{ "dataset": "alcohol-server", "version": "2026-09-02", "records": 51, "columns": [ "page_id", "state", "certification", "cluster", "mandate_level", "mandate_detail", "who_must_get", "exemptions", "issuing_authority", "approved_provider_rule", "cost_range", "validity_years", "county_exceptions", "legal_basis", "last_verified", "source_urls", "page_url" ], "terms": "Free to cite and reuse with attribution to LicensingAtlas. Every value is verified against the official source named in its source_urls and dated in last_verified.", "rows": [ { "page_id": "ak-alcohol-server", "state": "Alaska", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "required within 30 days of employment; renew every 3 years", "who_must_get": "Any licensee or permittee who sells or serves alcoholic beverages, and their agents and employees who sell or serve alcohol or check a patron's identification — and, as summarized by AMCO, supervisors and persons providing security at licensed businesses — must complete an approved alcohol server education course and pass the written test within 30 days of being licensed, permitted, or employed, and must keep the card on the licensed premises during working hours. For permitted events under AS 04.09.600–04.09.710, a person must hold a valid card before the event, with no 30-day grace period. The requirement does not apply to certain licenses that do not sell or serve to the public — brewery, winery, and distillery manufacturer licenses without a sampling endorsement, general and limited wholesale licenses, and manufacturer direct-shipment licenses (AS 04.21.025(f)) — or to common carrier dispensary licensees (airlines, cruise ships, railroads): under AS 04.21.025(e), a common carrier trains its own agents and employees who sell or serve alcohol or check a patron's identification under the carrier's in-house program (which the carrier must describe to the board once every three years) instead of the board-approved course, so those employees do not obtain the AMCO server education card.", "exemptions": "Two groups are outside the board-approved course and card requirement. (1) Common carrier dispensary licensees and their staff (AS 04.21.025(e)): airlines, cruise ships, and railroads train their own agents and employees who sell or serve alcoholic beverages or check a patron's identification on the specified provisions of state liquor law under the carrier's in-house program — the carrier must provide the board a description of that program (subjects taught, teaching method, testing required) once every three years — so these employees are not required to complete a board-approved course or hold the server education card. (2) Holders of licenses that do not sell or serve to the public (AS 04.21.025(f)): brewery, winery, and distillery manufacturer licenses without a sampling endorsement, general wholesale licenses, limited wholesale (brewed beverage and wine) licenses, and manufacturer direct-shipment licenses. 3 AAC 305.700(a) ties the regulation's card duty to the same statute (\"Unless exempt under AS 04.21.025(f)...\"). No other exemptions found. Sources checked: AS 04.21.025 full text (akleg.gov, as of 2026-07-12), 3 AAC 305 Article 7 (official ABC Board compilation, eff. 5/15/2025), and AMCO's Mandatory Alcohol Server Training page.", "issuing_authority": "Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board, administered by the Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office (AMCO) within the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. The board approves the courses; the board-approved course provider issues the completion card.", "approved_provider_rule": "Courses must be approved by the ABC Board. A provider applies on Form AB-10 (Alcohol Server Education Course Provider Application) under AS 04.21.025 and 3 AAC 305.700, and the board reviews/reapproves each course at least once every three years. Individuals obtain the card from a board-approved provider, online or in person. The currently approved courses are Training for Alcohol Professionals (TAP, offered through Alaska CHARR), TIPS (offered through 360training / Alaska Hospitality Retailers), and Alaska Responsible Serving of Alcohol (Rserving).", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "None — the individual server-training mandate is uniform statewide. Many rural Alaska communities are \"local option\" areas that limit or prohibit alcohol sales under AS 04.11.491, but that governs whether alcohol may be sold, not the individual server card.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"AS 04.21.025 — Alcohol server education course (board shall require completion; 30-day deadline; card valid 3 years and renewable; common-carrier in-house-training exception in subsec. (e); manufacturer/wholesale exemptions in subsec. (f); non-compliance is a violation)\", \"url\": \"https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp#04.21.025\"}, {\"citation\": \"3 AAC 305.700 — Alcohol server education course (Article 7 of the official 3 AAC 305 Alcohol Regulations, eff. 5/15/2025): board-approved course subjects, provider application on board-provided forms, three-year completion card and written test\", \"url\": \"https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/Portals/9/pub/ABC/AlcoholStatutesRegulations/3%20AAC%20305%20-%20Alcohol%20Regulations%20(Effective%205.15.2025).pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"AMCO — Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (official: statewide mandate, within 30 days of employment, renew every 3 years, three board-approved courses, Form AB-10)\", \"url\": \"https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/amco/MandatoryAlcoholServerTraining.aspx\"}, {\"label\": \"AS 04.21.025 — Alcohol server education course (full statutory text; who must complete, 30-day rule, 3-year card, renewal, exemptions, violation)\", \"url\": \"https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp#04.21.025\"}, {\"label\": \"3 AAC 305.700 — Alcohol server education course (official Alaska ABC Board '3 AAC 305 — Alcohol Regulations (Effective 5.15.2025)' compilation, Article 7 — governs approved courses, provider applications, the completion card and written test)\", \"url\": \"https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/Portals/9/pub/ABC/AlcoholStatutesRegulations/3%20AAC%20305%20-%20Alcohol%20Regulations%20(Effective%205.15.2025).pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Form AB-10 — Alcohol Server Education Course Provider Application (official AMCO/ABC Board provider-approval form)\", \"url\": \"https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/Portals/9/pub/ABC/OtherAlcoholResources/AB-10%20REV%208.11.25.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ak-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "al-alcohol-server", "state": "Alabama", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "Responsible Vendor Program; safe-harbor defense for the licensee; staff trained within 30 days of hire", "who_must_get": "No individual server or seller is required by Alabama law to hold a card. Requirements attach only if the establishment voluntarily joins the Responsible Vendor Program: then every server, seller, and manager who handles alcoholic beverages must complete the approved course and pass the exam — existing staff before the establishment applies for certification, and each new hire within 30 days of commencing employment. Staff in a certified establishment must also attend responsible-vendor meetings, which the certified vendor is required to hold at least semiannually (Ala. Admin. Code r. 20-X-12-.06(2)(c)). Completing that training is what earns the licensee the statutory defense against license suspension/revocation and mitigation of penalties for an employee's illegal sale to a minor. Servers must generally be 21+, except that a certified restaurant (020) or special-retail (160) licensee may employ 18-, 19-, and 20-year-old servers. An establishment that does not join the program needs no server cards, but it holds full responsibility for lawful sales and cannot claim the safe-harbor defense.", "exemptions": "Alabama imposes no individual alcohol-server training or card mandate, so no server, seller, or manager needs any credential unless their establishment voluntarily joins the Responsible Vendor Program — staff of non-participating establishments are outside the training requirement entirely. Within a participating (certified or applying) establishment, Ala. Admin. Code ch. 20-X-12 states no staff exemptions: the duty reaches every server, seller, and manager who handles alcoholic beverages (and only those roles — employees who do not sell, serve, or manage alcohol are not within it). No exemptions found beyond the voluntary structure itself. Sources checked: Code of Ala. Title 28, ch. 28-10 (Responsible Vendor Act), Ala. Admin. Code ch. 20-X-12, and the ABC Board's Responsible Vendor Program pages and Application for Certification.", "issuing_authority": "Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC Board) — Responsible Vendor Program", "approved_provider_rule": "Servers, sellers, and managers complete an ABC Board-approved course of instruction and pass a written or online exam (80% to pass). Courses come from private providers whose course and exam the Board has approved (the Board publishes an Approved Private Course Providers list) or from an employer's in-house program that meets Board requirements; delivery may be online, classroom, or by live trainers. Alabama issues no individual card — the trained employees are reported on a Report of Server, Seller, or Manager Training, and the establishment submits an Application for Certification with the surcharge, after which the ABC Board certifies the establishment (the licensee posts the certification on the premises).", "cost_range": "$35.00 certification surcharge per license type, paid by the establishment to the ABC Board (Application for Certification). Individual course fees are set by the approved training providers and vary.", "validity_years": "annual (establishment certification, tied to the ABC license year); no fixed individual-training expiration", "county_exceptions": "Alabama has no county- or city-issued individual server card; the Responsible Vendor Program is administered statewide by the ABC Board.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Alabama Responsible Vendor Act, Code of Ala. 1975, § 28-10-4 (Establishment of Responsible Vendors Program)\", \"url\": \"https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=28-10-4\"}, {\"citation\": \"Code of Ala. 1975, § 28-10-7 (Compliance as Defense to License Suspension or Revocation; Mitigation of Administrative Penalties or Fines)\", \"url\": \"https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=28-10-7\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ala. Admin. Code r. 20-X-12 (Responsible Vendor Certification) — 30-day new-hire training (.04, .06), annual renewal (.05), 80% exam (.07-.09)\", \"url\": \"https://admincode.legislature.state.al.us/administrative-code/20-X-12\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Alabama ABC Board — Responsible Vendor Program (RVP) overview (voluntary)\", \"url\": \"https://alabcboard.gov/licensing-compliance/responsible-vendor-program\"}, {\"label\": \"ABC Board — Application for Certification (states the $35.00 fee per license type)\", \"url\": \"https://alabcboard.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/Application%20for%20Certification%20Jun%202024.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Ala. Admin. Code r. 20-X-12 — Responsible Vendor Certification (training, renewal, exam rules)\", \"url\": \"https://admincode.legislature.state.al.us/administrative-code/20-X-12\"}, {\"label\": \"Ala. Admin. Code r. 20-X-12-.06 — vendor responsibilities: 30-day new-hire training and semiannual responsible-vendor meetings for servers, sellers, and managers\", \"url\": \"https://admincode.legislature.state.al.us/administrative-code/20-X-12-.06\"}, {\"label\": \"Code of Ala. 1975 § 28-10-7 — safe-harbor defense / mitigation for certified vendors\", \"url\": \"https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=28-10-7\"}, {\"label\": \"Code of Ala. 1975 § 28-10-4 — establishment of the Responsible Vendors Program\", \"url\": \"https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=28-10-4\"}, {\"label\": \"ABC Board — Approved Private Course Providers list\", \"url\": \"https://alabcboard.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/RVPproviders.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/al-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ar-alcohol-server", "state": "Arkansas", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "Responsible Permittee Program; statutory safe-harbor mitigates the licensee's fines and penalties", "who_must_get": "No individual is legally required to be trained or certified to serve or sell alcohol in Arkansas, and ABC issues no server or bartender permit. Training participation is at the establishment's option.\n\nThere is, however, one duty that falls on the individual employee. Under ABC rule 3 CAR § 1-906, every employee in a permitted outlet — excepting kitchen and janitorial personnel — and the permittee must acknowledge by signature, upon commencement of employment, that they have read and understand the Server Awareness Form. The official form states that all such employees must initial each section, sign, and date it before selling any alcoholic beverage products. The signed forms are kept in the establishment's personnel records and must be available on the premises for inspection. Failure to have a signed form on file is a Class C violation charged against the permittee under 3 CAR § 1-901(31). Signing the form is an acknowledgement, not a training course or a certification.\n\nWhen a licensed establishment (permittee) additionally enrolls in the voluntary Responsible Permittee Program, Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-805 then requires each employee authorized to sell alcoholic beverages to complete a Board-approved responsible-permittee training course within 30 days of commencing employment, and requires the permittee to attend an approved course and keep employee training records. In exchange, the establishment receives mitigation of ABC fines and penalties for violations (§ 3-4-806). Outside the program, responsibility for lawful alcohol sales rests entirely on the licensed establishment.", "exemptions": "There is no training or certification credential to be exempt from — no individual in Arkansas is required to be trained or certified to serve or sell alcohol, and ABC issues no server or bartender permit. The exemption lines that do exist sit inside the two duties that touch employees: (1) the Server Awareness Form signature duty (3 CAR § 1-906) reaches every employee in a permitted outlet except kitchen and janitorial personnel — those two categories are exempt from the signature requirement; and (2) the Responsible Permittee Program's training duty (Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-805 — Board-approved course within 30 days of commencing employment) applies only where the establishment has voluntarily enrolled in the program — employees of non-enrolled establishments have no training obligation at all. Source: 3 CAR § 1-906; Ark. Code Ann. §§ 3-4-805 to 3-4-806.", "issuing_authority": "Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), a division of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA). Under the responsible permittee program the ABC Board approves the training course content (Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-805(a)(1)) and certifies participating establishments as \"responsible permittees\"; the training itself is delivered by third-party providers listed on ABC's Educational Programs page (for example Learn 2 Serve, TIPS, ServSafe, Diversys Learning, and ABC Server Training). Arkansas ABC does not issue any license or permit to individual bartenders, servers, or sellers.", "approved_provider_rule": "Under Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-805(a)(1), a responsible-permittee training course must be approved by the Arkansas ABC Board and must cover the dangers of drinking and driving, state alcohol-sale laws, and recognizing and refusing service to underage and intoxicated customers. Under ABC rule 3 CAR § 6-105(g), ABC maintains the list of Board-approved responsible-permittee program providers and makes it available to any permittee on request — that roster is the authoritative one.\n\nSeparately, Arkansas ABC publishes an \"Educational Programs\" resource page listing independent third-party training companies for permitted businesses (Learn 2 Serve, TIPS, ServSafe, Diversys Learning, ABC Server Training, EduClasses® SSC® Seller Server Classes, Certification Experts, A Plus Server Education, AAA Food Handler, and ProServe Training Solutions LLC dba LIQUORexam.com). ABC expressly states that these companies are not affiliated with Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control, that the list is not a complete or accurate list of providers, and that attendance does not affect an Arkansas alcohol permit. That courtesy page is not the same artifact as the § 6-105(g) Board-approved roster; a permittee relying on the safe harbor should request the roster from ABC. An individual completes the chosen provider's course and receives that provider's completion certificate.", "cost_range": "Two $25 figures apply, and they are different things. Ark. Code Ann. sec. 3-4-807(a) imposes a $25 annual fee on each permittee (establishment) that applies and is certified as a responsible permittee. Separately, the ABC's own rule -- 3 CAR sec. 6-105(e), Arkansas ABC Rulebook (rev. 01/14/2025) -- caps the course cost: it imposes on each permittee and each employee who applies for certification under the program a maximum attendance fee of $25.00, payable directly to the program provider, and provides that neither permittees nor employees attending an approved program may be charged any additional fee by the provider. So an individual server's board-approved responsible-permittee course is capped at $25 by rule -- it is not left to provider pricing.", "validity_years": "The establishment's responsible-permittee certification must be renewed annually; the statute sets no fixed expiration for an individual server's completed training course.", "county_exceptions": "No Arkansas county or city is known to impose a separate individual alcohol-server-card requirement. Arkansas's local-option (\"wet/dry\") law governs whether a jurisdiction may be permitted to sell alcohol at all, not individual server training or certification.