Last updated 2026-07-26
TL;DR
To get an ABC license in Tennessee, you apply to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) for a state license, register with your county/city, get zoning and health sign-off, and complete required server training. Processing commonly runs 60-90+ days, so file as soon as your lease is signed and confirm current fees on the TABC website.
What is the Tennessee ABC and what does it license?
The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) is the state agency that regulates the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages above a certain alcohol content in Tennessee. It issues licenses for retailers (restaurants, bars, hotels), manufacturers, wholesalers, and related permits, under the framework in Tennessee Code Annotated Title 57, Chapter 4 [1]. Beer is handled a little differently. Beer permits (anything at or under the state's beer-strength threshold) are generally issued at the local level, by a county or municipal beer board, not by TABC, under the definitions and local-authority structure in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 57-5-101 [2]. If your business plans to sell wine and spirits, or "liquor by the drink," that's a state ABC license. If you're only selling beer, you're dealing with your local beer board instead, and the process, fees, and timeline are different. This matters for planning because a lot of new restaurant and bar owners assume there's one "Tennessee liquor license" application. There isn't. You may need a state liquor-by-the-drink license from TABC, a separate beer permit from your city or county, a business tax license, and local zoning approval, all running on different tracks. See our state guides hub for how other states structure this, since Tennessee's split state/local system isn't universal. TABC also licenses different retail categories: restaurants that serve liquor by the drink, hotels, clubs, caterers, and limited service restaurants, each with its own statutory requirements around minimum food sales percentages and premises rules [1].
How do I get a liquor license in Tennessee, step by step?
Here's the realistic sequence, working backward from a signed lease and a target opening date. 1. Confirm what you actually need. Call or check the TABC site to determine whether your concept needs a liquor-by-the-drink license, a beer permit, or both. Confirm current license categories and fees directly with TABC, since fee schedules change [1]. 2. Check zoning and quota issues locally. Some Tennessee cities and counties have local option votes or zoning restrictions on where alcohol can be sold. Confirm with your city or county clerk before you sign a lease if you haven't already. 3. Register your business entity and get an EIN. You need this before most license applications will process. 4. Apply to your local beer board (if beer is part of your offering) and to TABC (for wine/spirits). These applications typically ask for the entity's ownership structure, background information on owners and managers, the lease or proof of premises control, and a diagram of the licensed premises. 5. Complete required responsible-vendor or server training. Tennessee's Responsible Vendor Act sets training requirements for servers and sellers of alcohol, and TABC maintains a list of approved programs [3]. 6. Pass inspections. Health department, fire marshal, and building code sign-off are typically prerequisites, or run in parallel, depending on your local jurisdiction. 7. Get final approval and pay license fees. Once TABC and/or your local beer board approve, you pay the applicable license fee to activate the license. Build slack into your calendar. If your lease has a target opening date, back-plan at least 90 days for the license track alone, longer if your location needs a local option election or zoning variance. A state license roadmap that reverse-engineers your own state and city's actual sequence, rather than a generic checklist, is the fastest way to catch a hidden dependency (like a beer board that only meets monthly) before it blows your opening date.
How much is a liquor license in Tennessee?
There's no single number, and anyone who quotes you one flat figure without asking about your license type and location is guessing. Tennessee's state liquor-by-the-drink license fees vary by category (restaurant, hotel, club, caterer) and TABC has historically charged both an application fee and an annual license fee, on top of a state privilege tax tied to liquor-by-the-drink sales under Tennessee Code Title 57, Chapter 4 [1]. Local beer permit fees are set independently by each city or county beer board and vary widely. On top of state and local license fees, budget for: a state business license, local business tax registration, possible surety bond requirements, server training costs per employee, health and fire inspection fees, and if you're leasing, any landlord-required insurance riders for a business serving alcohol. Because every one of these numbers shifts by category, county, and year, confirm current fees directly with TABC's licensing division and your city or county clerk before you budget [1]. Don't build your opening-day P&L around a number you found on a forum from three years ago. For comparison, other states structure fees very differently. See our Florida bar guide for how a state with a quota-based, resellable license (the 4COP) creates a completely different cost picture than Tennessee's non-transferable structure.
How much is a liquor license in Florida (since people compare it to Tennessee)?
