Does Georgia Require an Alcohol Server Card?

Not statewide — Local pouring/server permits set by cities and counties; state training required only for delivery drivers. What alcohol servers actually need, county by county — verified from official sources.

Legal basis

O.C.G.A. Sec. 3-3-10 -- delivery of alcoholic beverages by packaged-goods retailers and third parties
House Bill 879 (2020) -- omnibus alcohol-delivery act mandating delivery-driver training (signed Aug. 3, 2020)
Ga. Dept. of Revenue -- Alcoholic Beverage Delivery Training Curriculum (provider approval; minimum elements)
Ga. Dept. of Revenue -- Delivery of Alcoholic Beverages FAQ (driver eligibility; 2-year training certification)
Douglas County, Ga., Code of Ordinances ch. 3 -- Alcohol Server Permit (valid 12 months)
Macon-Bibb County -- Alcohol Handler's License Application ($25/yr; handler-training certificate; defines Alcohol Handlers as staff of businesses earning under 50% of gross annual revenues from food sales, their supervisors, 25%+ owners, and license agents)
Cobb County Code Sec. 6-207 (Work permits) -- permit to work required of all employees of package stores, all employees of convenience stores, and all employees of pouring-licensed businesses who serve or sell alcohol; issued by the county police department
Statesboro Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-10 (adopted by Ord. No. 2016-03, the 2016 comprehensive revision of ch. 6) -- licensee-enforced responsible-service training (TIPS or approved equivalent) for on-premises alcohol staff; individual Alcoholic Beverage Security Permit required for bouncers only
City of Brookhaven -- Pouring Permit Application (under Brookhaven Code, Alcoholic Beverages, ch. 4): permit required of employees holding a managerial or supervisor position and employees of off-premises alcohol beverage caterers who handle, sell, or serve alcohol; busboys, cooks, and dishwashers excluded; $40 fee; valid one year; one permit per individual citywide; issued by the Brookhaven Police Department

Georgia does not require an individual statewide alcohol server card. Where you work matters: at least one county or city licensing authority imposes its own requirement — the verified local rules are below.

Local pouring/server permits set by cities and counties; state training required only for delivery drivers.

What it’s called

Georgia issues no statewide alcohol server license or card. Where a credential is required it is a local pouring or server permit set by the city or county — for example, Douglas County’s Alcohol Server Permit — and each ordinance defines its own coverage. “Bartender license,” “pouring permit,” “servers license” and “alcohol server card” are common informal names for that local credential; Georgia issues no statewide license by those names. A liquor license is the establishment’s credential.

What Georgia requires instead

Georgia sets no statewide server card for on-premises servers, bartenders, or off-premises clerks – that is governed by local ordinance, and each ordinance defines its own coverage, so check the coverage list in the ordinance where you work. The verified examples differ materially: Douglas County covers any person who serves or works in the serving area of a restaurant, hotel, private club, or lounge that has a pouring license; Macon-Bibb County licenses only staff of businesses earning less than 50% of gross annual revenues from food sales, plus certain owners and license agents (see county details below); Cobb County requires a work permit of all employees of package stores, all employees of convenience stores, and all employees of businesses with a pouring license who serve or sell alcohol. The one statewide individual requirement is for alcohol delivery: any delivery driver – an employee of a licensed retailer or of a contracted third-party service – must be 21 or older, hold a valid Georgia driver’s license, pass a criminal-background investigation completed within the prior 12 months, and complete a Department of Revenue-approved delivery training course and pass its exam before delivering alcohol.

Who does NOT need this — exemptions

Coverage limits are jurisdiction-specific – each ordinance’s own list decides who is exempt. The flagship carve-out is Macon-Bibb County’s: its Alcohol Handler’s License application reaches only staff of businesses that do NOT earn at least 50% of gross annual revenues from the sale of food, so servers, bartenders, and their supervisors at food-majority restaurants in Macon-Bibb do not need the $25/year handler’s license (the license also reaches 25%-plus owners of non-publicly-traded retail alcohol businesses and Macon-Bibb license agents). Douglas County’s permit covers only people who serve or work in the serving area of a restaurant, hotel, private club, or lounge holding a pouring license – workers outside those venues are not covered. Brookhaven’s Pouring Permit application scopes the permit to “any employee holding a managerial or supervisor position and any employees of an off premises alcohol beverage caterer who engage in the handling, selling or serving of alcohol beverages” and expressly “excludes employees whose duties are limited solely to those of busboys, cooks, and dishwashers.” Statesboro requires no individual permit of servers at all: approved responsible-service training is enforced through the licensee, and only bouncers need the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Security Permit. Statewide, the delivery-driver training requirement applies only to drivers delivering alcohol for licensed retailers or contracted third-party services – no other worker needs any state credential in Georgia.

