How to Check Your TABC License Status

There are two places to check. A business looks up its own licenses, permits, and pending applications by logging in to its Alcohol Industry Management System (AIMS) account. Anyone can look up a license or permit holder in TABC’s Public Inquiry System, which shows whether a license is pending, active, or inactive. For a pending original application, TABC’s application status page points to its License Information System, where the “Pending Original” status type shows applications still in process.

Checking your own license in AIMS

AIMS holds TABC’s notices and orders, and it is where renewals and changes are filed and where the business prints its license for display. A business that applied through AIMS checks its application status by logging in, according to TABC’s application status page, which also states: “Check the ‘Pending Original’ option under Status Type if you want to check your pending original applications.” The page links to TABC’s License Information System for that search.

Because administrative notices go to the email address of the “Primary” user on the AIMS account, checking status also means confirming that the Primary user’s email is current.

Looking up any license in Public Inquiry

TABC’s Public Inquiry page describes what the system can do:

check the status of pending, active, or inactive licenses and permits;
search for and create lists of licenses and permits with administrative violations;
find license and permit numbers;
create lists of licenses and permits by location, type, status, or original issue date;
create lists of inactive licenses and permits by location, type, status, or status date;
find retailers on the agency’s credit law delinquent list; and
see public complaints lodged against license and permit holders and related violations.

There is a gap in the violation data. TABC’s FAQ states that administrative violations and complaints data from AIMS for licenses issued after September 1, 2021, were “slated to be available in Public Inquiry in calendar year 2025,” and that to request that data, a person should “submit an open records request.” TABC’s FAQ still carries that 2025 date as of October 2, 2026, so a lookup that shows no violations for a newer license is not proof that none exist.

What each status means for operating

Status	What it means	Can the business sell alcohol?
Pending original	The first application is still in process	No; there is no permit yet
Active	The license or permit is in effect	Yes, within its terms
Expired, renewal pending	The expiration date has passed, but a renewal application with fees is pending with TABC	Yes, according to TABC's renewals page
Expired, no renewal pending	The expiration date has passed and no renewal is on file	No; TABC states that a business "must stop licensed activities after the expiration date unless a renewal application with fees is pending"
Suspended	A suspension order is in effect	No; the Code prohibits selling or offering alcohol for sale during a suspension
Cancelled	The permit has ended	No; the permit no longer exists, and selling requires a new permit
Temporarily surrendered	The business paused licensed operations but keeps the license	No licensed operations; the holder still maintains the license, including reports and renewal

The renewal rule comes from TABC’s renewals page, which also limits how long after expiration a late renewal can be filed. The temporary surrender status is described on TABC’s page for managing and reporting license changes, which states that the license holder remains responsible for “updating contact information, filing reports, and submitting renewal application” while the license is temporarily surrendered.

This article is general information about Texas alcoholic beverage law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutes and TABC rules change; confirm current requirements with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the relevant city or county, or a licensed Texas attorney before acting.