Florida is a common comparison point because its license costs are dramatically different from most states, including Tennessee. Florida's quota liquor licenses (the "4COP" series, allowing beer, wine, and spirits) are capped by county population under Florida Statute 561.20, and because the state only issues a limited number per county, quota licenses trade on a secondary market, sometimes for tens of thousands to well over a hundred thousand dollars in dense counties, far above the state's direct issuance fee [4]. Florida's direct state fees for a new quota license (when one is available through the state's periodic drawing) are comparatively modest, but the real cost for most operators is buying an existing license from a current holder, because new quota licenses in built-out counties rarely become available [4]. Non-quota options, like Florida's special restaurant license under the criteria in Florida Statute 561.20(2)(a) for restaurants meeting minimum seating and food-sales requirements, avoid the resale market entirely, but come with their own operating restrictions [4]. Tennessee doesn't run this kind of quota-and-resale system for its liquor-by-the-drink licenses, which is one reason Tennessee entry costs, while not cheap, are generally more predictable than Florida's. Always confirm current Florida figures directly with the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, since quota counts and market prices shift [4].
How do I get a bartending license in Tennessee?
Tennessee doesn't issue a single statewide "bartending license" the way some states do. What Tennessee requires, under its Responsible Vendor Act (Tennessee Code Annotated Section 57-4-303), is that servers and sellers of alcohol at licensed establishments complete an approved responsible vendor training program within a set window of being hired, and that the establishment itself maintains responsible-vendor status by keeping staff current [3]. In practice, this means your bartenders and servers need to complete a TABC-approved training course, not apply for their own personal state license the way a real estate agent gets a license. Employers benefit from being a "responsible vendor" in good standing because it can affect liability in certain alcohol-related liability claims, which is part of why most reputable operators keep every server's training certificate on file and renewed [3]. If you're opening a new location, build server training into your pre-opening timeline the same way you'd schedule a health inspection. It's cheap and fast per employee, but if you wait until three days before opening to discover half your hires haven't completed it, that's a self-inflicted delay.
How can I get a liquor license if I'm opening a new restaurant or bar?
For a new restaurant or bar in Tennessee, the practical path is: form your entity, lock your lease, confirm zoning allows alcohol sales at that address, then file with TABC (for liquor by the drink) and your local beer board (for beer) in parallel, since they're separate applications with separate reviewers. Restaurants applying for a liquor-by-the-drink license in Tennessee typically need to show they meet the statutory definition of a restaurant, which generally requires a minimum percentage of revenue from food rather than alcohol, among other premises requirements set out in Title 57, Chapter 4 [1]. If you're structuring your concept as a bar rather than a restaurant, confirm which license category actually fits your projected food-to-alcohol sales mix before you apply, because misclassifying your concept can get an application kicked back. Expect the agency or local board to ask for: your lease or deed, a floor plan showing the licensed premises boundary, background check information on owners/managers/principals, your entity formation documents, and proof you're current on other business registrations. Missing paperwork is the single most common cause of delay, more than any substantive denial. If you're also opening in a state with a completely different structure, like Florida's quota system, resist the urge to assume the process transfers over. Check our Florida bar coverage if you're comparing multi-state openings.
How do I obtain a liquor license as an existing business that's expanding?
If you already operate a licensed restaurant or bar in Tennessee and are opening a second location, you generally need a fresh license application for the new address. Tennessee licenses attach to a specific premises, they aren't a blanket company-wide authorization, so a second location means a second full filing with TABC and, separately, with that municipality's beer board [1]. The good news for expanding operators is that you already know your entity structure, ownership disclosures, and management background checks, since much of that paperwork carries forward with minor updates. The bad news is that local zoning, distance restrictions, and beer board timelines are locational, meaning your second location in a different county could face restrictions your first one never did. Build in a site-selection check before you sign lease #2. A quick call to the local beer board and city zoning office about whether alcohol sales are permitted at that address, and whether there's a distance restriction from a school or church nearby, costs you a phone call. Discovering it after signing the lease costs you months.
Can you serve alcohol without a liquor license in Tennessee?
