Restaurant Liquor-by-the-Drink License — Tennessee (ABC)
Tennessee restaurants serving liquor/wine need a liquor-by-the-drink license from the ABC, plus a $10,000 bond posted with the Department of Revenue.
What it is. A restaurant liquor-by-the-drink (LBD) license allows the sale of liquor, wine, and high-gravity beer for on-premises consumption at a restaurant in a city or county that has authorized on-premise sales.
Who issues it. Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TN ABC) (State layer). The city/county must have approved on-premise sales.
When you need it. Before serving liquor/wine on premises.
How to apply. Register for liquor-by-the-drink with the Department of Revenue on TNTAP and post a $10,000 bond (surety bond, certificate of deposit, or cash); then apply to the ABC. Required documents include the Sales and Use Tax Certificate.
Fees. Per the ABC license schedule, plus the $10,000 bond — see source (⟢ VERIFY).
What SpoonSeal tracks. The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
References
- Tennessee ABC — Liquor-by-the-Drink Restaurant License — https://www.tn.gov/abc/licensing/liquor-by-the-drink-licenses/restaurant-lincense--lbd-.html — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
- Tennessee Department of Revenue — LBD Registration and Licensing — https://www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/liquor-by-the-drink-tax/registration-and-licensing.html — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.