Owners & Developers
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Texas TDLR, Architectural Barriers, and the New “Parent Entity” Step in TABS
Texas enforces the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) through the Architectural Barriers program at the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR). As part of that program, most new construction and certain alterations must be registered in the Texas Architectural Barriers online System (TABS). TABS is where building owners (or their agents) open a project, pay the fee, and ensure the work is routed for TAS plan review and, when required, inspection.
How TABS Fits Into a Project:
- The owner (or designated agent) creates a TABS project for the facility.
- A Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS) is assigned to perform the TAS review.
- Key documents—project registration, owner/agent designations, and later inspection records—live in the TABS file so TDLR can track compliance from design through close-out.
What Changed in September 2025:
Beginning in September 2025, TDLR updated the TABS registration workflow and forms for projects where the owner is a limited-liability entity—specifically an LLC, LLP, or LP. The update requires the registration to identify a “parent entity or partner” associated with the owning entity (as reflected in Texas Secretary of State records) and to upload documentation that ties the owner to that upstream entity.
In practice, this means:
- If the owner is an LLC/LLP/LP, the registration must list the parent/umbrella entity or controlling partner (for an LP, we believe the General Partner should suffice, but the rules are not entirely clear).
- You’ll upload formation or registry documentation—for example, Articles of Formation or a Texas SOS entity record—that confirms the relationship between the owner and the parent/partner entity.
- Owners that are individuals, corporations, or public entities generally do not have this extra step.