No. Selling or serving alcoholic beverages for consumption on your premises without the applicable state license (for wine and spirits) or local beer permit (for beer) is illegal under Tennessee's alcohol control statutes, and operating without one exposes the business and individuals to criminal and civil penalties, more than a fine [1]. There are narrow exceptions built into state law for specific situations (certain private events, licensed caterers operating under their own permit at an off-site event, or BYOB arrangements that some jurisdictions handle differently), but none of these let a restaurant or bar sell alcohol to the general public without a license. If your business model depends on a gray-area interpretation like "we'll just let people bring their own bottle and we'll pour it," get that specific arrangement confirmed as legal in your jurisdiction before you build a business plan around it, because local rules on BYOB and corkage vary and some require their own permit. If you're mid-buildout and your license is delayed past your planned opening date, don't open with alcohol service and backfill the paperwork later. Push the date, or open food-only, and add alcohol service once the license clears.
Can anyone take the bar exam? (and why this isn't the same question)
This one trips up search results because "bar" and "license" both apply to two totally different things: a liquor license for serving alcohol, and the bar exam for practicing law. They have nothing to do with each other, but they show up in the same search results constantly. The bar exam is the licensing test for attorneys, administered state by state, typically requiring a law degree (a J.D. from an ABA-accredited school in most states) before you're eligible to sit for it, plus passing a character and fitness review [5]. Tennessee's requirements to sit for its bar exam are set by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners under the rule governing admission to the bar, and generally require graduation from an ABA-approved law school, among other conditions [5]. If you landed here because you're opening a restaurant or bar (the drinking establishment), you don't need a bar exam or a law degree. You need a liquor license from TABC and/or your local beer board, described in the sections above. If you're actually researching the legal profession, check the Florida bar member search or California bar resources for that separate topic entirely.
What documents and information does TABC ask for?
| Entity formation documents | Confirms who legally owns the business | |
|---|---|---|
| Lease or deed for the premises | Confirms you control the location | |
| Floor plan/diagram of licensed area | Defines where alcohol can be served | |
| Background info on owners, officers, managers | Character/fitness review | |
| Proof of food sales percentage (if applying as a restaurant) | Confirms you meet the restaurant license definition | |
| Local zoning confirmation | Confirms the location is legally eligible | |
| Server training plan or provider | Responsible Vendor Act compliance [3] | Gather these before you file, not after the reviewer asks for them. An application that arrives complete moves through review faster than one that trickles in over six follow-up emails. |
While exact application requirements shift by license category and TABC updates its forms periodically, most Tennessee liquor-by-the-drink applications ask for a consistent core set of information [1]: | Item | Why it's needed |
How long does it take to get a Tennessee liquor license?
TABC doesn't publish a fixed number of days that applies to every category, and processing times shift with application volume and how complete your submission is. As a planning baseline, treat 60 to 90 days as a realistic minimum for a straightforward restaurant liquor-by-the-drink application once everything is filed correctly, and build in more time if your local beer board only meets monthly, if your location needs a zoning variance, or if background checks turn up anything that needs explanation. There's no shortcut that gets you a firm date from the agency in advance, so plan around a range instead of a single promised number. Count backward from your opening date. If your lease starts today and you want to open alcohol service in 90 days, that's an aggressive but potentially workable timeline if you file within the first week and everything is clean. If you're waiting on landlord build-out, health department final inspection, and a beer board that meets once a month, 90 days is optimistic. This is where a lot of new operators lose weeks: they wait until construction is finished to start the license application, when the two should run in parallel from day one of the signed lease.
What's the difference between how to get a liquor license and how to obtain a liquor licence (same thing, different spelling)
"How to get a liquor license" and "how to obtain a liquor licence" (the British spelling shows up a lot in search data) ask the exact same question. There's no separate process. In Tennessee, both roads lead to the same answer: file with TABC for wine/spirits, file with your local beer board for beer, satisfy zoning and health requirements, complete server training, and pay the applicable fees [1] [3]. If you're researching multiple states at once because you're comparing markets for expansion, keep a simple table for each state: license authority, application fee range, timeline, and whether it's quota-capped (like Florida's) or open-issuance (like Tennessee's). That single comparison catches the biggest planning risk, which is assuming one state's timeline or cost structure applies everywhere. A $199 State Liquor License Roadmap builds that state-specific sequence and backward timeline for you, which is faster than piecing it together from ten different county websites, though it isn't legal advice and doesn't replace confirming exact current fees with your state ABC authority.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a liquor license in Tennessee?
There's no flat statewide number. Tennessee's liquor-by-the-drink license fees vary by category (restaurant, hotel, club, caterer), plus a state privilege tax on liquor-by-the-drink sales, plus separate local beer permit fees set by your city or county. Confirm current fees directly with TABC and your local beer board before budgeting [1].
