Washington requires a MAST Permit (Class 12 (21+) or Class 13 (18+) permit; most workers have 60 days from hire, but alcohol delivery and tastings require a Class 12 BEFORE starting, and qualifying grocery-store employees are exempt). Every figure below is verified against the official source and dated.

What it’s called

Washington issues a MAST Permit — Mandatory Alcohol Server Training — not a license. RCW 66.20.310 requires every on-premises alcohol server to hold one, in either Class 12 (age 21 and over) or Class 13 (age 18 and over) form. “Bartender license,” “servers license,” “alcohol server permit” and “MAST card” are common informal names for the same permit. In Washington a liquor license is the establishment’s credential from the Liquor and Cannabis Board; the individual who serves holds the MAST permit.

Quick facts

  • Requirement level: State-mandated — Class 12 (21+) or Class 13 (18+) permit; most workers have 60 days from hire, but alcohol delivery and tastings require a Class 12 BEFORE starting, and qualifying grocery-store employees are exempt
  • Valid for: 5 years
  • Cost: Provider-set and not regulated by the state, so training prices vary by course provider; there is no statutory fee cap. The LCB charges $5.00 for an in-person replacement permit.
  • Who needs it & when: Managers, bartenders, servers, and anyone whose duties include the compounding, sale, service, or handling of liquor at an on-premises liquor-licensed establishment must hold a Class 12 or Class 13 permit within 60 days of their initial hire date (RCW 66.20.310(2)(d)). Which class depends on the role, not just age: under WAC 314-17-015, a Class 12 permit is required for anyone who manages an on-premises licensed facility, sells, mixes, or draws alcohol from a dispensing device, or supervises a Class 13 permit holder; a Class 13 permit covers taking orders, carrying alcohol to customers on the premises, and opening and pouring beer or wine. Two roles get NO 60-day window and a Class 13 does not qualify for them: people who conduct alcohol samplings or tastings must hold a Class 12 permit before starting, and every person whose duties include the delivery of alcohol authorized under RCW 66.24.710 must hold a Class 12 permit BEFORE engaging in any alcohol delivery — earned through an approved Class 12 course that includes the curriculum component on best practices for alcohol delivery (RCW 66.20.310(2)(f)). On growler filling at grocery stores, two official sources diverge: the LCB’s MAST page states that those who fill growlers at grocery stores must hold a MAST permit, while RCW 66.20.310(7), as amended, exempts employees of qualifying grocery stores (see the exemptions section) except when serving during tasting activities — growler-filling staff at a qualifying grocery store should confirm their status with the LCB.
  • Who issues it: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB); permits are issued by LCB-certified private course providers and the completion is recorded by the board.

Who does NOT need this — exemptions

Employees of qualifying grocery stores are exempt from the MAST permit requirement. RCW 66.20.310(7): grocery stores licensed under RCW 66.24.360, “the primary commercial activity of which is the sale of grocery products and for which the sale and service of beer and wine for on-premises consumption with food is incidental to the primary business, and employees of such establishments, are exempt from RCW 66.20.300 through 66.20.350, except for employees whose duties include serving during tasting activities under RCW 66.24.363” — so a tasting-activity server at such a store still needs a Class 12 permit. WAC 314-17-015 and 314-17-030 cross-reference the same exception (“See RCW 66.20.310 for exceptions for grocery store employees”). One conflict to know about: the LCB’s MAST page says people who fill growlers at grocery stores need a MAST permit, while the statute’s exemption text contains no growler carve-out (only the tasting-activities one) — both official sources are cited here; growler-filling staff at a qualifying grocery store should confirm with the LCB. No other statewide exemption was found; tiers searched: RCW 66.20.300-.350, WAC chapter 314-17 (full text), and the LCB MAST page and FAQ.

Approved training providers

Training is delivered by third-party private course providers certified by the LCB, offered online or in a classroom (minimum three hours plus a final exam covering 12 core topics). A Class 12 permit is issued to those 21 or older. For Class 13, the two official sources word the age differently: WAC 314-17-015 requires a Class 13 holder to be “at least 18 years of age” (no upper bound — the rule even contemplates a 21-or-older Class 13 holder temporarily performing Class 12 duties), while the LCB’s MAST page describes Class 13 as for ages 18 to 20; in practice providers issue a Class 12 to anyone 21 or older. On passing, the provider mails the permit to the individual and reports the completion to the LCB within 30 days.

County exceptions

None. The MAST permit requirement applies uniformly statewide under state law; no Washington county or city issues a separate alcohol server card.