TN wine on-premises bonds.
$100 flat.

A Tennessee wine-only consumption-on-premises licensee files a liquor-by-the-drink tax bond with the Department of Revenue. As of July 1, 2024, the initial amount is $10,000 — the same floor as a full license. Ours is $100 flat, set by our carrier's rate book, and a quick soft credit check may apply.

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Required for a TN wine-only on-premises license under T.C.A. 57-4-301

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Fixed $10,000 initial amount — the wine-only floor rose to $10,000 on July 1, 2024

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A quick soft credit check may apply — never a hard inquiry, no impact on your score

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How it works

Three steps. One sitting.

Liquor-by-the-drink tax bonds are simple. Here's the entire process:

NOW · ONLINE

Apply online

Business details and an effective date. That's the application — a quick soft credit check may run as part of review.

MINUTES, USUALLY

Pay & e-sign

Fixed-amount tax bonds like this often issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.

SAME DAY

File with the Department of Revenue

Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file on the Department’s tax bond form with your liquor-by-the-drink account. Wet-ink original mailed on request.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

Tennessee charges a liquor-by-the-drink tax on alcoholic beverages sold for consumption on the premises, and the Department of Revenue requires each on-premises licensee to post a tax bond securing that tax. A wine-only license — one that authorizes wine but not full liquor service — carries the same bond requirement.

Effective July 1, 2024, the law set a $10,000 minimum for these tax bonds, and that floor now applies to wine-only licensees too. (Before that date, the wine-only initial bond was $2,000.) The bond amount can be set higher — generally around three times the average monthly tax liability — for higher-volume accounts.

The bond is for the benefit of the state. If you fail to remit the liquor-by-the-drink tax you collect, the Department can recover against the bond — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety. We issue the $10,000 bond at $100 flat; a quick soft credit check may apply.

T.C.A. § 57-4-301 (Department of Revenue)Tennessee’s liquor-by-the-drink (consumption on premises) tax is administered under T.C.A. § 57-4-301 et seq. The Department of Revenue requires each on-premises licensee to post a tax bond; effective July 1, 2024, the minimum bond is $10,000, including for wine-only licensees (previously $2,000). Higher-volume accounts may be set above the minimum, generally around three times the average monthly tax. Confirm your amount with the Department.

You need this bond if you're

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A wine-only on-premises licensee — a restaurant or venue serving wine but not full liquor

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Opening a new wine-serving establishment that collects liquor-by-the-drink tax

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Renewing a wine-only license under the $10,000 bond floor effective July 1, 2024

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Re-establishing a tax bond after a lapse or a change in your account

One application, issued instantly.

These are the actual issuing fields — a quick soft credit check may run as part of underwriting.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the Tennessee wine consumption-on-premises bond?The premium is $100 flat, set by our carrier's rate book for the $10,000 initial bond amount. The $10,000 minimum took effect July 1, 2024 and applies to wine-only licensees, so there’s no quote process at this tier.

Didn’t wine-only licenses used to need a smaller bond?Yes — before July 1, 2024 the wine-only initial bond was $2,000. The law raised the minimum to $10,000 for all consumption-on-premises tax bonds, wine-only included. The $10,000 is now the floor.

Do I pay the $10,000?No. You pay $100 flat. The $10,000 is the surety's maximum liability to the state if you fail to remit the tax — not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.

Could my bond amount be higher than $10,000?It can be. $10,000 is the minimum; higher-volume accounts may be set above it, generally around three times the average monthly liquor-by-the-drink tax. Send us your figure and we issue at that amount.

Is there a credit check?A quick soft credit check may apply as part of underwriting — never a hard inquiry, no impact on your score. It informs approval, not price; the premium stays $100 flat either way.

Related bonds

Other Tennessee bonds.

Wine tax bond, issued today.

$100 flat, no credit review, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.

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Your price$100

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