How much is a liquor license in Florida?
Florida's quota liquor licenses (4COP) are capped by county population and often trade on a secondary market for well above the state's direct issuance fee, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars or more in dense counties. Non-quota options like the special restaurant license avoid that resale market. Confirm current figures with Florida's Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco [3].
How do I get a bartending license in Tennessee?
Tennessee doesn't issue individual bartending licenses. Instead, servers and sellers must complete an approved responsible vendor training program under the state's Responsible Vendor Act, and employers keep those certificates on file to maintain responsible-vendor status [2].
How can I get a liquor license for a new restaurant?
Form your entity, confirm zoning allows alcohol at your address, then file with TABC (wine/spirits) and your local beer board (beer) in parallel. Include your lease, floor plan, ownership background info, and proof of your food sales percentage if applying as a restaurant [1].
How do I obtain a liquor license for a second location?
You need a new, separate license application for each premises. Tennessee licenses attach to a specific address, so expanding to a second location means filing again with TABC and that municipality's beer board, and re-checking local zoning and distance restrictions there [1].
Can you serve alcohol without a liquor license in Tennessee?
No. Serving alcoholic beverages without the applicable state license or local beer permit is illegal under Tennessee's alcohol statutes and can expose the business and individuals to civil and criminal penalties. Narrow exceptions exist for specific licensed activities like off-site catering, but not general public sales [1].
Can anyone take the bar exam?
That's a separate topic from liquor licensing. The bar exam is the attorney licensing test, and eligibility generally requires graduating from an ABA-approved law school plus passing a character and fitness review, with exact rules set state by state, including by Tennessee's Board of Law Examiners [4].
How to obtain a liquor licence (UK spelling) in the US?
Same process regardless of spelling. In the US, you apply through your state's alcohol control agency (TABC in Tennessee) for wine/spirits, and often a separate local authority for beer, then satisfy zoning, health, and server training requirements before the license activates [1][2].
Do I need a separate license to sell beer versus liquor in Tennessee?
Generally yes. Beer permits at or under the state's beer-strength threshold are typically issued locally by county or city beer boards, while wine and spirits require a state liquor-by-the-drink license from TABC. Many restaurants and bars end up filing both applications [1].
How long does the Tennessee ABC license process take?
There's no fixed processing period published for every case, but 60 to 90 days is a reasonable planning baseline for a straightforward restaurant application once everything is filed completely. Add time if your local beer board meets infrequently, your site needs a zoning variance, or background checks require follow-up.
What happens if my license isn't ready by my opening date?
Don't serve alcohol without the license active, even if construction and staffing are ready. Either push your opening date or open food-only and add alcohol service once TABC and/or your local beer board grant final approval, since serving without the license risks penalties and can jeopardize future approval [1].
Is a Tennessee liquor license transferable if I buy an existing bar?
Confirm the exact transfer process with TABC and your local beer board, since requirements around ownership change, background checks, and premises re-inspection typically apply even in an acquisition. Don't assume the seller's license automatically carries over to a new owner without a formal filing.
Sources
- Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 57, Chapter 4 (Liquor-by-the-Drink Act): Statutory framework for TABC licensing categories, restaurant food-sales requirements, local beer board authority, and prohibition on unlicensed alcohol sales
- Tennessee Code Annotated Section 57-4-303 (Responsible Vendor Act): Server and seller training requirements under Tennessee's Responsible Vendor Act and approved training programs
- Florida Statutes Section 561.20 (Limitation upon number of licenses issued): Florida quota liquor license structure, county population caps, and secondary market pricing dynamics
- Tennessee Rules of the Board of Law Examiners, Rule 3 (Eligibility to sit for examination): Requirements to sit for the Tennessee bar exam, including ABA-approved law school graduation and character/fitness review
- Tennessee Code Annotated Section 57-5-101 (Beer definitions and local authority): Beer permits are issued at the local county/municipal level rather than by the state ABC, based on statutory alcohol-content threshold definitions
- Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission: The Tennessee ABC oversees licensing for the sale and service of alcoholic beverages in the state.
- Justia (Tennessee Code): Tennessee law establishes application requirements and criteria for obtaining a license to sell alcoholic beverages.
- Florida Senate (Florida Statutes): Florida law sets forth license application fees and issuance procedures for alcoholic beverage licenses, relevant to cost comparisons with Tennessee.