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-801 (Responsible Permittee Programs — legislative intent and purpose)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-803 (ABC Board oversees the server-training program, entitled 'the responsible permittee program')\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-804 (Certification of responsible permittee; renewed annually)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-805 (Requirements — Board-approved course; each authorized employee completes it within 30 days of hire; recordkeeping)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-806 (Mitigation of fines or penalties for a certified permittee's or employee's violation — the safe harbor)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-807 ($25 annual responsible-permittee fee; funds approved server-training programs)\"}, {\"citation\": \"3 CAR § 1-906 (Arkansas ABC Rulebook, rev. 01/14/2025) — every employee in a permitted outlet except kitchen and janitorial personnel, and the permittee, must acknowledge the Server Awareness Form by signature upon commencement of employment; the signed forms are kept in personnel records and available on the premises for inspection\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ABC_Rulebook.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"3 CAR § 1-901(31) (Arkansas ABC Rulebook) — failure to have each employee acknowledge the Server Awareness Form by signature is a Class C violation\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ABC_Rulebook.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"3 CAR § 6-105(e) (Arkansas ABC Rulebook, rev. 01/14/2025) — maximum attendance fee of $25.00 for the responsible-permittee course, payable directly to the program provider, which may charge no additional fee\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ABC_Rulebook.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"3 CAR § 6-105(g) (Arkansas ABC Rulebook) — ABC maintains the list of Board-approved responsible-permittee program providers, available to any permittee on request\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ABC_Rulebook.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Arkansas DFA — ABC FAQs (official): 'Arkansas law does not require bartenders or servers to attend training classes or be certified in any way'; ABC issues no bartender/server permit\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/alcohol-beverage-control/abc-faqs/\"}, {\"label\": \"Arkansas DFA — ABC Educational Programs (official): lists third-party training companies (Learn 2 Serve, TIPS, ServSafe, Diversys Learning, ABC Server Training, EduClasses SSC Seller Server Classes, Certification Experts, A Plus Server Education, AAA Food Handler, ProServe/LIQUORexam.com); ABC states they are not affiliated with ABC and the list is not complete or accurate\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/alcohol-beverage-control/educational-programs/\"}, {\"label\": \"Arkansas DFA — ABC Rules & Regulations (official ABC Rulebook, rules adopted under Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-803(a)(2))\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/alcohol-beverage-control/abc-rules-regulations/\"}, {\"label\": \"Ark. Code Ann. § 3-4-805 — Requirements (Board-approved course; each authorized employee completes it within 30 days of hire)\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ABC_Rulebook.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Arkansas DFA — ABC Rulebook (official, current, rev. 01/14/2025): 3 CAR § 1-906 Server Awareness Form signature duty; § 1-901(31) Class C violation; § 6-105 responsible-permittee program and $25 maximum attendance fee\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ABC_Rulebook.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Arkansas DFA — Server Awareness Form (official): all employees excluding kitchen or custodial staff must initial each section, sign, and date before selling alcoholic beverage products\", \"url\": \"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/serverAwareness.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ar-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "az-alcohol-server", "state": "Arizona", "certification": "Basic Title 4 Training Certificate of Completion", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "Provider-issued; optional for most line servers. Owners, agents, and managers active in day-to-day operations must hold both a Basic and a Management Title 4 Certificate of Completion before a liquor license is issued or a management agreement is approved. Basic Title 4 training is also required for registered alcohol delivery drivers (DLLC registration condition; A.R.S. § 4-205.13(D)) and, beginning January 1, 2026, for all employees, managers, and agents of restaurants holding an off-premises mixed-cocktail permit (A.R.S. § 4-205.02(K)).", "who_must_get": "No Arizona law requires all servers or employees of a licensed establishment to hold a Basic Title 4 Certificate of Completion, but training is mandatory in specific roles. Owners, agents, and managers actively involved in day-to-day operations must complete a Management Title 4 course (with a Basic course as a prerequisite) before a liquor license is issued or a management agreement is approved. Registered alcohol delivery drivers must complete a DLLC-approved Basic Title 4 training program and keep it current as a condition of registration: the DLLC's Registered Alcohol Delivery Driver page states 'Applicants must complete a DLLC-approved Title 4 Basic training program (or equivalent) within a specified timeframe and maintain current certification' — the department exercising the discretionary authority of A.R.S. §§ 4-205.13(D) and 4-112(G)(2) (the statute says the department 'may require' the course; the department's live registration page states it as a must — both stated here because the two official sources differ in force). Beginning January 1, 2026, all employees, managers, and agents of a restaurant holding an off-premises mixed-cocktail permit must complete director-approved alcohol training (A.R.S. § 4-205.02(K): 'All permit holders and their employees, managers and agents must complete alcohol training pursuant to section 4-112, subsection G, paragraph 2'). The director may also order training in other settings, such as for new special event contractors and licensees (A.R.S. § 4-203.02) or as part of an order after a violation (A.R.S. § 4-210.01(C)). Outside these pockets, Basic Title 4 training is optional for line staff, though many employers require or prefer it.", "exemptions": "Arizona has no blanket server-training mandate: the DLLC states that 'Arizona liquor law does not require all employees of licensed establishments to have a Certificate of Completion for Basic Title 4 Training,' so most line servers, bartenders, and sellers need no certificate at all unless their employer requires one. The mandate runs the other way, reaching only specific roles: owners, agents, and managers active in day-to-day operations (Basic + Management certificates before license issuance or management-agreement approval); registered alcohol delivery drivers (DLLC registration condition under A.R.S. § 4-205.13(D)); and, beginning January 1, 2026, all employees, managers, and agents of restaurants holding an off-premises mixed-cocktail permit (A.R.S. § 4-205.02(K)). No exemptions from those role-specific requirements are stated in the sources checked: the DLLC's official 2025 Title 4 Law Book (A.R.S. Title 4 and A.A.C. R19-1, as of September 26, 2025), the DLLC Title 4 Training page, and the DLLC Registered Alcohol Delivery Driver page.", "issuing_authority": "Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses & Control (DLLC) approves the Title 4 courses; the certificate of completion is issued by the DLLC-approved training provider.", "approved_provider_rule": "Training is delivered by providers the DLLC approves under A.R.S. § 4-112(G)(2); the director adopts rules setting course-approval standards and may suspend or revoke a trainer's approval. Providers apply by completing the Title 4 forms in the DLLC Forms Library and sending the training materials to the department's Education & Prevention Unit. Individuals earn the certificate by completing a course from a provider on the DLLC's state-approved Title 4 trainer list.", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "None identified — alcohol server training in Arizona is regulated statewide by the DLLC; no Arizona county or city issues its own individual server card.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"A.R.S. § 4-112(G)(2) — the director may require applicants, licensees, employees who serve, sell or furnish spirituous liquors to retail customers, managers and managing agents to take director-approved training courses in spirituous liquor handling and liquor laws and rules\", \"url\": \"https://www.azleg.gov/ars/4/00112.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"Arizona DLLC — Title 4 Training (states that Arizona liquor law does not require all employees of licensed establishments to hold a Basic Title 4 Certificate of Completion; Basic and Management certificates each valid 3 years; providers must be DLLC-approved)\", \"url\": \"https://liquor.az.gov/title-4-training\"}, {\"citation\": \"A.R.S. § 4-205.13(D) — the department may require new registered alcohol delivery contractors to complete an approved training course in accordance with § 4-112(G)(2); the DLLC's Registered Alcohol Delivery Driver page states driver applicants must complete a DLLC-approved Title 4 Basic training program (or equivalent) and maintain current certification\", \"url\": \"https://liquor.az.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/2025_Title_4_Law_Book.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"A.R.S. § 4-205.02(K) — beginning January 1, 2026, all permit holders and their employees, managers and agents of a restaurant holding an off-premises mixed-cocktail permit must complete alcohol training pursuant to § 4-112(G)(2)\", \"url\": \"https://liquor.az.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/2025_Title_4_Law_Book.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"AZ DLLC — Title 4 Training (who must train, 3-year validity, approved-provider rule)\", \"url\": \"https://liquor.az.gov/title-4-training\"}, {\"label\": \"A.R.S. § 4-112(G)(2) — director's authority to require approved liquor-law training\", \"url\": \"https://www.azleg.gov/ars/4/00112.htm\"}, {\"label\": \"AZ DLLC — State-approved Title 4 Training Providers list\", \"url\": \"https://www.azliquor.gov/communications/trainers/PrintTrainerList.cfm\"}, {\"label\": \"AZ DLLC — Registered Alcohol Delivery Driver (Basic Title 4 training required for driver registration; certification must be kept current)\", \"url\": \"https://liquor.az.gov/registered-alcohol-delivery-driver\"}, {\"label\": \"AZ DLLC — 2025 Title 4 Law Book (official statute and rule compilation, 'As of September 26, 2025': A.R.S. §§ 4-112(G)(2), 4-205.02(K), 4-205.13(D); A.A.C. R19-1-103)\", \"url\": \"https://liquor.az.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/2025_Title_4_Law_Book.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/az-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ca-alcohol-server", "state": "California", "certification": "RBS Certification", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "on-premises alcohol servers and their managers must hold a valid, provider-issued RBS certification; those hired on or after July 1, 2022 get 60 calendar days from their first day of employment, but that 60-day allowance does not extend to daily-license events or to renewals", "who_must_get": "Every alcohol server and every manager of alcohol servers at an ABC on-premises licensed establishment. “Alcohol server” is defined broadly: anyone who checks customer identification for alcoholic beverage service — or for entry to the premises — takes alcoholic beverage orders, pours, or delivers drinks. Door staff who only check IDs are therefore covered. An “alcohol manager” is anyone who trains, directly hires, or oversees alcohol servers at an ABC licensed premises. The mandate reaches 51 ABC license types (Types 1–4, 23, 40–53, 56–78, 80, 83, 86–88, 90, 91, 93 and 99) — ABC describes these as on-sale and other licenses involving on-site consumption, such as bars, restaurants, tasting rooms, clubs, stadiums, movie theaters, hotels and caterers. It is wider than bars and restaurants: club members and volunteers who pour, serve or deliver drinks under a Type 50, 51, 52 or 57 license must be certified; servers at a Type 86 instructional tasting must be certified; staff who serve alcohol on a licensed train (Types 43, 44, 45, 46, 53) must be certified; and a sole owner-operator with no employees must be certified if they serve alcohol for on-site consumption. Timing: servers employed on or after July 1, 2022 must be certified within 60 calendar days of their first date of employment; those employed before July 1, 2022 had to be certified by August 31, 2022 (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25682(a)). After registering, you must pass the exam within 30 days of the training provider confirming your completed course. Certification is valid three years and belongs to the person, not the employer, so it moves with you between jobs. Two limits on the 60-day allowance. It does not apply to daily licenses: ABC states the “60-day grace period exemption for alcohol server certification is not applicable to daily licenses,” and a nonprofit holding a temporary daily on-sale or off-sale license must designate a person to receive RBS training “prior to the event,” who must then remain onsite for its duration (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25682(c)); the statutory 60-day defence is expressly unavailable “[e]xcept for a violation of subdivision (c)” (§ 25682(b)(2)). And it does not apply to renewals: the 60-day grace period “applies only to the date of initial employment, and not for alcohol server certification renewals” (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 4, § 169(f)), so a lapsed certification leaves you unable to serve immediately. A server’s own non-compliance is not a crime (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25684), but the licensee faces disciplinary action.", "exemptions": "ABC publishes an exemptions list, and it recommends that everyone who serves alcohol for consumption get certified anyway. Certification is “not required in some circumstances, including” these four: (1) alcohol distributors who provide trainings on how to feature products for marketing purposes; (2) academic instructors who teach a college or university course where beer or wine is tasted; (3) salon or barbershop owners or stylists who provide their customers with complimentary beer or wine; and (4) employees of a licensed plane or boat (Type 54 and 55). ABC’s wording is “including,” so treat the list as illustrative rather than exhaustive, and confirm your own situation with ABC. Relatedly, the statutory definition of an alcohol manager expressly excludes an employee or contractor of a separate ABC licensee who is training servers for marketing or distribution purposes. One scope limit, which is not an exemption but has the same practical effect: RBS attaches to the on-premises license types listed above, so staff at off-sale locations such as liquor stores, convenience stores and gas stations are outside the mandate — ABC’s separate LEAD programme serves them and is voluntary. Do not over-read the list. A sole owner-operator with no employees is not exempt if they serve alcohol for on-site consumption, club volunteers who pour or serve are not exempt, and door staff who only check IDs are not exempt.", "issuing_authority": "The ABC-authorized RBS training provider issues the certification, not ABC. California law defines an alcohol server certification as “a certification issued by a training provider” (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25680(b)) and directs that “[a] training provider shall issue alcohol server certifications” (§ 25681(d)); the regulation has ABC send the exam result to the provider, which then “shall issue the valid alcohol server certification” (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 4, § 170(h)). There is no ABC-issued card: ABC states it “is not issuing physical or downloadable RBS certificates.” Your Certified status and Server ID live on your RBS Portal dashboard, and an employer verifies you by Server ID and last name in the Portal. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control runs everything around the certificate — it develops the curriculum, authorizes accreditation agencies and approves training providers, registers servers, prepares and administers the Alcohol Server Certification Exam, and keeps the certification records (Bus. & Prof. Code § 25681(a)–(b); Cal. Code Regs., tit. 4, § 170(a), (d), (j)).", "approved_provider_rule": "Training must be taken from an ABC-authorized RBS training provider; ABC authorizes providers under California Code of Regulations, Title 4, Division 1, Article 25 (§§ 160–173). The server registers in ABC’s online RBS Portal (abcbiz.abc.ca.gov), pays the $3 registration fee, completes an authorized provider’s course, then takes ABC’s Alcohol Server Certification Exam in the Portal: 70% to pass, with three attempts or 30 days from the date ABC is notified the training was completed, whichever comes first (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 4, § 170(f)–(g)). Miss either limit and you must complete another approved course and pay another $3 for three more attempts (§ 170(i)). Renewal is the same three steps, not a shortcut: to renew you must complete an approved RBS course again, pass the exam again, and pay another $3 “in the same manner as for initial certification” (§ 170(l)). ABC emails renewal reminders 90, 60, 30 and 10 days before expiration, and you may renew within 90 days of your expiration date; certification must be renewed before it expires to stay valid. Course content: under Bus. & Prof. Code § 25681(f), added by AB 2402 (Stats. 