Build a TABC approved online seller-server school in Texas

TABC does not just approve your curriculum, it reviews the platform itself. 16 TAC 50.17(g) says the course progress platform must show every mandatory topic and lock each one until the last is done. We build that platform on your domain, under your brand, to Chapter 50 line by line.

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What TABC requires of an online course

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). Summarized from the rule text, with the citation for each so you can check it yourself.

  1. 01

    The platform is reviewed, not just the content

    16 TAC 50.17(g)

    TABC must review and approve the presentation and course progress platform. It checks that every topic in the mandatory curriculum is present and that each topic is completed before the next one opens.

  2. 02

    Equivalent to 120 minutes

    16 TAC 50.5(b)

    An internet course is presented at a 6th grade fluency level of 180 words per minute and must be equivalent to 120 minutes of time.

  3. 03

    Ten personal validation questions

    16 TAC 50.7(a)-(b)

    The school asks at least ten personal validation questions, with no more than 60 seconds each. A student who misses more than 30% is dropped from the course. A commission-approved alternative method is allowed, and re-entry is by username and password.

  4. 04

    Five questions to clear each unit

    16 TAC 50.7(c)

    Each unit ends with 5 comprehension questions. More than one wrong answer, or any unit multimedia left unviewed, blocks progress. The student restarts the unit and the retest uses different questions.

  5. 05

    70% on the Standard Competence Test

    16 TAC 50.7(d)-(e)

    The passing score is 70%. One immediate retest is allowed, and a second failure sends the student back through the full course.

  6. 06

    Certificate inside 24 hours

    16 TAC 50.9(e)

    An internet school must issue the certificate electronically within 24 hours. If it misses that, it sends a receipt and explanation, notifies TABC, and issues the certificate within 10 calendar days.

  7. 07

    Report every student within 7 days

    16 TAC 50.10(e)

    The school files a report of seller training no later than 7 calendar days after the class, with each student name, approved personal ID number, date of birth, test score and certificate number.

How the platform is built to it

Your course, on your site, under your name. Every requirement above is a feature, not a promise in the application.

A validation gate that drops at 30%

The enrollment flow serves ten or more personal validation questions on a 60 second clock each, counts misses, and removes the student from the course the moment misses pass 30%, as 50.7(a) requires.

Hard topic locks and unit quizzes

Each topic stays locked until the one before it is finished. Unit quizzes draw 5 questions from a pool, track multimedia completion, and serve a different set on retest, so 50.7(c) and 50.17(g) hold on every path.

Timing tuned to the 120 minute rule

Content length is measured against the 180 words per minute standard in 50.5(b), so the course reads as 120 minutes and the math is documented for the reviewer.

Final exam with one retest, then reset

The Standard Competence Test is stored server side, scored at 70%, allows one immediate retest, and resets the whole course on a second failure.

Certificates and the 7 day report on autopilot

A pass issues the certificate in minutes, well inside the 24 hours in 50.9(e). The report fields in 50.10(e) are collected at enrollment and exported per class, and the records are kept for the 4 years in 50.10(f).

No ads, posted help desk hours

The course screens carry no advertising, per 50.7(h). Help desk hours and certified trainer availability are posted before registration, per 50.7(f)-(g).

The path to TABC approval

  1. 1

    Apply through the TABC school portal for a primary internet-based seller server school certificate. Disclose every owner, officer, manager and instructor, file their history sheets and criminal history authorizations, and designate a primary domain (16 TAC 50.17).

  2. 2

    Request the mandatory curriculum from TABC at [email protected] and build the course on it (16 TAC 50.3).

  3. 3

    Verify that your security measures meet state and federal standards for personal and financial information (16 TAC 50.17(f)).

  4. 4

    Submit printed screenshots of the full course in sequence and give TABC free access to the site, the secure portal and the delivery platform, including a temporary user ID and password (16 TAC 50.5(a)).

  5. 5

    TABC reviews and approves the platform and materials before you sell a seat (16 TAC 50.17(g)). The original primary certificate is $1,000 for two years (16 TAC 50.22).

The terms

We are building one right now for a state-approved online school in Virginia, in English and Spanish, on the same terms.

One flat fee
Quoted per course before any work starts. No hourly billing and no surprise line items.
Final payment on approval
The last payment is due when the regulator approves the course, so the platform has to pass review before it is paid for in full.
No per-student fees
You keep what every enrollment pays. Nothing is skimmed per seat, per certificate or per month of traffic.
You own it
The platform, the code and the student records are yours outright, on your site and under your brand.

Questions schools ask

How do I become a TABC approved online school?

You apply for a primary internet-based seller server school certificate under 16 TAC 50.17 through the TABC portal, build on the mandatory curriculum, and hand TABC screenshots plus a review login. TABC approves the platform and materials before launch.

Do I need a separate certificate for a mobile app or a second website?

Yes. 16 TAC 50.18 requires a branch internet-based certificate for each domain with a different course and a branch mobile application certificate for each mobile platform. On a mobile app, the tests must run over an internet connection and cannot be stored in the app.

Can I write my own TABC course content?

No. The curriculum is TABC's own mandatory curriculum, downloaded from its secure portal, covering the required topics. When TABC changes it, schools have 30 calendar days to implement the change (16 TAC 50.3). The platform is built so a content update is an edit, not a rebuild.

What do you hand TABC for the platform review?

The screenshots of the full course in sequence that 50.5(a) asks for, a reviewer login, and a written walk through of the validation questions, unit gating, exam storage and certificate timing. You file the application. We build the platform and prepare the platform documentation.

What does the build cost?

One flat fee quoted per course, with final payment due when TABC approves it. No per-student fees, and you own the platform and the code. We are building one right now for a state-approved online school in Virginia, in English and Spanish, on the same terms.

Price your TABC course

Tell us the course and how you teach it now. You get a flat price back by email, and a list of what the application will ask about the platform.

Or email [email protected]

Sources

Read from the sources above on October 15, 2026. Rules change, so confirm the current text with TABC before you apply. This page is not legal advice.

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