TABC Violation Codes: How do I Avoid Penalties?
Whether you are opening a bar, restaurant, or grocery store that sells/serves alcoholic beverages in Texas, you must acquire a permit if you sell alcohol. These permits are issued by the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission (TABC). Once you apply for a permit, you must get approval from the Development Services on the TABC Pre-qualification package.
To avoid violations and to get your license in a timely manner, you need to collect and present the following documents aside from getting alcohol and food training online:
- Provide a survey map of the property where the alcoholic beverages are sold or served. This map should be certified and made by a licensed survey to ensure that you are fulfilling all of the local requirements needed to sell those beverages.
- You must have an application affidavit that states that you know the local requirements for selling alcohol and that violations can result in permit suspension.
- You must have authorization from the property owner stating that you have their permission to sell alcohol on the premises.
Types of Violations and Their Corresponding Penalties
- Violation of Alcoholic Beverage Code 106.09 - According to the Alcoholic Beverage Code, you can be charged with a violation if you sell alcohol to a minor. The same will happen if a minor sells, serves, and prepares those beverages on the premises. For the 1st violation, you can be fined $150 for 5 to 7 days and 10 to 12 days for the 2nd violation. On a third violation, your permit may be canceled for 30 days, and you may have to pay a $4500 fine.
- Violation of Alcoholic Beverage Code 106.13 – This violation occurs when you allow a minor to possess or consume alcohol on your premise. The 1st violation can cancel a permit for 7 to 15 days for a fine of $1050, the second violation can revoke a permit for 10 to 90 days for a fine of $1500, and you can lose your permit for 60 days for the 3rd violation and will have to pay $9,000.
You can also lose your TABC permit for:
- Serving an inebriated patron
- Failing to report a disturbance
- Subterfuge
- Many other potential violations
There are 10 pages of potential violations that a seller or server of alcohol is held accountable for knowing and avoiding. Visit this TABC page to see the complete list of TABC violations and their penalties.
Citations are costly and make you lose your license, which can significantly compromise your business. Even if you sell alcoholic beverages in a store, you need to check IDs to ensure that you are not selling to a minor. A face-to-face transaction before a sale may not be enough to help you determine how old a customer is.
IDs are government-issued and should have the person’s name, date of birth, and picture. You can accept any form of identification that fulfills these requirements. According to the law, failure to do so can result in a Class A misdemeanor.
Getting Training Online For Your TABC
Sign up for a training course for your TABC permit before it is too late. Violations are costly, and you may have to shut down operations or go into debt. Sign up for the Texas Food Handler + TABC Certification Package with us today. The course has everything you need to know about selling and serving alcohol responsibly in Texas. This includes the laws that regulate the sale and service of alcoholic beverages for minors, patrons who are not part of a club, intoxicated patrons, etc.
The course also teaches employees how to protect themselves from liabilities and how alcohol affects patrons. This information will prove invaluable when you open your first bar or grocery store where you intend to sell alcoholic beverages to the masses.