2024, ch. 829), RBS courses must cover drink-spiking prevention and response on or before January 1, 2027; ABC adopted the implementing curriculum rules (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 4, §§ 165.1 and 165.2) effective April 1, 2026, and all approved providers must update their curriculum to match.", "cost_range": "$3 nonrefundable registration fee paid to ABC, which covers the Alcohol Server Certification Exam, plus the training provider’s own course fee — providers set their own course prices and ABC neither sets nor caps them (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 4, § 170(c)). The $3 is not a one-time cost. Fail the exam three times, or let the 30-day exam window lapse, and you must take a new approved course and pay another $3 before you get a fresh set of attempts (§ 170(i)). Every three-year renewal costs another approved RBS course plus another $3 (§ 170(l)), so the ABC fee recurs at least once every three years for as long as you keep serving.", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "The RBS requirement is statewide and applies to on-premises licensees in every California county, but do not assume your city or county adds nothing: ABC’s FAQ says twice that “local jurisdictions may have additional requirements” (for one-day-license events and for ABC-licensed catered events). Cities and counties “may apply additional ordinances that further support the efforts of AB 1221 but cannot supersede the standards defined in the act,” so a local rule can add to RBS but can never replace it or excuse you from it. ABC gives a concrete example: some local governments require alcohol servers working in their jurisdiction to take a LEAD course, and ABC states that LEAD “does not fulfill the requirements mandated by AB 1221 and does not qualify as an ABC approved RBS Training” — a server in such a city needs both. ABC does not publish a statewide list of these local rules; check with the city or county where you work and with your local ABC district office.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 25680 — definitions for the Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training Program Act of 2017 (Art. 4, §§ 25680–25686, added by AB 1221, Stats. 2017, ch. 847). Subdivision (b) defines an “alcohol server certification” as “a certification issued by a training provider to a person who has successfully completed an RBS training course, as demonstrated by the passage of an exam.” Subdivision (a) defines an alcohol server to include a designee for alcoholic beverage sales and service under a temporary license.\", \"url\": \"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=25680.\"}, {\"citation\": \"Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 25681 — ABC develops the curriculum and authorizes/approves training providers; subdivision (d): “A training provider shall issue alcohol server certifications to persons who have successfully completed an RBS training course and passed an exam.” Subdivision (e): a certification is valid three years from issuance. Subdivision (f), added by AB 2402 (Stats. 2024, ch. 829, effective January 1, 2025): commencing on or before January 1, 2027, RBS courses must cover how to prevent or protect a person from drink spiking and what to do if someone has been drugged.\", \"url\": \"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=25681.\"}, {\"citation\": \"Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 25682 (amended by AB 82, Stats. 2020, ch. 14) — from July 1, 2022 a licensee may not employ an alcohol server without a valid certification; new hires have 60 calendar days (subd. (a)(2)). Subdivision (b)(2) makes the 60-day period a defence “[e]xcept for a violation of subdivision (c).” Subdivision (c): a nonprofit holding a temporary daily on-sale or off-sale license “shall designate a person or persons to receive RBS training prior to the event, and that designated person or persons shall remain onsite for the duration of the event.”\", \"url\": \"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=25682.\"}, {\"citation\": \"Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 25683–25684 — § 25683 bars a person from performing duties that include the sale or service of alcoholic beverages on licensed premises, or from managing such a person, without a valid alcohol server certification. § 25684 makes a licensee’s non-compliance grounds for disciplinary action but not grounds for criminal action against the licensee or its employees.\", \"url\": \"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=25683.\"}, {\"citation\": \"Cal. Code Regs., tit. 4, div. 1, art. 25, §§ 160–173 — ABC’s RBS regulations (adopted by the package approved by the Office of Administrative Law on May 20, 2020; §§ 163, 166, 168, 168.3 and 170 amended by the package approved August 1, 2022). § 169(f): the 60-day grace period “applies only to the date of initial employment, and not for alcohol server certification renewals.” § 170(c): $3.00 non-refundable registration fee. § 170(f)–(g): 70% to pass; three attempts or 30 days, whichever comes first. § 170(h): on a passing score “the training provider shall issue the valid alcohol server certification.” § 170(i): failing the limits means another approved course plus another $3.00. § 170(l): “[t]o renew an alcohol server certification, an alcohol server must complete an approved RBS training course, pass the alcohol server certification exam, and pay a $3.00 non-refundable registration fee to the department in the same manner as for initial certification.”\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.ca.gov/law-and-policy/regulations-rulemaking/approved-regulations/rbs-training-program-act-amendments/text-of-approved-regulations/\"}, {\"citation\": \"Cal. Code Regs., tit. 4, §§ 165.1 and 165.2 (drink-spiking curriculum) — ABC’s “Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Update for Drink Spiking” package was approved by the Office of Administrative Law on January 8, 2026 and is effective April 1, 2026; approved RBS training providers must update their curriculum accordingly. This implements Bus. & Prof. Code § 25681(f), whose own outer deadline is January 1, 2027.\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/rbsds-notice-of-approval-of-regulatory-action.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"California ABC — RBS Training Program (statewide mandate effective July 1, 2022 under AB 1221/AB 82; three-year validity; on-premises servers and their managers)\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.ca.gov/education/rbs/\"}, {\"label\": \"California ABC — RBS Frequently Asked Questions (the Exemptions list; the 51 covered license types; “the 60-day grace period exemption … is not applicable to daily licenses”; the three renewal steps; “ABC is not issuing physical or downloadable RBS certificates”; “local jurisdictions may have additional requirements”; $3 fee, three attempts, 70%)\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.ca.gov/education/rbs/frequently-asked-questions/\"}, {\"label\": \"California ABC — Text of Approved Regulations, RBS Training Program Act Amendments (current Cal. Code Regs., tit. 4 §§ 169–170: renewal requires the course, the exam and another $3; the training provider issues the certificate; the grace period does not cover renewals)\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.ca.gov/law-and-policy/regulations-rulemaking/approved-regulations/rbs-training-program-act-amendments/text-of-approved-regulations/\"}, {\"label\": \"California ABC — Notice of Approval of Regulatory Action, RBS Training Program Update for Drink Spiking (package adopting §§ 165.1 and 165.2, approved by the Office of Administrative Law January 8, 2026, effective April 1, 2026)\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/rbsds-notice-of-approval-of-regulatory-action.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 25680 — an alcohol server certification is “issued by a training provider”\", \"url\": \"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=25680.\"}, {\"label\": \"Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 25681 — training providers issue certifications; three-year validity; drink-spiking curriculum added by AB 2402 (Stats. 2024, ch. 829)\", \"url\": \"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=25681.\"}, {\"label\": \"Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 25682 — 60-day deadline, the subdivision (c) carve-out, and the nonprofit daily-license designee who must be trained before the event\", \"url\": \"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=25682.\"}, {\"label\": \"California ABC Online Services / RBS Portal — where servers register, pay the $3 fee, take the exam, and hold their Certified status and Server ID\", \"url\": \"https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov/\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ca-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "co-alcohol-server", "state": "Colorado", "certification": "Responsible Vendor Seller/Server Certification", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "Mitigation: responsible-vendor certification is a statutory mitigating factor in licensee penalty proceedings (C.R.S. § 44-3-601(9)) — not a safe-harbor defense; new hires trained within 90 days. LED server/seller training is separately mandatory for specific roles: alcohol delivery staff, tasting servers at retail liquor stores/liquor-licensed drugstores/fermented-malt-beverage-and-wine retailers, common-consumption-area servers and security, and in-store educational-class instructors.", "who_must_get": "No blanket state law requires bar and restaurant servers to hold an alcohol server card — but Colorado law does require completed LED server/seller training in specific roles. A person delivering alcohol beverages for a licensee must have satisfactorily completed the server and seller training program established under C.R.S. § 44-3-1002 (C.R.S. § 44-3-911(3)(d)). Tastings at retail liquor stores, liquor-licensed drugstores, and fermented-malt-beverage-and-wine retailers may be conducted only by a person who has completed a server training program meeting Liquor Enforcement Division standards (C.R.S. § 44-3-301(10)(c); Regulation 47-605's own scope line covers serving at tastings in retail liquor stores and liquor-licensed drugstores). A promotional association or attached licensee may not employ a person to serve alcohol or provide security within a common consumption area unless the server has completed the LED server and seller training program (C.R.S. § 44-3-910(1)(a)). And an instructor teaching an in-store educational class under C.R.S. § 44-3-301(13) (retail liquor store and § 44-3-409 licensees) must have successfully completed the responsible alcohol beverage vendor training (§ 44-3-301(13)(c)). Outside those roles, training is voluntary: an establishment that chooses to become a \"responsible vendor\" must ensure its resident on-site owner or manager and all employees who sell or serve alcohol complete an approved training program, and once designated must train new sale/service employees within 90 days of hire. Certification is treated as a mitigating factor for the licensee in penalty proceedings for violations such as sales to minors or to visibly intoxicated persons.", "exemptions": "Most Colorado servers, bartenders, and sellers need no card or certification at all: outside the role-specific statutory mandates (alcohol delivery staff, C.R.S. § 44-3-911(3)(d); tasting servers at retail liquor stores, liquor-licensed drugstores, and fermented-malt-beverage-and-wine retailers, § 44-3-301(10)(c); common-consumption-area servers and security, § 44-3-910(1)(a); in-store educational-class instructors, § 44-3-301(13)(c)), server/seller training is required only if the employing establishment voluntarily seeks responsible-vendor designation. Within the voluntary program, Regulation 47-605(A)(1) reaches the resident on-site owner (if applicable) or a manager and all employees selling/serving alcohol beverages — staff who do not sell, handle, or serve alcohol are outside the training duty. No other exemptions are stated in the sources checked: C.R.S. Title 44, Article 3 (official DOR 2025 Liquor Code compilation), Regulation 47-605 (1 CCR 203-2), and the SBG/LED trainer and approved-vendor pages.", "issuing_authority": "Colorado Department of Revenue, Liquor Enforcement Division (LED) — approves trainers and sets the server/seller training program standards; certificates are issued by LED-approved training providers.", "approved_provider_rule": "Trainers apply to the Liquor Enforcement Division (form DR 8010) and file evidence of compliance with the state Seller/Server Training Program standards; the LED maintains the public approved-vendors list. Training must be delivered in an in-person classroom or LED-approved live-streaming format — fully online courses are not accepted. Attendees earn the certificate from an LED-approved trainer after completing at least two hours of instruction and passing a test with a score of 70% or higher. Certifications are scoped by establishment type: a person certified through an on-premises-only program may use the certification only in an on-premises licensed establishment, an off-premises-only certification only in an off-premises establishment, and a combined-program certification in both (Regulation 47-605(D)) — check which scope a course carries before enrolling or changing jobs between a bar and a liquor store.", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "2", "county_exceptions": "No Colorado county imposes a separate individual server-card mandate beyond the state program. Several municipal police departments (e.g., Greeley, Grand Junction, Vail, Frederick) are LED-approved responsible-vendor trainers operating within the state program, and local licensing authorities may attach their own conditions to an establishment's license.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"C.R.S. § 44-3-1001 — Responsible Alcohol Beverage Vendor Act (short title)\", \"url\": \"https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/2025_Liquor_Code.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"C.R.S. § 44-3-1002 — Responsible vendors; standards (LED director establishes the server and seller training program and sets compliance standards)\", \"url\": \"https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/2025_Liquor_Code.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"1 CCR 203-2, Regulation 47-605 — Responsible Alcohol Beverage Vendor and Permitted Tastings by Retail Liquor Stores and Liquor-Licensed Drugstores (2-hour minimum, 70% test, 90-days-after-hire rule, curriculum, on-/off-premises certification scoping)\", \"url\": \"https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/47-605.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"C.R.S. §§ 44-3-911(3)(d) (alcohol delivery persons must have completed the § 44-3-1002 server and seller training program), 44-3-301(10)(c) (tastings conducted only by persons who completed LED-standard server training), 44-3-910(1)(a) (no server or security employment in a common consumption area without the LED training), and 44-3-301(13)(c) (in-store educational-class instructors must have completed responsible-vendor training) — the role-specific statutory training mandates\", \"url\": \"https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/2025_Liquor_Code.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"C.R.S. § 44-3-601(9) — when penalizing a vendor for service to a minor or a visibly intoxicated person, state and local licensing authorities shall consider it a mitigating factor if the vendor is a responsible alcohol beverage vendor (mitigation only — not a safe-harbor defense)\", \"url\": \"https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/2025_Liquor_Code.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Colorado DOR SBG — Approved Responsible Vendors Training (no online training; approved provider list)\", \"url\": \"https://sbg.colorado.gov/approved-responsible-vendors-training\"}, {\"label\": \"Colorado DOR SBG — Liquor Responsible Vendor Trainers (two-year recertification; live-streaming; Regulation 47-605)\", \"url\": \"https://sbg.colorado.gov/liquor-responsible-vendor-trainers\"}, {\"label\": \"Regulation 47-605, 1 CCR 203-2 — Responsible Alcohol Beverage Vendor and Permitted Tastings by Retail Liquor Stores and Liquor-Licensed Drugstores (curriculum, 90-day rule, 70% test, certification scoping)\", \"url\": \"https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/47-605.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Colorado Liquor Code (Title 44, Article 3), C.R.S. §§ 44-3-1001 to 44-3-1002 — official DOR compilation\", \"url\": \"https://sbg.colorado.gov/sites/sbg/files/documents/2025_Liquor_Code.