TABC Late Hours Certificate (LH): Austin restaurant guide
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
What it is
Add-on certificate that lets an MB, BG or BE holder sell and serve alcohol between midnight and 2 a.m. (standard hours end at midnight Mon–Fri and Sunday, 1 a.m. Saturday night). In Austin, late-hours alcohol use can also trigger a zoning conditional use permit — see AUS-TR-29.
When a restaurant needs it
Only if you will serve alcohol after midnight (the app asks about late-night hours).
How to apply
Add it in AIMS with (or after) your primary MB/BG permit.
Documents you’ll need
- Primary permit (MB or BG)
- AIMS request
Good to know
Not a license, so no City/County local fee is allowed on it. Late hours also affect your Outdoor Music Venue hours — outdoor amplified sound generally must stop well before 2 a.m. outside the 6th Street/Warehouse/Red River districts — and may require a conditional use permit from the City.
Official source
TABC — license and permit types · City of Austin — alcoholic beverage permits
Answer a few questions about your space and get every permit in order, with a timeline, a cost range, walkthroughs, and every application filled in for you to sign with Open.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Guidance only, not legal advice.