Liquor — Texas
Texas runs an open system. A restaurant license here typically takes 1–2 months. The quota math: No quota and no population cap: TABC issues permits statewide to qualified applicants. The gating factor is LOCAL OPTION - each city/county/justice precinct votes wet or dry separately for beer/wine vs. mixed beverages, so a specific address may be dry for spirits even in a wet county. Permits are also NOT transferable between owners..
| License | Covers |
|---|---|
| Mixed Beverage Permit (MB) | Full liquor |
| Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Permit (BG) | Beer & wine |
State fee: $5,300 — Mixed Beverage Permit (MB): $5,300 for the initial two-year term per the TABC fee chart as compiled by multiple secondary sources (renewal $2,650); BG wine/malt beverage permit $1,900/two years. Local city/county fees (capped by statute) and two surety bonds are extra. One compiled source cites a higher original MB figure from the fee chart's surcharge columns - verify the exact AIMS quote for the premises county..
The exception: Food and Beverage Certificate (FB) attached to an MB — Not a quota bypass (there is no quota) but the common restaurant route: an MB/FB structure ties the permit to a bona fide food operation, exempts the conduct surety bond, and is the permit form usable in some areas wet only for restaurant mixed-beverage service - confirm the precinct's local-option election wording in AIMS. Run your floor plan and menu split through the Liquor Path Checker before you shop for a quota license.
1–2 months — TABC's own estimate is 30-35 days from a COMPLETE application for many permits (TABC FAQ as compiled); incomplete filings, local certifications and the 60-day public-notice sign stretch real-world cases toward 60 days.. At typical rents, every month of that clock is dead money: the Wait-vs-Burn visualizer inside the checker turns your rent × this timeline into the dollar figure.
Temporary permit: available — a transferred license can often pour during processing; ask by name.
Transfers: Temporary/event permits exist for specific occasions, but there is no transfer of an existing owner's permit: TABC does not allow person-to-person transfer - a buyer of an existing bar/restaurant applies for its OWN new permit (a permit may move locations only with TABC approval, and beer licenses must stay in-county).
Don't read the table — run your verdict. Your sq ft, seats and food split decide exception eligibility — the checker does that math.
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Included in the $49 Opening Pack: the filled templates, trackers, calendars and worksheets for this door — built from the same dated datasets as the free checker above.
Typically 1–2 months for a restaurant, per the dated sources on this page. Transfers and protests run longer.
The state fee is $5,300.
Sources: Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) - fee chart and application FAQ (via compiled sources). This row was compiled from the named sources; confirm final figures with the issuing office before you rely on them.. Dataset checked October 23, 2026. Where a fee or rule is set by a county or city, this page says so instead of guessing a number.