Who sets closing time, how a bar license and a beer permit are won, what the bill and the team cost, and the nights that fill the city, for anyone running a club, lounge or bar in Nashville.
What the State of Tennessee and Metro Nashville ask of a licensed room, from the end of service to the door. Liquor licenses come from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Tennessee law bars liquor-by-the-drink licensees from selling or giving away alcohol from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays, and Sunday sales start later. The state also lets the Alcoholic Beverage Commission extend hours by rule in areas that allow liquor by the drink, so confirm what applies at your address. Metro’s beer code bars beer from 3 to 6 a.m. on weekdays and from 3 to 10 a.m. on Sundays. Any establishment open to the public from 3 to 6 a.m. that has a cover charge, a dance floor, a DJ or a live band needs a Metro after hours permit.
Anyone serving liquor, wine or high gravity beer at a licensed on-premises venue needs a TABC server permit. Servers must be 18 or older and complete a TABC certified alcohol awareness program within a year of applying.
MoreNew servers get a 61-day grace period from their hire date, used once and not renewed on a change of employer. Permits issued from 1 January 2025 last two years.
Source: Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage CommissionSecurity guards are licensed by the Department of Commerce and Insurance. An unarmed guard must be 18 or older and pass a fingerprint check, with 4 hours of basic training.
MoreAt an alcohol location, guards also need de-escalation, safe restraint, first aid and CPR training within 15 days of assignment. A venue hiring guards only for itself applies for a PSO-A license, with a $100 application fee.
Source: Tennessee Department of Commerce and InsuranceA beer permit holder and its staff may not sell beer to anyone under 21, and the burden of checking age is on the holder. No one under 18 may loiter on the premises, and a minor at a table can be served beer only with a parent or guardian.
MoreMetro also bars sales to intoxicated people and bars employing anyone convicted of a liquor offense or crime of moral turpitude in the past ten years. Accepted ID types weren’t confirmed.
Source: Metro Nashville (Municode)The Limited Service Restaurant license, commonly called the bar license, is for a business that earns more from alcohol than from food. It needs seating for at least 40 at tables, a menu of prepared food, prepared food at 50% of sales or less, and an approved security plan.
MoreIt runs for one year and is issued to the named owner for the location. Tennessee issues these only in areas whose voters allowed them, and every server needs a permit.
Source: TABC license pageTABC licenses don’t cover beer. Selling beer for drinking on the premises takes a Metro on-sale permit: a $250 application fee and a $100 privilege tax each year, decided by the Beer Permit Board at hearings held twice a month.
MoreNo permit is allowed within 100 feet of a place of worship, school, park or home, with exceptions in the downtown code and CF zones. It can’t pass to a new owner, and a stock change of 50% or more counts as one.
Source: Metro Nashville (Municode)Metro Code Chapter 6.06 requires it of any entertainment, dance or music venue open to the public between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. The fee is $250 to apply and $100 a year, plus the cost of background checks.
MoreHolders need enough security officers licensed under Tennessee’s Title 62, chapter 35, based on the fire marshal’s occupant load, and a security plan approved by the chief of police before the permit issues.
Source: After hours codeTennessee requires a business license from the county clerk, and a city license where the city levies the tax. TABC asks for the current one, a city certificate of occupancy and a Department of Health permit before it issues the state license.
MoreBars and restaurants generally fall in business tax Classification 2. Nashville’s own rate and filing month weren’t confirmed.
Source: Bar tax manualState law bars liquor-by-the-drink licensees from selling or giving away alcohol between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. on weekdays. Sunday sales start later than that.
MoreThe Alcoholic Beverage Commission can extend hours by rule in areas that allow liquor by the drink. Metro has no separate last call rule for liquor in the sources read.
Source: Tennessee Code (Justia)Metro bars beer sales, giving away and drinking on the premises from 3 to 6 a.m. on weekdays and from 3 to 10 a.m. on Sundays.
MoreA holder covered by state law 57-4-203(d)(6) is barred only from 3 to 4 a.m. Violations can bring fines, suspension or revocation.
Source: Metro Beer Permits OfficeIn the downtown code and contiguous CF zones, which include Broadway, interior speakers can’t exceed 85 dB(A) at street level 50 feet from the wall during business hours, and 70 dB(A) at the nearest public right-of-way or park after hours. Live music is exempt from the 85 dB(A) limit.
MoreSpeakers can’t be mounted outside or run outside the premises, and interior ones within ten feet of an open exterior door or window can’t face it.
Source: Noise codeOutside downtown, amplified sound can’t be plainly audible from the boundary of the nearest residentially occupied property, and plainly audible includes bass reverberation.
MoreBetween 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., business activity can’t exceed 70 dB(A) at homes in a residential zone, and 85 dB(A) in the downtown code and CF districts. Police, Transportation and Codes enforce it.
