TABC Launches New Reporting App

HOUSTON, TX — The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission just made it a whole lot easier to report on any restaurant, bar, convenience store or dance club for violating the state's liquor laws. That's right: the booze cops just launched their own app.

The free app allows anyone to instantly file a report with the TABC for anything — overserving, selling to minors, serving after hours, improper signage, advertising service industry discounts.

The app, called TABC: Mobile, includes a GPS locator that helps find any business with a liquor license.

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Although, the idea of anyone sitting at the bar and firing off a complaint to the authorities because it took too long to get served or because the waiter spilled a drink and then made the customer pay for it might be scary to industry types, it is worth noting that the TABC is overwhelmed.

There are 260 TABC officers overseeing more than 128,000 active permits, the commission received 4,588 complaints in 2015. With that many licenses — and more being added every month, TABC records show that more than 400 liquor licenses were issued in Houston in July and August alone — it's possible that any complaints could take a long time to be investigated.

It may take a while for the booze cops to get around to investigating the complaint, but they will. State law requires every complaint be investigated.

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