Texas TABC license types explained

Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)

Mixed beverage permit: beer, wine and spirits served on site. Restaurants with a bar and every full bar in Texas need one. Venue mix in our data: restaurant 57%, bar 37%, hotel 5%.

743 filings in 90 days (37% of TABC filings). Most active: Houston (83), Dallas (54), San Antonio (53). Recent examples: Shamrocks Pub Grill (Humble), Z&A Partners LLC dba The Huddle (Temple), Taqueria Taxco (Forney).

Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Permit (BG)

Wine and malt beverage retailer's permit: beer and wine served on site, no spirits. Common for casual restaurants and small venues. Venue mix in our data: restaurant 75%, store 14%, bar 7%.

467 filings in 90 days (23% of TABC filings). Most active: Houston (66), San Antonio (29), Austin (20). Recent examples: Hexa Convenience Store (Weslaco), Stripes Store 40749H (San Benito), Black Bear Diner (Grand Prairie).

Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Off-Premise Permit (BQ)

Wine and malt beverage retailer's off-premise permit: beer and wine sold to go. Convenience stores and groceries. Venue mix in our data: store 100%.

315 filings in 90 days (16% of TABC filings). Most active: Houston (39), San Antonio (20), Fort Worth (16). Recent examples: Carniceria Mendez (Mission), Driftwood Beverage Company IX LLC (Plano), 7-Eleven Convenience Store #47541H (Reno).

Wine-Only Package Store Permit (Q)

Wine-only package store permit: a wine shop selling to go. Venue mix in our data: store 100%.

267 filings in 90 days (13% of TABC filings). Most active: Houston (31), Dallas (13), San Antonio (12). Recent examples: Casey's #411 (Childress), Casey's #4792 (Liberty Hill), Casey's #415 (Pampa).

Package Store Permit (P)

Package store permit: a liquor store selling spirits to go. Venue mix in our data: store 100%.

107 filings in 90 days (5% of TABC filings). Most active: Houston (12), San Antonio (7), Austin (3). Recent examples: High Spirits Liquor (Willis), Hotspot Liquor (Dayton), Crystal Liquors LLC (Asherton).

Retail Dealer's On-Premise License (beer) (BE)

Retail dealer's on-premise license: beer served on site. Venue mix in our data: restaurant 88%, bar 7%, store 5%.

42 filings in 90 days (2% of TABC filings). Most active: Spring (3), Houston (3), Denton (2). Recent examples: Casa Guerrero Restaurante y Taqueria (Cleveland), Kristal Mexican Restaurant LLC (Denton), Ebony Hills Golf Course (Edinburg).

Private Club Registration Permit (N)

Private club registration permit: a club serving its members, often in areas that are otherwise dry. Venue mix in our data: club 100%.

22 filings in 90 days (1% of TABC filings). Most active: Mobeetie (2), Allen (1), Alba (1). Recent examples: 152 Road House Cafe (Mobeetie), Bethany Tavern Social Club (Allen), Grease Monkey BBQ & Grill (Alba).

Winery Permit (G)

Venue mix in our data: brewery or winery 100%.

19 filings in 90 days (1% of TABC filings). Most active: Fredericksburg (2), Dripping Springs (2), Midlothian (1). Recent examples: Vine And Branch Winery At The Lake (Midlothian), Valkyrie's Kiss Mead Coffee & Matcha (New Braunfels), Youthful Reserve (Friendswood).

Distiller's and Rectifier's Permit (D)

Venue mix in our data: brewery or winery 100%.

18 filings in 90 days (1% of TABC filings). Most active: Fredericksburg (3), Smithville (2), Brady (1). Recent examples: Desert Ghost Distilling Company (Fredericksburg), Scout Spirits (Fredericksburg), Heart of Texas Distillery (Brady).

Retail Dealer's Off-Premise License (beer) (BF)

Retail dealer's off-premise license: beer sold to go. Venue mix in our data: store 100%.

12 filings in 90 days (1% of TABC filings). Most active: Laredo (1), Victoria (1), Greenville (1). Recent examples: JR Corner Store inc (Laredo), SPY Store (Victoria), Green Mart (Greenville).

Brewer's License (BW)

Venue mix in our data: brewery or winery 100%.

11 filings in 90 days (1% of TABC filings). Most active: Austin (3), Fredericksburg (2), Blanco (2). Recent examples: Ceremony Botanical Brews Inc (Austin), Ceremony Botanical Brews Inc (Austin), COOP Ale Works (Dallas).

Add-on certificates

Filed together with a main license, never alone. They change what the venue can do, which changes what it buys.

• Food and Beverage Certificate (FB), on 732 filings. Food and beverage certificate: added to an on-premise permit when the premises has a real food service operation. A strong sign the venue is a restaurant, not just a bar.
• Late Hours Certificate (LH), on 268 filings. Late hours certificate: lets the holder serve until 2 a.m. where local law allows. Almost always a bar or a late-night restaurant.
• Local Distributor's Permit (LP), on 24 filings.
• Brewpub License (BP), on 8 filings. Brewpub license: brews beer on site for sale there, alongside a restaurant or bar.
• Local Cartage Permit (E), on 8 filings.
• Brewer's Self-Distribution License (SD), on 2 filings.