Tennessee Code Annotated

Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-3-501 (2026)

Municipal inspection fee - Maximum amount - Collection of fees

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a)
- (1) A municipality as defined by § 57-3-101 shall have the authority to impose by ordinance an inspection fee upon licensed retailers of alcoholic beverages as defined by § 57-3-101 or upon retail food store wine licensees located within such municipality.
- (2) If, pursuant to § 57-3-204(d)(6), a manufacturer of high alcohol content beer obtains a retail license to sell its products which are manufactured on the manufacturer's premise, the governing body of the municipality or county in which such a manufacturer is located shall impose by ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, a fifteen-percent inspection fee to inspect the retail store in which such products are sold by the manufacturer. Such inspection fee shall be imposed on the wholesale price of the high alcohol content beer supplied pursuant to § 57-3-204(d)(6)(B) by a wholesaler for those products manufactured and sold by the manufacturer at its retail store as authorized pursuant to § 57-3-204(d)(6).

(b) The inspection fees shall not exceed eight percent (8%) of the wholesale price of alcoholic beverages supplied by a wholesaler in municipalities located in counties of this state having a population of less than sixty thousand (60,000), according to the 1960 federal census or any subsequent federal census, or in counties that contain a municipal corporation as defined in § 67-6-103(a)(3)(B)(i), notwithstanding subsection (c) to the contrary.

(c) The inspection fees shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the wholesale price of alcoholic beverages supplied by a wholesaler in municipalities located in counties of this state having a population of more than sixty thousand (60,000), according to the 1960 federal census or any subsequent federal census.

(d) Any municipality having a metropolitan form of government and a population of over four hundred fifty thousand (450,000), according to the 1990 federal census or any subsequent federal census, which has levied the inspection fees herein authorized may, by ordinance of its legislative body, designate the county clerk as the collector of the fees for the entire metropolitan taxing jurisdiction.

Amended by 2014 Tenn. Acts, ch. 554, s 7, eff. 7/1/2014.

Acts 1968, ch. 538, §§ 1, 2; 1969, ch. 87, § 1; T.C.A., § 57-165; Acts 1994, ch. 758, § 1; 1999, ch. 218, § 1; 2011 , ch. 448, § 17.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases, 1981–2018 · leading case: Lebanon Liquors, Inc. v. City of Lebanon, 885 S.W.2d 63 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1994).

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Lebanon Liquors, Inc. v. City of Lebanon, 885 S.W.2d 63 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 6× “, Advantage Liquors, West Main Wine & Spirits, Northside Discount Liquors and Good Times Liquors (“plaintiffs”), liquor stores in the city of Lebanon, filed suit in the Chancery Court of Wilson County against the City of Lebanon (“City”)', seeking to recover excess inspection…”

Chuck's Package Store v. City of Morristown, 545 S.W.3d 398 (Tenn. 2018). · cites it 6× “Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-3-501 (a)(1) (Supp. 2017).”

Chuck's Package Store v. City of Morristown (Tenn. Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 16× “The City failed to use the correct percentage mandated by Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-3-501 (2013).2 It is undisputed that the plaintiffs overpaid the City; since the plaintiffs were understandably unaware of the error, they failed to state that they were paying the fees under protest.”

Overton Square, Inc. v. Foster, 615 S.W.2d 681 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1981). · cites it 2× “The sole question on appeal is whether TCA § 57-3-501 (formerly cited as TCA § 57-165) authorizes municipalities in the State of Tennessee to levy an inspection fee upon establishments serving liquor by the drink.”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-3-501(a)(1) — 1 case

Chuck's Package Store v. City of Morristown, 545 S.W.3d 398 (Tenn. 2018). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-3-501 (a)(1) (Supp. 2017).”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-3-501(b) — 1 case

Chuck's Package Store v. City of Morristown, 545 S.W.3d 398 (Tenn. 2018). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-3-501 (a)(1) (Supp. 2017).”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-3-501(c) — 1 case

Chuck's Package Store v. City of Morristown, 545 S.W.3d 398 (Tenn. 2018). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-3-501 (a)(1) (Supp. 2017).”

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