Five strains of tannic acid degrading bacteria were isolated and identified by phenotypic characterization. All the five isolates showed cell-associated activity, whereas only three showed extracellular activity. Serratia ficaria DTC, showing the highest cell-associated activity (0.29 U/l), was selected for further shake-flask studies. Tannase synthesis was growth associated and reached the peak in the late stationary phase of growth. Organic nitrogen sources enhanced the tannase production. Peak tannase production of 0.56 U/l was recorded in the medium having the initial pH of 6. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were found to be 8.9 and $35^{circ}C$, respectively. This is the first report of cell-associated activity in the case of bacterial tannase. Cell-associated tannase of Serratia ficaria DTC could be industrially important from the perspective of its activity at broad temperature and pH ranges, and its unusually high activity at pH 8.9.