Source: Noise codeA beer permit covers contiguous decks and patios the business operates, but not one built after the permit issued where the 100-foot rule applies. A sidewalk cafe permit costs $250 to apply, and the yearly right-of-way fee is $200, $300 or $500 by size.
MoreSidewalk cafe fees step up at 500 and 1,000 square feet and renew every year. The page says nothing about alcohol or a season.
Source: Metro Nashville Department of TransportationIt is the liaison between residents, owners, employees, visitors and Metro government on noise, cleanliness, public safety and quality of life, and sits in the Beer Permits Office at 150 2nd Avenue North.
MoreIt runs the Safe Bar training and NITE School for nightlife workers, both voluntary, and a parking discount program for nightlife venues.
Source: Metro NashvilleSelling liquor takes a license from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and selling beer takes a separate Metro permit. These are the steps in the order TABC lays them out.
The Limited Service Restaurant license is the bar license, for a business that earns more from alcohol than from food. Its yearly fee falls as the prepared food share of sales rises. Only wine, spirits and high gravity beer count as alcohol in that ratio.
Source: TABC license pageSource: TABC applicant guideSource: TABC feesRegister a tax account with the Department of Revenue, post a $10,000 bond and post a price schedule. A business can sell alcohol for drinking on the premises only where the area has authorized it and TABC has licensed it.
Source: LBD registrationA deed or lease, a business plan, a menu, a sales and use tax certificate, county and city business licenses, a city certificate of occupancy, a Department of Health permit, IDs and questionnaires for every owner of 5% or more, and for this license a zoning letter and a security plan.
Source: TABC applicant guideFile through TABC’s online system with the $300 application fee, when you are ready for an onsite inspection or will be within 14 days. TABC screens citizenship and criminal history, inspects, then reviews the file.
Source: TABC applicant guideSource: TABC feesFile a sworn application at least ten days before the hearing, which the Board can waive. Police run a criminal history check, and no permit issues until the Board approves. The Board meets twice a month.
Source: Metro Nashville (Municode)Only for a venue open to the public from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. A sworn application, a list of everyone with a 5% interest and a police-approved security plan come first.
Source: After hours codeIssued by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission
General information, not legal advice. Laws and license conditions change and vary by venue. Confirm with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission or Metro Nashville before acting on it.
How a table’s bill adds up once tax and a service charge are on it, and what guests pay at the door.
| Minimum spend | $1,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Service charge 20%, added by the venue | $200.00 |
| Liquor-by-the-drink tax 15% of both lines | $180.00 |
| Sales tax 9.75% of both lines | $117.00 |
| Guest pays | $1,497.00 |
| Tip the guest chooses to add | No tax |
Davidson County sales tax is 9.75%: the 7% state rate plus 2.75% local, since 1 February 2025.
Source: Rate noticeTennessee adds a 15% liquor-by-the-drink tax on alcohol sold for drinking on the premises. The licensee collects it from the guest. This example treats the whole minimum as drinks.
Source: LBD tax rateA charge added automatically to the bill is mandatory, whatever it is called, and is part of the sales price, so it is taxed. A tip the guest can adjust isn’t taxable.
Source: Bar tax manualFor the liquor tax, required tips count in gross sales. A mandatory tip is left out only where it is often deleted or reduced, or when the guest can delete or reduce it.
Source: Bar tax manualWhether the local 2.75% is capped on large single items wasn’t confirmed, so no cap is applied. Tax on cover charges and tickets wasn’t confirmed either.
Source: Bar tax manualRough estimates for tickets and bottle-service tables, from public listings and venues’ own pages.
$10 to $30
Typically about $20
Generalised from published club night prices in comparable US cities. The tourism board says most Broadway bars have no cover, and no Nashville club publishes a night price.
$400 to $900
A typical table, about $500
Generalised from table packages published in comparable US cities, before tax and tip. No Nashville club publishes a table minimum.
Figures are estimates from the sources and samples listed. They change often and may be wrong. Check with the venue or the relevant authority before relying on them. Venues and events named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide.
Hourly wages for the roles a night runs on, and the rules on tips.
| Role | Range, low to high | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Bartenders$8.05 to $27.63 | $13.55 | |
| Servers$7.25 to $24.06 | $14.13 | |
| Hosts$10.26 to $18.52 | $13.85 | |
| Security and door$14.60 to $27.06 | $17.80 | |
| Cooks$14.12 to $22.68 | $18.35 | |
| Managers$19.17 to $48.83 | $33.59 |
Minimum wage $7.25 an hourSource: U.S. Department of Labor
Bar: lowest to highest wage reported. Dot: median. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Tennessee has no state minimum wage, so the federal $7.25 applies. A tipped employee earning more than $30 a month in tips can be paid a $2.13 cash wage, with a tip credit of up to $5.12.
Source: U.S. Department of LaborA charge added automatically to a bill is taxable as part of the sales price. A tip the guest can adjust isn’t taxable.
Source: Bar tax manual
The nights that fill a room, or empty it, month by month.
The morning after New Year’s Eve.
