Opening a convenience store or gas station in Texas means dealing with at least four agencies before the first customer walks in: the Texas Comptroller, the city, the county, and, depending on what you sell, TABC, the Texas Lottery Commission, USDA and the Department of State Health Services. Each has its own application, fee and timeline, and several cannot be filed until another is approved. This guide lists every permit a typical Houston-area store needs, in the order they have to be filed.
Step 1: The business itself
- Legal entity. Most owners form an LLC with the Texas Secretary of State. Every permit below is issued to this entity, so it comes first.
- EIN. The federal tax number from the IRS. Required on the sales tax, lottery, SNAP and TABC applications.
- Assumed name certificate (DBA). If the store's sign says anything other than the legal entity name, file the DBA with the county and, for entities, the Secretary of State. The Lottery requires the DBA to be registered on your bank account.
Step 2: Sales and use tax permit
Issued free by the Texas Comptroller. This is the foundation permit: the tobacco, e-cigarette, lottery and TABC applications all require the 11-digit taxpayer number, so nothing else can be filed until it exists. Allow a few weeks. Our sales tax permit service.
Step 3: The building
- Certificate of occupancy from the city, certifying the building is approved for retail use. Requirements and inspections differ by city, so we start these with a consultation.
- Health permit from the city or county health department if you sell prepared food, hot food, or operate a deli or fountain. Not needed for packaged goods only.
Step 4: Product permits, in order
- Tobacco permit from the Comptroller. $180 for a two-year period, prorated. Required before a single pack is sold; the late fee is $50 per location and selling without it is a Class A misdemeanor.
- E-cigarette permit from the Comptroller, filed after the tobacco permit for the same location. $90 when you hold the tobacco permit, $180 otherwise.
- TABC beer and wine permit, usually the Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Off-Premise Permit (BQ). The longest application: city and county wet-area certification, a newspaper notice, a 60-day posted sign for some permit types, a Comptroller certificate and a sworn personal history sheet for every owner. Start it as early as the sales tax permit allows.
- Texas Lottery license. $125 for the first location. Every owner is fingerprinted after the application is filed, and the store needs a business bank account for weekly settlements. Note the eligibility rule: a location with a mixed beverage permit is not eligible, and a beer and wine store must keep alcohol under 30% of gross receipts.
- SNAP / EBT authorization from USDA. Free, but the shelves must meet the staple-food stocking rule from the day of filing: three varieties with three units each across breads and cereals, dairy, meat and fish, and produce, with perishables in at least three categories.
- Hemp retail registration from DSHS if you sell CBD or hemp-derived products. $5,000 per year per location, and customers must be 21 with ID.
What it costs at the agencies
| Permit | Agency | Agency fee | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and use tax permit | Texas Comptroller | Free | No renewal |
| Tobacco retailer permit | Texas Comptroller | $180, prorated | 2 years, expires May 31 of even years |
| E-cigarette retailer permit | Texas Comptroller | $180, or $90 with tobacco permit | 2 years, expires May 31 of even years |
| TABC beer and wine (BQ) | TABC plus city and county | Varies by permit and county | 2 years |
| Texas Lottery license | Texas Lottery Commission | $125 first location, $50 each additional | Renewed per Commission schedule |
| SNAP / EBT authorization | USDA FNS | Free | Periodic reauthorization |
| Hemp retail registration | Texas DSHS | $5,000 per location | Annual |
| Certificate of occupancy, health permit | City / county | Varies | Varies |
Agency fees are separate from our flat service fee, which we quote up front. Fees above are current as of this guide's review date and are verified against each agency at filing.
How long the whole stack takes
The sales tax permit gates everything else, and TABC is the longest single application, so those two set the calendar. A store that starts the entity and sales tax permit the day the lease is signed is usually in the best position. The most common way to lose a month is filing one permit with information that does not match another: a lease in a different name than the entity, an owner left off one application, or a DBA that is not on the bank account. We file the stack as one package so every application agrees with the others.
Opening in Houston, Harris County or Fort Bend County?
City and county steps, especially the certificate of occupancy and the TABC local certifications, differ between Houston, Stafford, Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland and the unincorporated county. We handle all of them from our office in Stafford. Tell us what you are opening and we will send back the full list for your address.
Frequently asked questions
What permits do I need to open a convenience store in Texas?
At minimum a legal entity and EIN, a sales and use tax permit from the Comptroller, and a certificate of occupancy from the city. Most stores add a tobacco permit, an e-cigarette permit, a TABC beer and wine permit, a Texas Lottery license and SNAP authorization, plus a health permit if they sell prepared food and a hemp registration if they sell CBD products.
What is the first permit to apply for when opening a store?
The sales and use tax permit, right after the entity and EIN. The tobacco, e-cigarette, lottery and TABC applications all require the sales tax taxpayer number, so nothing else can be filed until it is issued.
How much does it cost to get all the permits for a gas station in Texas?
Agency fees for a typical store come to a few hundred dollars: the sales tax permit and SNAP authorization are free, the tobacco and e-cigarette permits are $180 and $90, the lottery license is $125, and TABC fees vary by permit type and county. A hemp registration is the outlier at $5,000 per year. City fees for the certificate of occupancy and health permit vary.
Can I sell beer, lottery tickets and accept SNAP at the same store?
Yes, and most convenience stores do. The one rule to watch is the Texas Lottery's alcohol limit: a store with a beer and wine permit is eligible as long as alcohol stays under 30% of gross receipts, and a location with a mixed beverage permit is not eligible at all.
How long does it take to get all the permits for a new store?
It depends on the city and on TABC. The sales tax permit takes a few weeks and gates the rest; TABC is the longest single application because of local certification and publication requirements. Starting the entity and sales tax permit the day the lease is signed keeps the opening date realistic.
Do you file all of these permits for one store?
Yes. We file the full stack as one package so every application matches, and we sequence them so no permit is waiting on another. Some, like the certificate of occupancy and health permit, start with a consultation because the rules are set by each city.
Last reviewed September 2026. Fees and rules change; we verify each one against the agency at the time of filing.