Local requirements

Many cities and counties require an individual server or pouring permit, and each ordinance defines its own coverage. Douglas County issues an Alcohol Server Permit for any person who serves or works in the serving area of a restaurant, hotel, private club, or lounge that has a pouring license (applicant must be 18, pass a responsible-service test, submit a Sheriff’s-office background check, and show valid Georgia ID), valid 12 months under Chapter 3 of its code. Macon-Bibb County issues an individual Alcohol Handler’s License ($25 per year, expiring Dec. 31) that requires a county-approved handler-training certificate completed within the last three years – but the county’s own application limits who must hold it to four categories: employees or independent contractors of businesses that do NOT earn at least 50% of gross annual revenues from the sale of food, whose normal job duties include pouring, mixing, or opening alcoholic beverages for sale by the drink; people at those same businesses whose normal job duties include supervising or managing such staff; anyone with at least 25% ownership in a business selling alcoholic beverages at retail (by the package or by the drink), unless the business is publicly traded; and any person serving as the agent on a Macon-Bibb County retail alcohol license. Employees of food-majority businesses (at least 50% of gross annual revenues from food sales) are exempt. Cobb County requires a permit to work of all employees of package stores, all employees of convenience stores, and all employees of businesses with a pouring license who serve or sell alcohol, including waitresses, waiters, and bartenders (Code Sec. 6-207; permits issued through the county police department). The City of Atlanta also requires employee pouring permits. Brookhaven requires a Pouring Permit ($40, valid one year, issued by the Brookhaven Police Department; only one permit per individual, valid at any and all establishments within the city), but the city’s own application limits who must hold it: “A Pouring Permit is required for any employee holding a managerial or supervisor position and any employees of an off premises alcohol beverage caterer who engage in the handling, selling or serving of alcohol beverages. This excludes employees whose duties are limited solely to those of busboys, cooks, and dishwashers.” Statesboro is different: it issues no pouring permit for servers – its ordinance requires licensees selling alcohol for on-premises consumption to ensure that managers, servers, bartenders, bouncers, and other employees responsible for handling, serving, mixing, or dispensing alcohol complete an approved responsible-service training course (such as TIPS), enforced through the licensee, and the city’s only individual permit, the Alcoholic Beverage Security Permit, is required for bouncers only. Requirements vary by jurisdiction.

Where to check

There is no statewide server-card issuer. Local governments issue the required server/pouring permits through a city or county alcohol-licensing office or police department (e.g., the Douglas County Business License/Occupational Tax office; the Macon-Bibb County Tax Commissioner). For the one statewide individual requirement – alcohol delivery-driver training – the Georgia Department of Revenue, Alcohol & Tobacco Division sets the curriculum and approves the private training providers that issue the certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Does Georgia require an alcohol server card?

Not statewide — but an alcohol server card is required in certain Georgia counties or cities. Georgia sets no statewide server card for on-premises servers, bartenders, or off-premises clerks – that is governed by local ordinance, and each ordinance defines its own coverage, so check the coverage list in the ordinance where you work. The verified examples differ materially: Douglas County covers any person who serves or works in the serving area of a restaurant, hotel, private club, or lounge that has a pouring license; Macon-Bibb County licenses only staff of businesses earning less than 50% of gross annual revenues from food sales, plus certain owners and license agents (see county details below); Cobb County requires a work permit of all employees of package stores, all employees of convenience stores, and all employees of businesses with a pouring license who serve or sell alcohol.

How long is an alcohol server card valid in Georgia?

No statewide card; the statewide delivery-driver training certification is valid for 2 years.

How much does an alcohol server card cost in Georgia?

No statewide server-card fee; the Department of Revenue charges nothing for delivery-driver certification (the course price is set by the approved private provider). Local pouring/server-permit fees vary by jurisdiction – e.g., the Macon-Bibb County alcohol handler’s license is $25.00 per year (not prorated).

Where do you get an alcohol server card in Georgia?

For delivery-driver training, providers submit their program to the Department of Revenue, which approves, denies, or requests changes within 15 business days and publishes the approved-provider list (e.g., Learn2Serve/360training, TIPS, A+ Server Education, Rserving, Serving Alcohol Inc.); the driver keeps the provider-issued certificate, with the employer contract, in the vehicle. For local server/pouring permits, apply directly to the city or county licensing office – e.g., Douglas County requires an appointment, a short responsible-service test, a Sheriff’s-office background check, and valid Georgia ID; Macon-Bibb County requires a county-approved handler-training certificate (such as ServSafe Alcohol) completed within the last three years.

Which Georgia counties or cities require an alcohol server card?

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Georgia.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: July 22, 2026.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.