome or other popular browsers for the best experience.
• Liquor/Beer Issued 4x6 Cards: Visit our Public Inquiry system and enter the information into the available fields. There are several types of information to choose from: 
  • All — A complete list of licenses/permits
  • Renewals  
  • Third-year notification — Mixed Beverage Permits reaching collection status
  • Reissued — Licenses and permits with changes
  • New — Newly issued licenses and permits
  • Change of expiration date — Licenses and permits with updated expiration date
• Mailed Renewal Applications: Find information about mailed renewal applications in our Public Inquiry system.
• Data and Archives: View data and historic information, including per capita consumption reports.