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/co-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ct-alcohol-server", "state": "Connecticut", "certification": "Alcohol Seller and Server Training Certificate", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "DCP-approved program; mandatory for a server only when the commissioner orders it after permit discipline", "who_must_get": "No Connecticut law requires every alcohol server or seller to hold this certificate. Individual completion becomes mandatory only when the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in his or her discretion, orders a disciplined permittee's employees to complete an approved alcohol seller and server training program — either as a condition of reactivating or reissuing a suspended or revoked permit (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 30-47(b)) or in lieu of suspension or revocation (§ 30-47(c)). What Connecticut does mandate broadly is licensee-facing: every on-premises and off-premises liquor permit applicant who files a new application, a transfer of interest or stock, or a substitute-permittee application on or after January 1, 2026 — the applicant/permittee, the backer entity, and all individual owners, members, or shareholders of the backer entity — must complete DCP's free online Liquor Law Education Program before a final permit is issued. Holders of an active final permit on January 1, 2026 are exempt when renewing that permit; holders of an active provisional permit on that date may convert it to a final permit without the training; and DCP may also waive the requirement at its discretion on a written request submitted through eLicense (DCP's examples: investors holding less than 5% ownership in a large company backer, and individuals who previously completed the program under another license and can resubmit their original certificate). That program certifies the permittee/licensee, not individual servers.", "exemptions": "For the individual Alcohol Seller and Server Training Certificate itself there is no exemption question, because no Connecticut law requires any server or seller to hold it in the first place — it becomes mandatory only for employees of a permittee the Commissioner of Consumer Protection has disciplined (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 30-47(b)–(c)). For the separate, broadly mandatory permittee/applicant Liquor Law Education Program, DCP publishes three exemption routes: (1) any person or business holding an active final permit as of January 1, 2026 does not need the program to renew that permit; (2) any person or entity holding an active provisional permit on January 1, 2026 may convert it to a final permit without the program; and (3) by law, DCP may waive the education requirement at its discretion — waiver requests are submitted in writing through eLicense, and DCP's published examples include investors holding less than 5% ownership in a large company backer and individuals who previously completed the program under another license and can resubmit their original certificate. Sources: DCP knowledge-base articles 'Exemptions from Liquor Law Education Program' and 'Requirements for Liquor Law Education Program for New Applicants' (portal.ct.gov).", "issuing_authority": "Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), Liquor Control Division. DCP grants and periodically re-approves \"recognition\" to training programs; the individual's certificate of completion is issued by the DCP-recognized provider, not by DCP itself. DCP does not issue a universal individual server card.", "approved_provider_rule": "A provider earns DCP \"recognition\" as an approved alcohol seller and server training program under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 30-47(b) and R.C.S.A. § 30-6a-H1 by submitting its Connecticut business registration, curriculum, all instructional and printed materials, examination and grading procedures, minimum-grade rules, a certificate of completion, test-integrity safeguards, instructor names and qualifications, and a fee schedule. Minimum standards: at least five hours of instruction, primarily live lecture with an instructor physically present, covering prevention of sales to minors, prevention of over-service, drink-promotion restrictions, and criminal/civil/administrative liability (Dram Shop Act, server criminal liability, permittee strict liability). Recognized programs must be re-approved every two years. The certificate is issued to the participant by the approved provider.", "cost_range": "Provider-set — each DCP-recognized program files its own participant fee schedule (R.C.S.A. § 30-6a-H1(a)(12)); no statutory cap. The separate, broadly mandatory permittee/applicant Liquor Law Education Program is provided free of charge by DCP.", "validity_years": "No state-set expiry on the individual certificate of completion. The only two-year cycle in the rule is DCP's re-approval of each recognized training program (R.C.S.A. § 30-6a-H1(d)), not the individual's credential.", "county_exceptions": "None identified. Connecticut liquor licensing is administered statewide by DCP; no county or municipal alcohol-server-card requirement was found. West Hartford was only the venue where state officials announced the 2026 statewide permittee program, not a separate local rule.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Conn. Gen. Stat. § 30-47(b)–(c) — the Commissioner of Consumer Protection may require a disciplined permittee's employees to participate in a commissioner-approved alcohol seller and server training program, and may require proof of completion before reactivation or reissuance of the permit\", \"url\": \"https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_545.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"Regs. Conn. State Agencies (R.C.S.A.) § 30-6a-H1 — Alcohol seller and server training: provider-recognition requirements, minimum five-hour curriculum, certificate of completion, and mandatory re-approval of each program every two years\", \"url\": \"https://eregulations.ct.gov/eRegsPortal/Browse/getDocument?guid=%7B20A5E155-0700-C213-915C-A0202B986947%7D\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Conn. Gen. Stat. § 30-47 — alcohol seller and server training program; permittee participation (Chapter 545, Liquor Control Act)\", \"url\": \"https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_545.htm\"}, {\"label\": \"R.C.S.A. § 30-6a-H1 — Alcohol Seller and Server Training (program-recognition standards, 5-hour curriculum, 2-year re-approval)\", \"url\": \"https://eregulations.ct.gov/eRegsPortal/Browse/getDocument?guid=%7B20A5E155-0700-C213-915C-A0202B986947%7D\"}, {\"label\": \"CT DCP — Liquor Law Education Program (mandatory permittee/applicant training, effective Jan 1, 2026)\", \"url\": \"https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/liquor-control/liquor-law-education-program\"}, {\"label\": \"CT DCP — Liquor Control Division home (states the Liquor Law Education Program is \\\"free, online training\\\")\", \"url\": \"https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/liquor-control\"}, {\"label\": \"CT DCP — Requirements for Liquor Law Education Program for New Applicants (program applies to new applications, transfers of interest/stock, and substitute-permittee applications filed on or after Jan 1, 2026; covers applicant, permittee, backer entity, and all individual owners/members/shareholders)\", \"url\": \"https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles/liquor-control/2026/applications-and-licensing/liquor-law-education-program/requirements-for-liquor-law-education-program-for-new-applicants\"}, {\"label\": \"CT DCP — Exemptions from Liquor Law Education Program (active final permit exempt at renewal; active provisional permit exempt at conversion; DCP may waive the requirement at its discretion via written eLicense request)\", \"url\": \"https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles/liquor-control/2026/applications-and-licensing/liquor-law-education-program/exemptions-from-liquor-law-education-program\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ct-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "dc-alcohol-server", "state": "District of Columbia", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "none", "mandate_detail": "The District issues no individual server, seller, or bartender card and recognizes no server-level certification. Alcohol-service responsibility sits with the licensed establishment, which must have either the owner or a Board-approved (ABCA-licensed) ABC Manager present on the premises at all times during its hours of sale, service, and consumption of alcoholic beverages (D.C. Official Code § 25-701(a-1)(1)). An ABC Manager — who must have completed a Board-approved alcohol training and education certification program — is required only to cover hours when the license holder is not on duty and on premises (ABCA), and the Board-approved-manager section does not apply at all to licensees who personally superintend the establishment during licensed hours of sale (§ 25-701(c)). As an establishment-level incentive, the Board may stay part of a licensee's suspension for an underage-sale violation if all employees who serve alcoholic beverages complete an alcohol training program within 3 months (D.C. Official Code § 25-781) — an obligation on the licensee, not a credential an individual server must hold.", "who_must_get": "No individual server, seller, or bartender is required by District law to hold an alcohol card or certification — Title 25 of the D.C. Official Code and 23 DCMR impose no server-level credential mandate. The District's requirement is at the establishment level: at On-Premises Retailers, Off-Premises Retailers, and Manufacturers with an On-Site Sales and Consumption endorsement, either the establishment's owner or a Board-approved ABC Manager must be present on the premises at all times during the hours of sale, service, and consumption of alcoholic beverages (D.C. Official Code § 25-701(a-1)(1)) — a 'manager' is by definition 'a person, other than the owner' (§ 25-101(11A)), so an owner-operator who covers all licensed hours personally satisfies the presence duty without hiring a licensed ABC Manager, and ABCA states an ABC Manager is needed to sell and serve alcohol 'when the license holder is not on duty and on-premises.' The Board-approved-manager section does not apply to licensees who personally superintend the establishment during licensed hours of sale, nor to holders of a wholesaler's license or an off-premises retailer's license, class AI or BI, that is not open to the public (§ 25-701(c)); § 25-701(a-1)(2) also excuses presence when no alcohol is stored on the premises, the establishment is not open to the public, the alcohol is secured and inaccessible, or the license is in safekeeping under § 25-791. Every ABC Manager must complete a Board-approved alcohol training and education certification program and be recertified every three years (§ 25-120(d)). Servers and bartenders may take the same Board-approved training voluntarily, and many employers require it; separately, the Board may order a licensee to undergo alcohol training and education as a result of a Board order (§ 25-121(2)), and a licensee can earn a partial suspension stay by having its serving employees complete an alcohol training program after an underage-sale violation (§ 25-781).", "exemptions": "There is no individual server credential in the District, so the exemption question attaches to the establishment-level ABC Manager requirement — and the law builds in an owner substitute: § 25-701(a-1)(1) requires 'an establishment's owner or Board-approved manager' to be present during hours of sale, service, and consumption, so an owner who is on duty and on premises does not need a licensed ABC Manager for those hours (ABCA: an ABC Manager is required 'when the license holder is not on duty and on-premises'). Full carve-outs from the Board-approved-manager section (§ 25-701(c)): licensees who personally superintend the establishment during licensed hours of sale, and holders of a wholesaler's license or an off-premises retailer's license, class AI or BI, that is not open to the public. Presence exceptions (§ 25-701(a-1)(2)): no alcoholic beverages stored on the premises; establishment not open to the public; alcohol secured and inaccessible; or license in safekeeping under § 25-791. Sources: D.C. Official Code § 25-701 and § 25-101(11A) (code.dccouncil.gov); ABCA — Apply or Renew an ABC Manager License (abca.dc.gov).", "issuing_authority": "No District authority issues an individual alcohol server or seller card — none exists. The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board (ABC Board) approves the alcohol training and education certification providers and issues the ABC Manager's License; the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) administers the program and publishes the approved-provider list. A server who chooses to take a course receives a completion certificate from the Board-approved private provider whose course they complete (for example TIPS, Learn2Serve, or ServSafe Alcohol) — not a government-issued server card.", "approved_provider_rule": "There is no approved-provider list for an individual server card, because the District issues none. The ABC Board approves providers of alcohol training and education certification programs for the certification of managers licensed under § 25-120 (D.C. Official Code § 25-121). Providers apply for a Board permit, submitting their curriculum, examinations, and materials (subjects prescribed by 23 DCMR § 211); provider permits run up to three years. ABCA publishes the list of Board-approved programs — currently about 19, including TIPS, Learn2Serve, ServSafe Alcohol, and TAP Series. A server or bartender who chooses to train voluntarily takes a course from one of these same Board-approved providers and receives that provider's completion certificate; there is no government-issued server card. The current list is posted on ABCA's Alcohol Awareness Training Providers page at abca.dc.gov.", "cost_range": "The District issues no individual server or seller card, so there is no server-card fee. Any alcohol training a server takes voluntarily is priced by the private Board-approved provider whose course they choose; the District sets no fee and no statutory cap for that training. The separate ABC Manager's License carries its own fee, published on ABCA's Fee and Renewal Schedule (referenced from ABCA's ABC Manager license page); § 25-120(c) fixes only when it is paid — at the time of application — a manager cost, not a server cost.", "validity_years": "", "county_exceptions": "None. The District of Columbia is a single jurisdiction with no counties; its rules apply uniformly citywide.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-120 (Manager's license requirements and qualifications — Board-approved alcohol training and education certification; manager's license valid 3 years; recertify every 3 years)\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-120\"}, {\"citation\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-121 (Alcohol training and education certification providers — the Board approves providers only for (1) certification of managers licensed under § 25-120 and (2) a licensee ordered by the Board; no individual server certification)\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-121\"}, {\"citation\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-701 (Board-approved manager — the operative presence rule: the establishment's owner or Board-approved manager must be present during all hours of sale, service, and consumption (a-1)(1); presence exceptions in (a-1)(2); section inapplicable to licensees who personally superintend the establishment and to wholesalers/non-public class AI or BI off-premises retailers (c))\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-701\"}, {\"citation\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-101(11A) (definition of 'manager' — 'a person, other than the owner,' ABCA-licensed, required on duty and on premises during the approved licensed hours; the enforceable presence rule with its owner alternative lives in § 25-701)\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-101\"}, {\"citation\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-781 (sales-to-minors penalties — Board may stay part of a licensee's suspension if all serving employees complete an alcohol training program within 3 months; establishment-level, not an individual server credential)\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-781\"}, {\"citation\": \"23 DCMR § 211 (required subjects for Board-approved alcohol awareness training programs)\", \"url\": \"https://abca.dc.gov/page/alcohol-awareness-training-provider-permit\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-121 (Board approves alcohol training and education certification providers only for certification of managers under § 25-120 and Board-ordered licensees)\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-121\"}, {\"label\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-120 (Manager's license — alcohol training and education certification requirement; 3-year license; 3-year recertification)\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-120\"}, {\"label\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-701 (Board-approved manager required — owner or manager must be present during hours of sale, service, and consumption; personal-superintendence and wholesaler/class AI-BI carve-outs; presence exceptions)\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-701\"}, {\"label\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-101 (definitions — (11A) 'manager' is a person other than the owner, on duty and on premises during approved licensed hours; (4A) certification provider)\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-101\"}, {\"label\": \"D.C. Official Code § 25-781 (underage-sale penalties — suspension stay if all serving employees complete an alcohol training program)\", \"url\": \"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-781\"}, {\"label\": \"ABCA — Alcohol Awareness Training Providers (only ABC-manager applicants must complete the Board-approved training; official approved-provider list, ~19 programs)\", \"url\": \"https://abca.dc.gov/page/alcohol-awareness-training-providers\"}, {\"label\": \"ABCA — Apply or Renew an ABC Manager License (who must have a manager; manager's license valid 3 years; training certificate required with application)\", \"url\": \"https://abca.dc.gov/service/apply-or-renew-abc-manager-license\"}, {\"label\": \"ABCA — Alcohol Awareness Training Provider Permit (how the Board permits providers; curriculum per 23 DCMR § 211; permit up to 3 years)\", \"url\": \"https://abca.dc.gov/page/alcohol-awareness-training-provider-permit\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/dc-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "de-alcohol-server", "state": "Delaware", "certification": "Server Training Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "On- and off-premises servers, sellers and the managers who supervise them must be certified", "who_must_get": "Every employee of a Delaware alcohol licensee who sells, prepares, dispenses, serves, or otherwise delivers alcoholic beverages directly to patrons for on-premises consumption (bars, taverns, restaurants — 4 Del. C. § 1203(a)), and every employee who sells, serves, or otherwise delivers alcoholic beverages directly to patrons for off-premises consumption (package/liquor stores — § 1203(c)), plus anyone who manages such employees and any licensee who takes part directly in managing the establishment. The training duty attaches to employees who have worked for the licensee at least 30 days and at least 10 hours a week (§ 1202(d)). The licensee certifies its employees' training to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner as part of the license application or renewal (§ 1203(b), (d)); the Commissioner may grant or renew a license conditionally, with that certification then due within 30 days of the grant or renewal (§ 1202(e)). Exempt (§ 1203(e)): gathering licenses — the one-off licenses required when alcohol is sold during a 'gathering of persons,' i.e. single events (4 Del. C. § 514) — and package-store spirits, wine, and beer tasting licenses (§ 525).", "exemptions": "Two license types are exempt from the entire server-training requirement: 4 Del. C. § 1203(e) provides that the training provisions 'shall not apply to licenses issued