Official siteA long weekend.
The dinner and date crowd. When it falls midweek, couples book the weekend before too.
A long weekend.
A bar night whatever weekday it lands on.
No city-wide dates
A long weekend and the start of the summer visitor season.
Four nights, Thursday to Sunday, with after-parties and the busiest bar weekend of the summer.
Official siteWhen it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday. Check how it sits against CMA Fest.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
No city-wide dates
The last long weekend of summer.
A long weekend.
Costume parties run the weekend before or after.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
A long weekend, with visitors in town.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
One of the year’s biggest nights.
Nashville’s nightlife districts and the rooms each is known for.
The heart of downtown, known as Honky Tonk Highway for live music every night of the year, and most bars have no cover.
A downtown neighborhood south of Broadway with upscale hotels, restaurants, live music and the convention center.
A walkable community of boutique hotels, high-rise condos, shops, live music venues and breweries, with upscale rooftop bars.
The heart of Nashville’s entertainment industry.
Inventive restaurants, dive bars, creative cocktails and live music.
A creative hub with art galleries around every corner.
Craft breweries, fun bars and unique fast-casual eateries.
Who lives in and visits the city. These describe Nashville and Davidson County, not any venue’s guests.
Sell tickets, take table bookings with deposits, run the guest list and check guests in at the door, in one place. Built for clubs, lounges and bars.
Tennessee law bars liquor-by-the-drink licensees from selling or giving away alcohol between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. on weekdays, and Sunday sales start later. Under Metro’s beer code, beer stops from 3 to 6 a.m. on weekdays and from 3 to 10 a.m. on Sundays. A venue open to the public from 3 to 6 a.m. needs an after hours permit.
9.75% in Davidson County: 7% state plus 2.75% local, since 1 February 2025. Alcohol sold for drinking on the premises also carries the 15% liquor-by-the-drink tax. A charge added automatically to the bill is part of the sales price, so it is taxed.
Apply to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission through its online system with the $300 application fee. A bar needs the Limited Service Restaurant license, after a tax account and bond with the Department of Revenue and county and city licenses. TABC’s average from filing to approval was 38 calendar days in 2023.
The $300 application fee, then a yearly fee for the bar license by prepared food share of sales: $2,000 at 30% to 50%, $3,000 at 20% to 29%, $4,000 at 15% to 19% and $5,000 at 0% to 14%. A Metro beer permit adds $250 to apply and a $100 privilege tax each year.
Servers must be 18 or older and complete a TABC certified alcohol awareness program within a year of applying. New servers have a 61-day grace period from their hire date. Permits issued from 1 January 2025 last two years.
Tennessee has no state minimum wage, so the federal $7.25 an hour applies. In the Nashville metro area, BLS data for May 2025 puts the median bartender wage at $13.55 an hour, before tips.
The federal tipped cash wage of $2.13 an hour applies, with a tip credit of up to $5.12, for employees who earn more than $30 a month in tips.
Yes, to sell beer. TABC licenses don’t cover beer, so an on-premises seller needs a Metro on-sale permit: $250 to apply and a $100 privilege tax each year, decided by the Beer Permit Board, which meets twice a month. No permit is allowed within 100 feet of a place of worship, school, park or home, with exceptions downtown.
15% of the sales price of alcohol sold for drinking on the premises. The licensee collects it from the guest at the point of sale and sends it to the Department of Revenue, with the return due monthly on the 15th.
Downtown, interior speakers can’t exceed 85 dB(A) at street level 50 feet from the wall during business hours, and live music is exempt from that limit. Outside downtown, amplified sound can’t be plainly audible from the nearest residentially occupied property, and plainly audible includes bass reverberation.
Security guards are licensed by the Department of Commerce and Insurance. An unarmed guard must be 18 or older, pass a fingerprint check and have 4 hours of basic training, plus de-escalation, safe restraint, first aid and CPR training within 15 days at an alcohol location.
Yes. A charge added automatically to the bill is mandatory, whatever it is called, and is part of the sales price, so sales tax applies. A tip the guest can adjust isn’t taxable.
VenueStack publishes this guide for general information. We take care to keep it accurate and list our sources and review dates, but we can’t guarantee it is complete, current or correct, and we aren’t responsible for decisions made on it. Nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Prices, minimums and wages are estimates from the samples described and don’t represent any particular venue. Venues, events and organisations named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide.
Data gathered in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
New YorkNew York, United States
Closing time, getting an SLA liquor license, temporary permits, the noise code, sales tax on service charges, door staff, wages and the year’s big nights.
Read the guide
MiamiFlorida, United States
The state closing default and city hours, quota and restaurant liquor licenses, City of Miami and Miami Beach business licenses, sales and resort tax, door licensing, wages and the year’s big nights.
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ChicagoIllinois, United States
Closing times and the Late Hour license, the City and state liquor licenses, the amusement license and tax, BASSET training, sales tax, the tipped wage and the year’s big nights.
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