Alcohol Permits in Tarrant County Involve TABC and Local Offices

The state permit is the first hurdle, and it comes from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and the like all have to apply to TABC before they can pour or sell a drop in Texas. For Tarrant County applicants, the nearest TABC office to start with is in Arlington.

After that, the paperwork comes home to the county. The County Clerk reviews a new application once the city secretary has signed off, checking that the location is actually wet for the license type being sought. Then the Tax Assessor-Collector collects the county's renewal fees for beer, wine, and liquor permits over at the downtown Administration Building. So the order goes TABC first, then the Clerk for wet/dry certification, then the Tax Office for the county fee. Skip a step and the application stalls.