pursuant to §§ 514 and 525 of this title.' In plain terms: (1) gathering licenses (§ 514) — the one-off licenses that the manager or person in charge of a 'gathering of persons,' or the owner/tenant/person in charge of the premises hosting it, must obtain when alcoholic liquors are to be sold during the gathering — so a bartender pouring at a licensed one-day event is outside the training mandate; and (2) spirits, wine, and beer tasting licenses (§ 525) — granted to package stores licensed under § 516 to offer tastings at no charge — so staff pouring at a package-store tasting are likewise outside it. Note also the statute's own employee threshold: the duty reaches only 'employees' as defined in § 1202(d), i.e. persons employed by the licensee for at least 30 days who work in the licensed establishment at least 10 hours a week — staff below that threshold are not yet within the training duty. Sources: 4 Del. C. ch. 12 (§§ 1202(d), 1203(e)) and 4 Del. C. ch. 5, subch. II (§§ 514, 516, 525) at delcode.delaware.gov.", "issuing_authority": "Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner (recognizes and approves the training programs) and the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement (DATE) within the Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security, which administers and enforces the program and issues Server Training Cards for its own course. Commissioner-approved private providers issue the cards for their courses.", "approved_provider_rule": "Any person, business, or educational institution may run a server-training course, but it must meet the Title 4, Chapter 12 curriculum and be recognized and approved by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner and DATE (4 Del. C. §§ 1202, 1204). A person earns the card by completing an approved course; the certifying instructor reports each person who passes to the Commissioner and DATE. Cards are currently obtained online through DATE-listed approved vendors (the Delaware Restaurant Association and eTIPS/TIPS) or through DATE's own in-person course. One heads-up at checkout: DATE's page and both approved vendors' sites still advertise the pre-amendment 4-year validity, but 4 Del. C. § 1205 as amended effective June 10, 2026 (85 Del. Laws c. 284) sets certification at 2 years — the statute controls.", "cost_range": "By statute Delaware caps DATE's own course fee at $15 for the full course and $10 for recertification (4 Del. C. § 1208). Separately, § 1208(c) lets the Commissioner require an approved provider to remit up to $15 to offset the cost of creating a server's identification card — a provider-side payment to the state, not a cap on what a provider may charge you (provider pricing to trainees is not capped by statute). DATE's in-person course is offered at no cost (in-person classes are currently suspended). Approved online courses: eTIPS/TIPS $15; Delaware Restaurant Association $25.", "validity_years": "2", "county_exceptions": "None. This is a uniform statewide requirement set by state law (4 Del. C. ch. 12); Delaware counties and cities do not impose their own separate alcohol-server card rules.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"4 Del. C. ch. 12 (Delaware Responsible Alcoholic Beverage Server Training Program) — § 1201 mandatory-program policy; § 1202 implementation and the 30-day/10-hour 'employee' definition; § 1203 applicability to on- and off-premises licensees; § 1204 curriculum; § 1205 certification valid 2 years with renewal training; § 1206 penalties and the server training card; § 1208 costs (DATE course fee cap $15 full / $10 recertification; under § 1208(c) an approved provider 'may be required to remit a fee determined by the Commissioner, not to exceed $15,' to offset server ID-card creation costs — a provider-to-state remittance, not a cap on the provider's price to trainees)\", \"url\": \"https://delcode.delaware.gov/title4/c012/index.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"85 Del. Laws c. 284 (House Bill 195, signed and effective June 10, 2026) — reduced the mandated server-training frequency, and thus card validity, from every 4 years to every 2 years (and lowered the bartending age to 18)\", \"url\": \"https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142412\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Delaware Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement (DATE) — Responsible Server Training (mandatory program; approved online vendors and costs; card replacement)\", \"url\": \"https://date.delaware.gov/ATE/server-training.shtml\"}, {\"label\": \"4 Del. C. Chapter 12 — Delaware Responsible Alcoholic Beverage Server Training Program (official current code; § 1205 validity now 2 years)\", \"url\": \"https://delcode.delaware.gov/title4/c012/index.html\"}, {\"label\": \"4 Del. C. ch. 5, subch. II — §§ 514 (gathering licenses for one-off events) and 525 (package-store spirits, wine, and beer tasting licenses): the license types exempt from server training under § 1203(e)\", \"url\": \"https://delcode.delaware.gov/title4/c005/sc02/index.html\"}, {\"label\": \"House Bill 195 / 85 Del. Laws c. 284 — Delaware General Assembly bill detail (Signed 6/10/26; Effective 6/10/26; server training changed from every 4 years to every 2 years)\", \"url\": \"https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142412\"}, {\"label\": \"Delaware Restaurant Association — Delaware Alcoholic Beverage Server Training (DATE-approved online course)\", \"url\": \"https://www.delawarerestaurant.org/online-alcohol-server-training/\"}, {\"label\": \"eTIPS / TIPS — Delaware Responsible Alcohol Server Training (DATE-approved online course, $15)\", \"url\": \"https://www.gettips.com/online/abc-alcohol-license-delaware\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/de-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "fl-alcohol-server", "state": "Florida", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "none", "mandate_detail": "No individual server or seller credential is required in Florida. The Florida Responsible Vendor Act is an optional establishment-level qualification; its safe-harbor benefit (s. 561.706) belongs to the licensed vendor, not to any individual server or seller. Grocery and drug stores licensed under s. 563.02(1)(a) or s. 564.02(1)(a) with premises over 5,000 square feet are exempt from the Act altogether (s. 561.703(2)).", "who_must_get": "No individual server or seller is legally required to hold an alcohol credential in Florida. Instead, the licensed establishment (the \"vendor\") may voluntarily qualify as a \"responsible vendor\" to earn a statutory safe-harbor — with one statutory carve-out: grocery and drug stores licensed under s. 563.02(1)(a) or s. 564.02(1)(a), Fla. Stat. (beer- or wine-only off-premises licenses), whose premises exceed 5,000 square feet of floor space are exempt from the Responsible Vendor Act entirely (s. 561.703(2)), so the safe harbor is out of their reach. If a vendor opts in, qualification requires all nine duties of s. 561.705, Fla. Stat., not just the training deadlines: (1) provide an employee training course; (2) provide an alcohol server management course for managers; (3) require each non-managerial employee who serves alcohol to complete the employee course within 30 days of hire, supervising that employee's alcohol service until trained; (4) require each managerial employee to complete the management course within 15 days of hire; (5) hold a meeting of all employees every four months; (6) require each new employee, as a condition of initial employment, to complete a written questionnaire; (7) keep a written policy of immediate dismissal for any employee who illegally uses controlled substances on the premises; (8) maintain employment records of the applications, acknowledgments, and training; and (9) post signs informing customers of the vendor's policy against serving alcohol to underage persons. The Division's Responsible Vendor Qualifications Checklist tests the full list at enforcement time. Where an establishment does not participate, legal responsibility for lawful, non-underage sales rests on the licensed vendor itself.", "exemptions": "There is no individual credential to be exempt from — Florida requires no server or seller card of anyone. The one statutory exemption operates at the establishment level: under s. 561.703(2), Fla. Stat., vendors at grocery or drug stores licensed under s. 563.02(1)(a) or s. 564.02(1)(a) (beer- or wine-only off-premises licenses) 'whose premises are in excess of 5,000 square feet of floor space, shall be exempt from the provisions of this act' — the entire Responsible Vendor Act, its training scheme and the s. 561.706 safe harbor included, does not reach them, and their employees sit outside the Act's training framework. Relatedly, s. 561.705(6)'s employee-questionnaire duty exempts employees of vendors licensed under s. 563.02(1)(a) or s. 564.02(1)(a). No inverse gap exists: ss. 561.702, 561.705, 561.706, s. 561.14(6), and Fla. Admin. Code R. 61A-3.049 were searched and no class of Florida licensee is required to participate in the Responsible Vendor program — participation is voluntary for every vendor the Act covers. Source: Fla. Stat. § 561.703 at leg.state.fl.us.", "issuing_authority": "Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT), within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). The state defines the Responsible Vendor program for establishments; any training-completion certificate is issued by a private training provider or the employer, not by the state, and the state does not issue an individual server/seller card.", "approved_provider_rule": "Florida does not license, approve, or publish a list of Responsible Vendor training providers. A vendor may deliver the training in-house or use any private provider, provided the course covers the subjects required by s. 561.705(1)-(2), Fla. Stat. There is no state application, no state fee, and no state-issued card; the provider or employer issues the completion certificate and the establishment keeps the training records (s. 561.705(8)).", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "", "county_exceptions": "None identified. Alcohol sales are regulated at the state level through the Florida Responsible Vendor Act; no Florida county or municipality was found to impose a separate individual alcohol-server card requirement.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Fla. Stat. § 561.701 — Short title (Florida Responsible Vendor Act)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0561/Sections/0561.701.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Fla. Stat. § 561.703 — Definitions; s. 561.703(2) exempts vendors at grocery or drug stores licensed under s. 563.02(1)(a) or s. 564.02(1)(a) with premises over 5,000 sq ft from the entire Responsible Vendor Act\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0561/Sections/0561.703.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Fla. Stat. § 561.705 — Responsible vendor qualification; nine numbered duties including the employee (30-day) and managerial (15-day) training courses, 4-month meetings, new-hire questionnaire, drug-dismissal policy, recordkeeping, and premises signage\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0561/Sections/0561.705.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Fla. Stat. § 561.706 — Exemption from license suspension/revocation and mitigation of penalties for qualified responsible vendors (the safe harbor)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0561/Sections/0561.706.html\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Florida DBPR — Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco, Florida Responsible Vendor Act (official program page)\", \"url\": \"https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/alcoholic-beverages-and-tobacco/florida-responsible-vendor-act/\"}, {\"label\": \"Florida Responsible Vendors brochure (DBPR/ABT official PDF)\", \"url\": \"https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/abt/enforcement/vendor_training/ResponsibleVendorsBrochure_LATEST.PDF\"}, {\"label\": \"Fla. Stat. § 561.703 — Definitions (s. 561.703(2): grocery/drug stores over 5,000 sq ft licensed under s. 563.02(1)(a) or s. 564.02(1)(a) are exempt from the Responsible Vendor Act)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0561/Sections/0561.703.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Fla. Stat. § 561.705 — Responsible vendor qualification (the nine qualification duties)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0561/Sections/0561.705.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Fla. Stat. § 561.706 — Responsible vendor benefit (penalty exemption/mitigation)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0561/Sections/0561.706.html\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/fl-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ga-alcohol-server", "state": "Georgia", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Local pouring/server permits set by cities and counties; state training required only for delivery drivers", "who_must_get": "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.", "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.", "issuing_authority": "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.", "approved_provider_rule": "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.", "cost_range": "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).", "validity_years": "No statewide card; the statewide delivery-driver training certification is valid for 2 years", "county_exceptions": "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). 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.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"O.C.G.A. Sec. 3-3-10 -- delivery of alcoholic beverages by packaged-goods retailers and third parties\"}, {\"citation\": \"House Bill 879 (2020) -- omnibus alcohol-delivery act mandating delivery-driver training (signed Aug. 3, 2020)\", \"url\": \"https://gov.georgia.gov/document/2020-signed-legislation/hb-879/download\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ga. Dept. of Revenue -- Alcoholic Beverage Delivery Training Curriculum (provider approval; minimum elements)\", \"url\": \"https://dor.georgia.gov/alcoholic-beverage-delivery-training-curriculum\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ga. Dept. of Revenue -- Delivery of Alcoholic Beverages FAQ (driver eligibility; 2-year training certification)\", \"url\": \"https://dor.georgia.gov/delivery-alcoholic-beverages-faq\"}, {\"citation\": \"Douglas County, Ga., Code of Ordinances ch. 3 -- Alcohol Server Permit (valid 12 months)\", \"url\": \"https://www.douglascountyga.gov/255/Alcohol-Server-Permits\"}, {\"citation\": \"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)\", \"url\": \"https://images-governmentwindow.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/sites/bibbcountyga/docs/Alcohol_Handlers_License_Application.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"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\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/ga/cobb_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIOFCOCOCOGE_CH6ALBE_ARTIVOPRELIES_DIV3EM_S6-207WOPE\"}, {\"citation\": \"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\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/ga/statesboro/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH6ALBE_S6-10EMRELISEALBEPRCO\"}, {\"citation\": \"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\", \"url\": \"https://www.brookhavenga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1673/Pouring-Permit-Application-PDF\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Ga. DOR -- Alcohol & Tobacco (alcohol hub)\", \"url\": \"https://dor.georgia.gov/alcohol\"}, {\"label\": \"Ga. DOR -- Alcoholic Beverage Delivery Training Curriculum\", \"url\": \"https://dor.georgia.gov/alcoholic-beverage-delivery-training-curriculum\"}, {\"label\": \"Ga. DOR -- Delivery of Alcoholic Beverages FAQ\", \"url\": \"https://dor.georgia.gov/delivery-alcoholic-beverages-faq\"}, {\"label\": \"Ga. DOR -- Alcoholic Beverage Delivery Training Providers (approved list)\", \"url\": \"https://dor.georgia.gov/alcoholic-beverage-delivery-training-providers\"}, {\"label\": \"House Bill 879 (2020) signed act\", \"url\": \"https://gov.georgia.gov/document/2020-signed-legislation/hb-879/download\"}, {\"label\": \"Douglas County -- Alcohol Server Permits\", \"url\": \"https://www.douglascountyga.gov/255/Alcohol-Server-Permits\"}, {\"label\": \"Macon-Bibb County -- Alcohol Handler's License Application (PDF)\", \"url\": \"https://images-governmentwindow.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/sites/bibbcountyga/docs/Alcohol_Handlers_License_Application.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Cobb County Code Sec. 6-207 -- Work permits (Municode, current code; employees of package stores, convenience stores, and pouring-licensed businesses who serve or sell alcohol)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/ga/cobb_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIOFCOCOCOGE_CH6ALBE_ARTIVOPRELIES_DIV3EM_S6-207WOPE\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Statesboro -- Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-10 (Municode, current code; responsible-service training enforced through the licensee; Security Permit for bouncers only; section adopted by Ord. No. 2016-03)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/ga/statesboro/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH6ALBE_S6-10EMRELISEALBEPRCO\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Statesboro -- Code of Ordinances ch. 6 (current chapter index, Municode)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/ga/statesboro/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH6ALBE\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Brookhaven -- Pouring Permit Application PDF ($40; valid one year; issued by Brookhaven Police Department; one permit per individual valid at all establishments in the city; required of managerial/supervisor employees and off-premises caterer staff who handle, sell, or serve alcohol -- busboys, cooks, dishwashers excluded)\", \"url\": \"https://www.brookhavenga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1673/Pouring-Permit-Application-PDF\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ga-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "hi-alcohol-server", "state": "Hawaii", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "County-issued individual liquor card; scope varies by county. Honolulu (Oahu, the most populous county) cards a broad set of employees of licensed premises — both on-premises venues and off-premises retail stores: Managers/Assistant Managers (Blue card on-premises; Purple card for retail-store Managers/Assistant Managers, who also need server training), Bartenders, Dancers, General Staff/Hosts, and minor employees aged 18-20 — not just managers/bartenders; General Staff/Host (Gray) cards are waived only for Class 2 Restaurant licenses, which still require Manager, Bartender, and Dancer cards. Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii County center their requirement on a designated manager / person-in-charge certification rather than carding every server. There is no statewide individual server-card mandate.", "who_must_get": "Hawaii has no statewide rule requiring every alcohol server to hold a card; the obligation is set county by county and generally targets designated supervisory employees rather than all waitstaff. Honolulu (Oahu): anyone hired as a Manager, Assistant Manager, or Bartender at a licensed premise must pass the Commission's server training and obtain a liquor card — and that includes Managers and Assistant Managers of OFF-premises retail stores, who hold the Purple card (21+, server training required) — (Class 2 restaurants need cards for Managers, Bartenders, and Dancers; other license classes also require general staff/hosts to be carded). Maui and Hawaii County: at least one certified/approved person aged 21+ must be in charge on the premises at all times the establishment is open — that person must be certified by the county (Hawaii County via the county liquor examination; the Person In Active Charge must be 21+, and employees aged 18-20 may attend the session but cannot be a Person In Active Charge). Kauai: Managers and Assistant Managers must pass the exam to hold a Blue or Red Card (21+ required), and every licensee must ensure employees involved in selling liquor are familiar with the commission's rules.", "exemptions": "There is no statewide mandate to be exempt from — each county's rule defines who must be carded, and everyone outside that definition is exempt by scope. Honolulu: General Staff/Host (Gray) cards are not required at Class 2 Restaurant licensees (the Honolulu Liquor Commission's card page states the Gray card is 'Not required for Restaurant (class 2) liquor licenses'), and the Gray and Red (minor employee 18-20) cards carry no training or exam requirement — only registration and proof of age. Maui and Hawaii County: only the designated approved employee(s) / Person In Active Charge (21+) must be certified; ordinary waitstaff and bartenders are not individually carded. Kauai: only Managers and Assistant Managers sit the Blue/Red Card exam — other employees hold no card, though under Kauai Rule 2.9(b) every licensee must ensure employees involved with liquor sales are familiar with the commission's rules.", "issuing_authority": "There is no statewide Alcoholic Beverage Control agency. Under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 281, liquor control is delegated to a liquor commission/department in each of the four counties, and each issues and controls its own employee liquor card: the Honolulu Liquor Commission (City & County of Honolulu / Oahu), the Maui County Department of Liquor Control, the Kauai County Department of Liquor Control, and the Hawaii County Department of Liquor Control (Big Island).", "approved_provider_rule": "Training, examination, and the card all come from the individual county liquor department itself — there is no state-approved commercial-provider list. The county runs its own program (e.g., the Honolulu Liquor Commission's virtual server-training sessions; Maui's exam administered online through the eSkill Assessment Platform; Kauai's written exam from Department study materials; Hawaii County's own liquor examination, a roughly 2-hour workshop-and-exam session). Commercial online courses are not accepted as a substitute for the county card: Kauai states expressly that no training other than the Department of Liquor Control's own materials can be used to obtain a Red or Blue Card. The physical card is issued in person at the county liquor office after the applicant completes whatever training or exam that card type requires and presents photo ID — in Honolulu, server training and the exam are required only for the Manager/Assistant Manager (Blue/Purple) and Bartender (Yellow) cards; the Gray (General Staff/Host) and Red (minor employee) cards require registration and proof of age only, with no training or exam.", "cost_range": "Honolulu: $10 processing fee per liquor card. Maui: $20 for the certification card. Kauai: $20 total — $10 for the Red/Blue Card exam plus $10 for issuance of the card (per Kauai Liquor Control Commission Rules 7.8(b)-(c) and 10.2(c)-(d)). Hawaii County: $2.00 fee for the liquor card, collected in cash (exact change) at the examination session.", "validity_years": "Varies by county. Honolulu: 4 years for Manager and Bartender cards (measured from the last server-training completion); Gray (general staff/host) and Red (minor bartender/staff) cards also 4 years; Green (dancer) card 1 year. Maui: 4 years from the date the exam is passed, renewed by re-taking the exam. Kauai and Hawaii County set their own renewal periods by rule (renewal is by re-examination / re-certification).", "county_exceptions": "Because Hawaii delegates all liquor control to the counties, every county sets its own individual-credential rule: (1) City & County of Honolulu (Oahu) — Honolulu Liquor Commission \"Liquor Card\" / Certificate of Registration for managers and assistant managers (Blue card at on-premises venues; Purple card at off-premises retail stores), bartenders, dancers, general staff/hosts, and minor employees 18-20 (scope by license class; server training required for the Manager/Assistant Manager and Bartender cards); $10; 4-year Manager/Bartender validity. (2) Maui County — Department of Liquor Control certification card; at least one approved employee (21+) in charge at all times; exam administered online through the eSkill Assessment Platform; $20; valid 4 years. (3) Kauai County — Department of Liquor Control Blue/Red Manager/Assistant-Manager card; written exam; 21+; $10 exam + $10 card. (4) Hawaii County (Big Island) — Department of Liquor Control requires at least one Person In Active Charge (21+) on premises, certified by passing the county liquor examination; $2.00 liquor-card fee.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Haw. Rev. Stat. Chapter 281 (Intoxicating Liquor), §281-17 (Jurisdiction and powers) — vests each county liquor commission with authority to control, supervise, and regulate the sale of liquor and to make rules 'not inconsistent with this chapter' governing the proper conduct of all licensees, which 'when adopted as provided in chapter 91 shall have the force and effect of law.'\", \"url\": \"https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol05_Ch0261-0319/HRS0281/HRS_0281-0017.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"Rules of the Kauai Liquor Control Commission, Rule 2.9(b) (licensee must ensure employees involved with liquor sales are familiar with the commission's rules) and Rules 7.8(b)-(c) & 10.2(c)-(d) (Red/Blue manager-card exam and card-issuance fees) — example of the county rules the statute delegates.\", \"url\": \"https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Departments-Agencies/Liquor-Control/Managers-Assistant-Managers-BlueRed-Card-Test-Information\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Honolulu Liquor Commission — Register for a Liquor Card ($10 processing fee; card types by employee role — Blue Manager/Asst Mgr on-premises, Purple Manager/Asst Mgr off-premises retail store, Yellow Bartender, Green Dancer, Gray General Staff/Host, Red minor employee; Manager & Bartender cards valid 4 years from last server training; Class 2 Restaurant waives General Staff/Host cards)\", \"url\": \"https://www.honolulu.gov/liq/services/get-a-liquor-card/\"}, {\"label\": \"Honolulu Liquor Commission — Training/Education (server training required for Managers, Assistant Managers, Bartenders; Commission runs its own program)\", \"url\": \"https://www.honolulu.gov/liq/training-education/\"}, {\"label\": \"Maui County Department of Liquor Control — Certification Exam (at least one approved employee 21+ in charge at all times; $20 card; valid 4 years; exam administered online through the eSkill Assessment Platform, on HRS ch. 281 + commission rules)\", \"url\": \"https://www.mauicounty.gov/669/Certification-Exam\"}, {\"label\": \"Kauai County Department of Liquor Control — Manager/Assistant Manager Blue/Red Card Test Information ($10 exam + $10 card; 21+; only Department materials accepted; Rules 2.9(b), 7.8, 10.2)\", \"url\": \"https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Departments-Agencies/Liquor-Control/Managers-Assistant-Managers-BlueRed-Card-Test-Information\"}, {\"label\": \"Hawaii County (Big Island) Department of Liquor Control — home (Rules of the Liquor Commission + HRS ch. 281 study materials, free PDF download; at least one Person In Active Charge 21+ on premises)\", \"url\": \"https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/liquor-control\"}, {\"label\": \"Hawaii County Department of Liquor Control — Liquor Exam Schedule folder (current examination-schedule PDFs; the 2026 schedule states the $2.00 liquor-card fee, cash only/exact change; roughly 2-hour workshop + exam session; Person In Active Charge must be 21+, employees 18-20 may attend but cannot be a Person In Active Charge; 'Appointment of Persons in Active Charge of the Premises' form required)\", \"url\": \"https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/Browse.aspx?dbid=1&startid=76526\"}, {\"label\": \"Haw. Rev. Stat. §281-17 — county liquor commission jurisdiction and rulemaking power (force of law)\", \"url\": \"https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol05_Ch0261-0319/HRS0281/HRS_0281-0017.htm\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/hi-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ia-alcohol-server", "state": "Iowa", "certification": "I-PACT Certification", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "Free state-run I-PACT course; grants the licensed establishment a safe-harbor affirmative defense", "who_must_get": "No individual is required by Iowa law to hold this credential. The state recommends that everyone who sells or serves alcohol for on- or off-premises consumption, and every retail alcohol licensee, complete I-PACT, but \"anyone who is interested may take the training.\" Employers commonly require it because a certified employee gives the licensed establishment a one-time affirmative defense (once per four years) against penalty for an underage sale to a person aged 18-20; it does not apply to sales to anyone under 18.", "exemptions": "Not applicable — there is no mandate to be exempt from. No Iowa statute or rule requires any individual server, bartender, or clerk to hold I-PACT or any other server certification. Sources checked: Iowa Code § 123.50A (the training-program statute — it makes training available at no cost, not mandatory), Iowa Code § 123.50(5) (the affirmative-defense provision — an incentive for the establishment, not a duty on the individual), the Iowa Department of Revenue's I-PACT page ('anyone who is interested may take the training'), and the Department's Third-Party Responsible Alcohol Service Program page. Training is voluntary for everyone; an employer may require it as a hiring condition, but that is employer policy, not Iowa law.", "issuing_authority": "Iowa Department of Revenue (administers the I-PACT program). The former Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division no longer exists: under the 2023 State Government Alignment Act (2023 Iowa Acts, ch. 19) its duties moved to the Department of Revenue, where — per the Iowa Legislative Services Agency — they now sit in the Alcoholic and Tax Operations Division; the Department's own I-PACT page attributes the program simply to the Department of Revenue, naming no division.", "approved_provider_rule": "Take the free official course through the Iowa Department of Revenue's I-PACT program (online at i-pact.com), or complete a third-party program the Revenue director has approved as equivalent to I-PACT standards. Third-party providers seek approval by filing the Third-Party Responsible Alcohol Service Program Application (Form 78-001) and meeting the Department's required training objectives. A certificate of completion is issued on finishing the course.", "cost_range": "The state I-PACT course is free: Iowa Code 123.50A provides it \"at no cost to the employee, the prospective employee, or the licensee or permittee.\" A third-party course that the Revenue director has approved as equivalent sets its own fee, which is not fixed by statute; Iowa does not publish an official list of approved providers, so no specific provider or price is named here.", "validity_years": "2", "county_exceptions": "None identified. Alcohol licensing and server-training standards are administered statewide by the Iowa Department of Revenue; no Iowa county or city imposes its own separate server-card requirement of record.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Iowa Code § 123.50A — Alcohol compliance employee training program (free; certificate valid two years; recertification offered)\", \"url\": \"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/123.50A.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"Iowa Code § 123.50(5) — Licensee affirmative defense when employee holds a valid I-PACT or director-approved third-party certificate (once per four-year period; ages 18-20 only)\", \"url\": \"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/123.50.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Iowa Department of Revenue — Iowa Program for Alcohol Compliance Training (I-PACT)\", \"url\": \"https://revenue.iowa.gov/education-outreach/alcohol-tobacco/i-pact\"}, {\"label\": \"Iowa Department of Revenue — Third-Party Responsible Alcohol Service Program\", \"url\": \"https://revenue.iowa.gov/education-outreach/alcohol-tobacco/iowa-program-alcohol-compliance-training-i-pact/third-party-responsible-alcohol-service-program\"}, {\"label\": \"Iowa Code § 123.50A (Alcohol compliance employee training program)\", \"url\": \"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/123.50A.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Iowa Code § 123.50 (retail penalties; affirmative defense at subsection 5)\", \"url\": \"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/123.50.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Iowa Legislative Services Agency — Budget Unit Brief FY 2025, Alcoholic Beverages Operations (former Alcoholic Beverages Division moved into the Department of Revenue's Alcoholic and Tax Operations Division under 2023 Iowa Acts, ch. 19)\", \"url\": \"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/FT/1444122.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Iowa Legislative Services Agency — Fiscal Topic (the Alcoholic Beverages Division was transferred to the Iowa Department of Revenue by the 2023 State Government Alignment Act)\", \"url\": \"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/FTNO/1386383.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ia-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "id-alcohol-server", "state": "Idaho", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "No statewide mandate; city-required in Boise (60 days) and Meridian (30 days); provider-issued", "who_must_get": "No statewide requirement — Idaho does not require alcohol servers to hold any training or certification; responsibility rests with the licensed establishment, and state law only sets a minimum age (19 to sell, serve, or dispense alcoholic beverages through employment; 21 at beer or wine tasting/sampling events). Where a city ordinance applies: Boise requires any \"server of alcohol\" — waiters, waitresses, bartenders, and the managers who supervise them — serving or selling alcohol for on-premises consumption to complete an approved server-training program within 60 days of beginning employment and to maintain that certification throughout employment, with the licensee responsible for ensuring compliance. Exception at Boise club licensees: volunteers may serve under supervision without individual training — Boise City Code 3-3B-3(B) instead requires the club to keep at least one trained supervising \"server of alcohol\" (employed or volunteer) on the premises at all times to supervise the service of alcohol to members and their guests, and the training duty attaches to those supervising servers; the 3-3B-1 definition ties \"server of alcohol\" to service \"as a requirement of his or her employment.\" Meridian requires waiters and bartenders who serve or sell alcohol to complete an approved program within 30 days of employment.", "exemptions": "Statewide, no exemption is needed because Idaho imposes no server-training mandate at all — the Idaho State Police ABC states \"Idaho does not require alcohol servers to have any formal server training or certification.