“By granting an extended renewal period and waiving license and permit renewal late fees, we are ensuring Texas entrepreneurs and business owners are supported as we kick-start our economy and continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Abbott said in the release.
Typically, 30 days after a license or permit expires, the holder has to pay a $100 late fee to renew it—on top of the hundreds or thousands it may cost to renew the permit, TABC spokesperson Chris Porter said. With COVID-19, there have been a number of reasons a person may have allowed their license to expire past that 30-day limit, including financial reasons, Porter said.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to get back into business,” Porter said.
Some business owners have been able to sell alcohol to go through the pandemic, but bar owners may just now be facing reopening. Hopefully, this removes some barriers for those individuals, Porter said.
The TABC decided May 19 to validate all bartender and waiter certifications that expired between March 13 and May 13. Those expired certifications, which allow bartenders and waiters to serve alcohol, will be valid through Aug. 18, making it easier for those individuals to work, Porter said.
“Hopefully, we can get people back to the normalcy we are all looking for,” Porter said.
