Tennessee liquor by the drink tax bonds.
From $100.
Every Tennessee licensee authorized to serve liquor by the drink for consumption on the premises must post a tax bond with the Department of Revenue — a $10,000 minimum — guaranteeing payment of the liquor-by-the-drink tax. The price is 1% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum. Enter your required amount to see your exact price.
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How much does a Tennessee liquor by the drink tax bond cost?
1% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
No underwriting queue for the standard liquor-by-the-drink bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with the Department of Revenue. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount your license requires, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
Most bonds are issued as soon as you pay; larger amounts may get a quick review.
File with the Department of Revenue
Submit the executed tax bond to the Tennessee Department of Revenue with your liquor-by-the-drink registration. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the Department insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the liquor-by-the-drink bond actually covers
Tennessee licenses businesses to serve liquor by the drink for consumption on the premises — restaurants, bars, hotels, clubs — under T.C.A. Title 57, Chapter 4. On top of the Alcoholic Beverage Commission license, a licensee must register with the Department of Revenue for the liquor-by-the-drink tax and post a bond securing it.
The bond is a tax-payment guarantee, conditioned on the proper payment of all state taxes, penalty, and interest connected with the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. The statutory floor is $10,000 ('not less than $10,000'); the Department can require a larger bond where the tax volume warrants it.
If a licensee fails to remit the liquor-by-the-drink tax, the Department can recover against the bond — and if the surety pays, the licensee repays the surety. It is not insurance for you. We issue the amount your registration requires from $100.
You need this bond if you are
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
File with the Department of Revenue. Submit the executed tax bond to the Tennessee Department of Revenue with your liquor-by-the-drink registration. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the Department insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $10,000. Above that, the carrier may run a soft pull, which never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued on the spot.
Submit the application with your required bond amount — the executed liquor-by-the-drink tax bond is generated instantly, ready to file with the Department of Revenue.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Tennessee bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Liquor-by-the-drink bond, issued today.
From $100. Enter your required amount and file with the Department of Revenue the same day.