\" Within Boise's city mandate, two groups sit outside the individual 60-day training duty: (1) off-premises retail (package, grocery, convenience) clerks — Boise City Code 3-3B-1 defines a \"server of alcohol\" as one serving or selling alcoholic beverages \"for consumption on a licensed premises\" as a requirement of employment, so off-premise sellers are not covered; and (2) volunteers at club licensees — under 3-3B-3(B) the club must keep no fewer than one trained supervising server of alcohol (employed or volunteer) on the premises at all times, and the training requirement attaches to the supervising server(s), not to each volunteer who serves. Meridian's ordinance (Meridian City Code 3-7-3) reaches waiters and bartenders who serve or sell alcohol; it names no other roles.", "issuing_authority": "No statewide server-card issuer. The Idaho State Police Alcohol Beverage Control (ISP ABC) regulates alcohol licensing and offers free, voluntary server training but does not require or issue an individual server card. Where a local ordinance applies, the city police chief approves the training programs — the Boise Police Department (approved-program list maintained by BPD and the City Clerk's Office) and the Meridian Police Department (Chief of Police, under Meridian City Code 3-7-2(B)) — and the certificate itself is issued by the approved private training provider (for example TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol, or Learn2Serve/360training).", "approved_provider_rule": "No statewide approval scheme, because the state does not require the card. Where a city requires it, the city police chief approves programs that must include an examination and cover enumerated responsible-service topics, and the server obtains the certificate from an approved provider. Boise: the Boise Police Department maintains the approved-program list — currently TIPS, SureSellNow, and A+ Server Education — and Boise City Code 3-3B-2 requires an exam covering seven topics. Meridian: the Chief of Police approves programs meeting the nine topics in Meridian City Code 3-7-2(B) — currently TIPS, Learn2Serve (360training), and ServSafe Alcohol, adopted by City of Meridian Resolution 24-2490. Free in-person sessions are also offered by ISP ABC and the Boise Police Department.", "cost_range": "No state or city fee for the card itself. Cost is set by the approved private training provider and varies (the City of Boise states costs vary by provider). The Boise Police Department and Idaho State Police periodically host free in-person approved server-training sessions.", "validity_years": "No statewide card. Boise: 3 years (City of Boise). Meridian: not specified by ordinance (set by the approved provider).", "county_exceptions": "Boise (complete within 60 days of employment; certification valid 3 years; Boise City Code Title 3, Chapter 3, Article B) and Meridian (complete within 30 days of employment; Meridian City Code 3-7-3) require alcohol server training by city ordinance. The Idaho State Police ABC advises that some other municipalities also require server training (such as TIPS) and directs servers to check with their local city or county, so additional local rules may apply.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Idaho Code Title 23 (Alcoholic Beverages) — state alcohol licensing and regulation framework administered by ISP ABC; contains no server-training/certification requirement\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title23/\"}, {\"citation\": \"Idaho State Police Alcohol Beverage Control FAQ — 'Idaho does not require alcohol servers to have any formal server training or certification'\", \"url\": \"https://isp.idaho.gov/abc/faq/\"}, {\"citation\": \"Boise City Code Title 3, Ch. 3, Art. B, section 3-3B-3 — Server Training Requirements (complete an approved program within 60 days of employment; 1952 Code § 5-07-03)\", \"url\": \"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/boise_id/latest/boise/0-0-0-1920\"}, {\"citation\": \"Meridian City Code sections 3-7-3 and 3-7-2(B) — waiters/bartenders must complete approved server training within 30 days; approved programs adopted by City of Meridian Resolution 24-2490\", \"url\": \"https://meridiancity.org/media/2pxluiia/24-2490-city-code-alcohol-server-training.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Idaho State Police Alcohol Beverage Control FAQ — state statement that no formal server training/certification is required; some municipalities require it\", \"url\": \"https://isp.idaho.gov/abc/faq/\"}, {\"label\": \"Idaho State Police Alcohol Beverage Control (division home / free voluntary training)\", \"url\": \"https://isp.idaho.gov/abc/\"}, {\"label\": \"Idaho Code Title 23 — Alcoholic Beverages (state statutory framework; no server-training chapter)\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title23/\"}, {\"label\": \"Boise City Code 3-3B-3 — Server Training Requirements (approved program within 60 days of employment; subsection (B) club-licensee rule: at least one trained supervising server of alcohol, employed or volunteer, on premises at all times; misdemeanor penalty; approved-training standard in 3-3B-2)\", \"url\": \"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/boise_id/latest/boise/0-0-0-1920\"}, {\"label\": \"Boise City Code 3-3B-1 — Definitions ('server of alcohol': serving or selling for consumption on a licensed premises as a requirement of his or her employment, and any person managing those employees)\", \"url\": \"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/boise_id/latest/boise/0-0-0-1903\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Boise — Server Training Information (must complete within 60 days; certification valid 3 years; approved providers TIPS, SureSellNow, A+ Server Education; costs vary by provider; free in-person sessions)\", \"url\": \"https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/city-clerk/licensing/food-and-alcohol-beverage/server-training-information/\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Meridian Resolution 24-2490 — Approved Alcohol Server Training Programs (cites MCC 3-7-3 30-day requirement and 3-7-2(B) nine-topic approval standard; approved programs TIPS, Learn2Serve/360training, ServSafe Alcohol)\", \"url\": \"https://meridiancity.org/media/2pxluiia/24-2490-city-code-alcohol-server-training.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/id-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "il-alcohol-server", "state": "Illinois", "certification": "BASSET Certification", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Alcohol servers and sellers must be BASSET certified within 120 days of beginning employment; certification lasts 3 years and is renewed only by retaking the class. The training program can issue no more than a 30-day temporary card -- the official 3-year BASSET card is issued by the ILCC itself.", "who_must_get": "Illinois requires alcohol servers and sellers to hold BASSET certification within 120 days of beginning employment -- a statewide duty since July 1, 2018, phased in by county population from 2015 (235 ILCS 5/6-27.1(a)). The statute defines \"alcohol servers\" as \"persons who sell or serve open containers of alcoholic beverages at retail, anyone who delivers mixed drinks under Section 6-28.8, and anyone whose job description entails the checking of identification for the purchase of open containers of alcoholic beverages at retail or for entry into the licensed premises.\" The ILCC states the duty in broader terms, in wording identical across its February 2025, November 2025, February 2026 and May 2026 BASSET Bulletins: \"If you are a server, seller, bartender or security personnel, you are required by law to be BASSET certified in order to work in any establishment that sells or serves alcohol.\" The administrative rules likewise provide for off-premises sellers, prescribing \"a minimum of three hours of classroom instruction for off-premises sellers and four hours for on-premises sellers and servers\" (77 Ill. Adm. Code 3500.160(a)). Off-premise retail staff -- liquor-, grocery- and convenience-store clerks -- are not among the statute's four exemptions; see the exemptions section, which sets out both the statutory text and the ILCC's guidance. Proof that a server has been trained must be available on reasonable request by State law enforcement officials. There is no limit on how many times a server may take the training; the certificate belongs to the server and may be transferred to a different employer, but never to another server. Certification lasts 3 years and there is no continuing-education renewal route -- per the ILCC's May 2026 BASSET Bulletin, \"BASSET certifications are only valid for 3 years. To renew, you'll have to take the class again.\"", "exemptions": "The statute lists four exemptions and no others. Three are written into the definition of \"alcohol servers\" at 235 ILCS 5/6-27.1(a), which \"does not include (i) a distributor or importing distributor conducting product sampling as authorized in Section 6-31 of this Act or a registered tasting representative, as provided in 11 Ill. Adm. Code 100.40, conducting a tasting, as defined in 11 Ill. Adm. Code 100.10; (ii) a volunteer serving alcoholic beverages at a charitable function; or (iii) an instructor engaged in training or educating on the proper technique for using a system that dispenses alcoholic beverages.\" The fourth is subsection (i) of the same Section: \"The provisions of this Section do not apply to a special event retailer.\"\n\nOff-premise sellers are not exempt. Liquor-store, grocery-store and convenience-store clerks appear nowhere among those four carve-outs. The ILCC's BASSET Bulletin masthead -- identical in the February 2025, November 2025, February 2026 and May 2026 editions -- states: \"If you are a server, seller, bartender or security personnel, you are required by law to be BASSET certified in order to work in any establishment that sells or serves alcohol.\" The administrative rules assume off-premise BASSET exists: 77 Ill. Adm. Code 3500.160(a) sets \"a minimum of three hours of classroom instruction for off-premises sellers,\" and 3500.160(f) requires each class roster to record \"whether the course was off-premises instruction only.\"\n\nOne tension, stated rather than resolved: the statutory definition of \"alcohol server\" is keyed to open containers of alcoholic beverages, which on its face does not reach a clerk who only rings up sealed packaged liquor; the ILCC's published guidance and its own administrative rules nevertheless direct sellers at any establishment that sells alcohol to certify, and a BASSET certificate \"shall be accepted as meeting the training requirements for all server license and permit laws and ordinances in the State\" (235 ILCS 5/6-27.1(f)), local ordinances being a common independent source of the duty. Both positions are reported here, each attributed to its source. Off-premise sellers are therefore not treated as exempt on this page.\n\nSources checked (no further exemption found): the statute (235 ILCS 5/6-27.1, full text); the administrative rule (77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 3500 in its entirety -- the word \"exempt\" does not appear anywhere in the Part, and its only \"Exceptions\" section, 3500.145, governs training programs asking the Executive Director for relief from Part 3500 requirements, not servers); the ILCC BASSET program page; and all six published BASSET Bulletins (February 2025 through May 2026). The unpaid-volunteer, temporary-establishment and non-food-handler exemptions belong to Illinois food handler training under IDPH and 410 ILCS 625 -- a food-safety rule. They have no application to BASSET.", "issuing_authority": "The Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) licenses the BASSET (Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training) programs that deliver the training, and the ILCC -- not the training program -- issues the official card. Under 77 Ill. Adm. Code 3500.160(f), within ten days after a course the BASSET licensee submits a roster to the Commission and \"[t]he Commission will then issue BASSET cards to those participants who successfully complete the course\"; the program itself \"may issue a temporary card,\" which is \"valid pending receipt of the card issued by the Commission but for no longer than 30 days after issuance of the temporary card.\" The ILCC states the same in its May 2026 BASSET Bulletin: \"Upon passing the course you will receive a 30-day temporary certificate from your training organization. Your official 3-year BASSET certificate will be sent via email by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC). Only the ILCC issues official BASSET certificates.\" Certificates are no longer mailed -- the ILCC emails the official certificate after the training organization uploads the class details in the ILCC Portal. Training organizations are licensed by the ILCC but, in the ILCC's own words, \"are NOT representatives of the ILCC.\" Students who completed BASSET training after February 2026 are assigned an ILCC-issued 5S-certificate number on the official certificate. A replacement card costs $15 (77 Ill. Adm. Code 3500.160(f)).", "approved_provider_rule": "Training modules and certificate program plans must be approved and licensed by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (235 ILCS 5/6-27.1(d)). Required classroom hours depend on the audience: 77 Ill. Adm. Code 3500.160(a) requires \"a minimum of three hours of classroom instruction for off-premises sellers and four hours for on-premises sellers and servers,\" while the statute's program-approval criteria state that a classroom course must be \"at least 4 hours, [] available in English and Spanish, and include[] a test\" (235 ILCS 5/6-27.1(d)(2)) -- so the four-hour figure is the on-premises standard, not a blanket rule for every BASSET class. Online or computer-based courses must be interactive, must ensure no content can be skipped, must carry audio for servers with a disability, and must include a test; every approved program must also provide 24/7 certificate verification for the Commission, State law enforcement and employers. A server may take an approved course from any ILCC-licensed BASSET program. The program submits the class roster to the ILCC within ten days, may issue only a temporary card valid for no more than 30 days, and the ILCC then issues the official 3-year card (77 Ill. Adm. Code 3500.160(f)). The ILCC publishes a BASSET Trainer Directory of licensed programs, and certificates are verified through BASSET Search on the ILCC Portal (ilccportal.illinois.gov/s/basset-search), which replaced the former \"BASSET Card Lookup\" when the ILCC Portal launched in February 2026.", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "None remain as separate rules — the requirement is statewide since July 1, 2018 (originally phased in by county population from 2015 to 2018). A certificate from a BASSET-licensed program satisfies the training requirement for all server license and permit laws and ordinances in the state.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"235 ILCS 5/6-27.1 (Liquor Control Act of 1934 — Responsible alcohol service server training)\", \"url\": \"https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=023500050K6-27.1\"}, {\"citation\": \"77 Ill. Adm. Code 3500 (Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training (BASSET) Programs)\", \"url\": \"https://witnessslips.ilga.gov/agencies/JCAR/EntirePart?titlepart=07703500\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Illinois Liquor Control Commission — BASSET program\", \"url\": \"https://ilcc.illinois.gov/divisions/education/programs/basset.html\"}, {\"label\": \"ILCC — BASSET Trainer Directory\", \"url\": \"https://ilcc.illinois.gov/divisions/education/programs/basset/basset-trainer-directory.html\"}, {\"label\": \"ILCC — BASSET Search (certificate verification, ILCC Portal)\", \"url\": \"https://ilccportal.illinois.gov/s/basset-search\"}, {\"label\": \"ILCC — BASSET Bulletin, May 2026 (Vol. 6)\", \"url\": \"https://ilcc.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/ilcc/divisions/basset---industry-education/basset-bulletin/BASSET%20Bulletin%20May%202026.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"ILCC — BASSET Bulletin, February 2026 (Vol. 5)\", \"url\": \"https://ilcc.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/ilcc/divisions/basset---industry-education/basset-bulletin/BASSET%20Bulletin%20February%202026.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"ILCC — BASSET Bulletins (archive)\", \"url\": \"https://ilcc.illinois.gov/media/basset-bulletins.html\"}, {\"label\": \"235 ILCS 5/6-27.1 — Responsible alcohol service server training\", \"url\": \"https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=023500050K6-27.1\"}, {\"label\": \"77 Ill. Adm. Code 3500 — BASSET Programs\", \"url\": \"https://witnessslips.ilga.gov/agencies/JCAR/EntirePart?titlepart=07703500\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/il-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "in-alcohol-server", "state": "Indiana", "certification": "Employee Permit", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "ATC Employee Permit required to dispense; certified server training within 120 days of hire and a refresher course every 3 years thereafter", "who_must_get": "Employees who dispense alcoholic beverages for an Indiana retailer permittee must hold an ATC Employee Permit; owners are exempt (Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(d)). The exemption covers a sole proprietor, partner, LLC member or stockholder of the corporation that owns the establishment; the duty covers package liquor store clerks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses, security staff, bouncers and managers. Ind. Code 7.1-5-6-3(a) is the requiring provision: it is unlawful “to act as a clerk in a package liquor store, or as a bartender, waiter, waitress, security, bouncer, or manager for a retailer permittee unless that person has applied for and been issued the appropriate permit” — a Class C infraction, rising to a Class B misdemeanor on a repeat within five years. Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(a) authorises the permit and also reaches an employee who serves wine at a farm winery and an employee of a licensed dealer who delivers beer, liquor, or wine. A bartender or other unrestricted permit holder must be at least 21. An 18-, 19-, or 20-year-old may instead hold a Restricted Employee Permit, on two conditions the statute states expressly: the person must first have successfully completed an alcohol server training program certified under Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5, and must work under the supervision of a person who is at least 21, is present at the restaurant or hotel, and has completed a certified server training program (Ind. Code 7.1-5-7-13(a)(3)). A restricted employee may serve alcoholic beverages in a dining area or family room of a restaurant or hotel; the same subdivision “does not allow a person at least eighteen (18) years of age but less than twenty-one (21) years of age to be a bartender,” and the ATC adds that a restricted employee may not serve in the bar room, may not mix drinks, and may not draw beer from a tap or spigot.\n\nOwners are exempt: under Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(d), a sole proprietor, a partner, a general or limited partner, a member of the limited liability company, or a stockholder of the corporation that owns the establishment is not required to obtain an employee's permit to do any of the acts the permit authorizes.\n\nWhile an application is pending, Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(c) allows a person to work without an employee's permit for 30 days from the date shown on a receipt for a cashier's check or money order made payable to the commission for that person's application — the 30 days run from that receipt, not from the day the application is filed.