LIQUOR LICENSE
Requirements
WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO GET A LIQUOR LICENSE?
You must be over the age of 21.
You must be a resident of the United States or be legally authorized to work in the United States. You must hold a valid Passport, Naturalization Certificate, or Green Card at the time of the application.
Having been convicted or having received deferred adjudication in the past 5 five years may impact your ability to obtain a license. If you are unsure if you qualify due to a criminal charge, please call our office and we can help!
**If you or anyone in your household currently hold a BQ permit (Wine & Beer Retailer’s Off Premise Permit), please let us know when you come to apply. There are specific rules that liquor store owners have to adhere to when applying for a liquor license.**
​**This applies to new liquor stores only, If you are purchasing a liquor store with an active license, this will not apply to you.
Your building must be more than 1,000 feet from a school.
You must have 1 ADA restroom.
You must have a 2nd door that opens up to a public area either in the back or to the side of the store.
If your store is in a shopping strip, you cannot have connecting windows or doors with any other businesses, there must be a solid opaque wall in between the businesses.
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU ON YOUR INITIAL VISIT:
The exact address to the location where the beer and wine will be sold (please include any suite or building number).
Please have 3 different corporation names in mind when you come in. (Example: 123 Store LLC, New 123 Store LLC, South 123 Store LLC) If you have already formed a corporation please bring your documents and your Federal Identification Number (EIN). *Please note that anyone listed on the corporation documents will have to be named on ALL licenses*
The DBA name you would like for your business.
A reliable mailing address, email address and cell phone number.
Address(es) of where you have lived for the past 5 years, as well as the month and year that you started living there.
Name(s) & address(es) of your employers for the past 5 years, as well as the start and end dates for each job and your job title.
If you are married we will need the following for your spouse: Their Full Legal Name, Social Security Number, Driver's License Number, & their Date of Birth. (Does your spouse own a liquor store? Has your spouse ever been arrested or had any T.A.B.C violations?)
If anyone else lives with you OVER the age of 18, we will need the following information: their Full Legal Name, Social Security Number, Driver's License Number, & their Date of Birth. (Do any of these people own a liquor store? Have any of these people ever been arrested or had any T.A.B.C violations?)
Proof of Legal Status – please provide any of the following: Passport, Naturalization Certificate, or Green Card.
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If you are unsure, or think you are too close to any of the following, please let us know when you come to apply.
Are there any Churches​ within 300 feet of your business? (front door to front door)
Are there any Day Cares within 300 feet of your business? (property line to property line, using the 2 closest points)
Are there any Public or Private Schools within 1,000 feet of your business? (property line to property line, using the 2 closest points)
THINGS WE WILL NEED AFTER YOUR INITIAL VISIT:
A copy of the lease agreement and the landlord's Federal Identification Number (EIN) and the Date of Birth for all of the officers on the corporation that owns the land. If you are purchasing the land, we will need the name and federal identification number of the corporation you used to buy the land.
We will need documents showing the amount of money you invested into the business and proof of the original source of where that money came from. Please see below the accepted documents for each case:
If you are putting up your own money to start the business, we will need personal bank statements showing the available funds.
If you received a bank loan, we will need a copy of the loan agreement or promissory note.
If you received a loan from an individual, we will need a copy of the loan agreement or promissory note and we will also need their driver's license number, their social security number and their date of birth. (T.A.B.C. may ask for additional proof from the lender.)
If you received the money as a gift from a family member or friend, we will need a letter stating that the money was a gift and the letter will need to include their driver's license number, their social security number and their date of birth of the person who gave the money as a gift.
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**If you have NOT lived in Texas for more than ONE year, you will have to obtain a background check for both yourself and your spouse from the state that you most recently resided in.**