\n\nThe training duties are imposed by statute on the retailer or dealer permittee (the establishment), not directly on the server: Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-13(a) requires the permittee to ensure each alcohol server completes a certified server program no later than 120 days after being hired, and to require each alcohol server to attend a refresher course every three years after completing that program. Under 7.1-3-1.5-13(b) the permittee or a management representative must themselves complete a server or trainer program within 120 days and again every five years.\n\nPrior operating-while-intoxicated convictions can bar the permit: Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(f)–(h) bar issuance while a person is serving an OWI sentence (including probation or parole) and require denial where the applicant has three or more unrelated OWI convictions within the preceding ten years. Under 7.1-3-18-9(i) the commission must revoke a permit if the holder is convicted of a Class B misdemeanor for violating IC 7.1-5-10-15(a), or is convicted of operating while intoxicated after the permit was issued. That revocation is expressly conditional: 7.1-3-18-9(i) opens “Except as provided under section 9.5 of this chapter,” and Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9.5 lets a holder with no prior operating-while-intoxicated conviction who was at least 21 at the time of the offense keep the permit by giving the commission, within six months of sentencing, verification of a completed substance abuse treatment or education program from a provider certified by the division of mental health and addiction.\n\nThe people who must be trained are defined more broadly than the people who need the permit. Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-1 defines an “alcohol server” to include a manager, bartender, or waiter/waitress on a retailer permittee’s licensed premises; a manager or sales clerk on a dealer permittee’s premises; the proprietor or an employee of an art instruction studio under IC 7.1-5-8-4.6 that serves wine brought in by patrons; and — except for a current or retired law enforcement officer or a graduate of a reserve officer program approved by the Indiana law enforcement academy — a contractor or employee responsible for examining an individual’s identification to determine age, including controlling entry where entry is restricted to those at least 21.", "exemptions": "Owners are the standing exemption from the ATC Employee Permit: under Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(d), a sole proprietor, a partner, a general or limited partner, a member of the limited liability company, or a stockholder of the corporation that owns the establishment is not required to obtain an employee's permit to do any of the acts the permit authorizes. A new hire may also work without the permit for 30 days, measured from the date shown on a receipt for a cashier's check or money order made payable to the commission for that person's application (7.1-3-18-9(c)) — the window runs from that receipt date, not from filing. The training duty is the permittee's, not the server's: Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-13 places the certified-program and three-year-refresher obligations on the establishment (which must 'ensure' and 'require' them), so a server has no free-standing statutory training duty separate from the employer's. The age rules (21+ for an unrestricted permit; 18-20 for a Restricted Employee Permit limited to dining-room service) are eligibility conditions, not exemptions. Source: Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9; Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-13. Two further exemptions are express in the statute. Dining car and boat employees are outside the permit requirement entirely (Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(a)(3), “excepting dining car and boat employees”; Ind. Code 7.1-5-6-3(a), which “does not apply to dining car or boat employees”). And under Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.7-2 a person at least 18 may work as a waiter or waitress on a retailer permittee’s licensed premises “without having attended a server program or obtained a server certificate or employee permit” where the premises is a restaurant operated by an accredited hospitality management program primarily for educational purposes, the person is an enrolled student in that program at a state educational institution, is not paid for the work, and works under an instructor’s supervision — that section does not permit the person to work as a bartender. Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-13(a) opens “Except as provided in IC 7.1-3-1.7,” so the same students are outside the establishment’s server-training duty as well.", "issuing_authority": "Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission (ATC)", "approved_provider_rule": "The Employee Permit is applied for and issued directly by the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission through its online MyLicense system (Access Indiana / MyLicense.in.gov) — no private provider issues the permit. For the required certified server training, the ATC runs its own free online program and also approves server programs and certified trainers established by third parties that meet the statutory curriculum (minimum two hours; ID verification; refusing service to underage or intoxicated patrons; Indiana alcohol laws). Training can be completed inside the online permit application or afterward via the Education tab in MyLicense.", "cost_range": "Employee Permit: $45 for a 3-year term (or $15 if used only for volunteer service benefiting a nonprofit). Restricted Employee Permit (ages 18-20): $30 for two years or until age 21. The ATC's online certified server training program is free.", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "None. Alcohol server permitting is administered uniformly statewide by the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission; no Indiana county or city issues a separate local alcohol-server card.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9 — Employee's permit: authorizes an individual to act as a package-store clerk, bartender, waiter, waitress, or manager dispensing alcoholic beverages in a retail establishment\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-4-4.1-3 — Employee's permit fee: $45 (or $15 volunteer); three-year license term\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-13(a)(1) — retailer/dealer permittee must ensure each alcohol server completes a certified server program within 120 days after beginning employment\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-6 — Commission establishes and approves server programs; minimum two-hour curriculum on ID checks and responsible service\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(c) — a person may work without an employee's permit for 30 days from the date shown on a receipt for a cashier's check or money order payable to the commission for the permit application\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(d) — owner exemption: a sole proprietor, partner, LLC member, or stockholder of the corporation owning the establishment is not required to obtain an employee's permit\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9(f)–(i) — OWI-related eligibility bars, mandatory denial for three or more unrelated OWI convictions in ten years, and mandatory revocation on conviction\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-13(a)(2) — permittee must require each alcohol server to attend a refresher course every three years after completing the server program\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-13(b) — the permittee or a management representative must complete a server or trainer program within 120 days and every five years thereafter\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-5-6-3(a) — The requiring provision: unlawful to act as a package-store clerk, bartender, waiter, waitress, security, bouncer, or manager for a retailer permittee without the appropriate permit; does not apply to dining car or boat employees, to a person described in IC 7.1-3-1.7, or to an owner under IC 7.1-3-18-9(d)\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-5-7-12 and 7.1-5-7-13(a)(3) — minimum ages: 21 to bartend; an 18-to-20-year-old may serve in a dining area or family room only after a certified server program and under the supervision of a certified person at least 21 who is present\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9.5 — the express cure to the mandatory revocation in 7.1-3-18-9(i): a first-time OWI offender who was 21 or older keeps the permit by filing proof of a certified substance abuse treatment or education program within six months of sentencing\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.7-2 — unpaid hospitality-management students, 18+, exempt from both the employee permit and the server program\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Indiana ATC — Server Training Classes (official): certified server training required for the Employee Permit; must be completed within 120 days of hire; ATC online training is free\", \"url\": \"https://www.in.gov/atc/alcohol-permit-resources/alcohol-permit-information/server-training-classes/\"}, {\"label\": \"Indiana ATC / ISEP — Certified Server Training (official): free online program, two-hour curriculum, third-party trainer approval\", \"url\": \"https://www.in.gov/atc/isep/about-isep/certified-server-training/\"}, {\"label\": \"Indiana ATC / ISEP — Restricted Employee Permit Laws (official): 18-20 year-olds may hold a restricted permit to serve in a hotel/restaurant dining room, not bartend\", \"url\": \"https://www.in.gov/atc/isep/rules-and-laws/restricted-employee-permit-laws/\"}, {\"label\": \"IN.gov official FAQ — \\\"Do I need a permit to dispense alcoholic beverages if I am a clerk or waitperson?\\\": Employee Permit required; 21 to bartend; 18-20 with server training may serve in dining areas\", \"url\": \"https://faqs.in.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115005214688-Do-I-need-a-permit-to-dispense-alcoholic-beverages-if-I-am-a-clerk-or-waitperson\"}, {\"label\": \"Indiana ATC — Complete Fee Schedule (official PDF): Employee permit $45/3 years; Restricted employee permit $30/2 years or until 21; Volunteer permit $15/3 years\", \"url\": \"https://www.in.gov/atc/files/Complete-ATC-Fee-Schedule.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-18-9 (Employee's permit)\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-4-4.1-3 (Employee's permit fee, $45 / 3-year term)\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Ind. Code 7.1-3-1.5-13 (retailer/dealer permittee must ensure each alcohol server completes a certified server program within 120 days of hire)\", \"url\": \"https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_7.1.html\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/in-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ks-alcohol-server", "state": "Kansas", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "none", "mandate_detail": "No individual server card or state-recognized certification; duties fall on the licensed establishment", "who_must_get": "No one is required to hold a server or seller card in Kansas. Instead, Kansas law sets employee qualifications that the licensed establishment must enforce: to serve (bring drinks to tables) alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage in a club or drinking establishment an employee must be at least 18; to mix or dispense (open or pour) drinks an employee must be at least 21; an employee under 21 may work on premises only under the on-premises supervision of the licensee or an employee 21 or older. Retail liquor store employees must be at least 21; cereal malt beverage (beer) retailer employees must be at least 18 to make the sale. A licensee also may not employ, in serving/dispensing/mixing, anyone adjudged guilty of a felony (unless expunged) or of any crime involving a morals charge, in Kansas or any other state or the United States (K.S.A. 41-2610(b)), or anyone with disqualifying alcohol convictions (two or more \"furnishing to a minor\" offenses, or three or more other liquor-law violations, in the prior five years). Note: the ABC's own Employee Qualifications FAQ summarizes only the felony bar; the morals-charge bar is stated in the statute itself.", "exemptions": "There is no server or seller card in Kansas at any level of government, so no one needs an exemption from a credential. The lines Kansas law does draw are employee-qualification rules the licensed establishment must enforce, and they are hiring restrictions rather than credential exemptions: age floors (18 to serve alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage at tables in a club or drinking establishment; 21 to mix or dispense drinks; an employee under 21 may work only under the on-premises supervision of the licensee or an employee 21 or older; 21 for retail liquor store employees; 18 to make a cereal-malt-beverage sale) and disqualifications (no one adjudged guilty of a felony unless expunged, or of a crime involving a morals charge, may serve, dispense, or mix — K.S.A. 41-2610(b) — and repeat liquor-law offenders are barred: two or more furnishing-to-a-minor offenses, or three or more other liquor-law violations, in the prior five years). Source: K.S.A. 41-2610.", "issuing_authority": "Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), Topeka. ABC regulates alcohol sales and licenses establishments statewide, but it issues no individual server/seller card and certifies or approves no server-training program. Cities and counties license cereal malt beverage (beer) retailers, but that is the establishment's license, not an individual server credential.", "approved_provider_rule": "Kansas approves no server-training providers and recognizes no server certification. The only training the state offers is a free, optional educational visit from an ABC agent (covering identification verification, liquor-law compliance, and underage-drinking laws), requested by the licensee; it is not a certification and issues no card. Private \"Kansas alcohol seller-server\" courses sold online are commercial products, not state-approved or state-required credentials.", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "", "county_exceptions": "No statewide server-card mandate, and no Kansas county or city imposes an individual alcohol server/seller card. Context for the Kansas City metro: the server \"liquor card\" some workers recall was a Kansas City, Missouri municipal ordinance (repealed 2023) that never applied on the Kansas side of the state line.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"K.S.A. 41-2610 — Unlawful acts of licensee; employment restrictions (min. age 18 to serve, 21 to mix/dispense; felony, morals-charge, and alcohol-conviction employment bars; under-21 on-premises supervision)\", \"url\": \"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch41/041_026_0010.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Kansas Dept. of Revenue, Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control — Employee Qualifications (statewide employee age and criminal-history rules; no individual server/seller card)\", \"url\": \"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/abcemployeefaqs.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Kansas Dept. of Revenue, Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control — Licensee Training (optional ABC-agent educational visit; no mandated or state-certified server-training program)\", \"url\": \"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/abclicenseetraining.html\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Kansas ABC — Licensee Training (state offers only an optional ABC-agent educational visit; no mandated or state-certified server training)\", \"url\": \"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/abclicenseetraining.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Kansas ABC — Employee Qualifications FAQ (age limits: 18 to serve, 21 to mix/dispense/retail-sell, 18 CMB; felony/alcohol-conviction bars; no server card)\", \"url\": \"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/abcemployeefaqs.html\"}, {\"label\": \"K.S.A. 41-2610 — Unlawful acts of licensee; employment restrictions (the statute placing employee-qualification duties on the licensed establishment)\", \"url\": \"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch41/041_026_0010.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Kansas ABC — Handbooks and Industry Notices (per-license-type establishment handbooks; no individual server/seller card in any license type)\", \"url\": \"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/abchandbooks.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Kansas ABC — Home / General Information (Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Dept. of Revenue)\", \"url\": \"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/abcindex.html\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ks-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ky-alcohol-server", "state": "Kentucky", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "No statewide individual mandate; Danville, Lexington and Bowling Green require servers to complete STAR or an approved responsible-beverage-service program — within 30 days of hire in Danville and Bowling Green, and within 60 days in Lexington; Bowling Green exempts workers at special events held under an approved temporary alcoholic beverage license.", "who_must_get": "No Kentucky statute requires an individual to hold an alcohol server certification statewide — STAR is recommended, not mandatory. Several cities do require it of the individual: in Danville, Lexington-Fayette and Bowling Green, anyone who sells or serves alcoholic beverages must complete approved server training — within 30 days of employment in Danville and Bowling Green, and within 60 days in Lexington. Bowling Green defines \"server\" broadly: any person employed or working in any capacity — as an employee, volunteer help, or working proprietor — whose duties include the sale, dispensing, or service of alcohol or the management of the licensed premises (§4-8.08(a)), so bar managers, owners working the bar, and volunteers are all covered; however, a person working a special event held under an approved temporary alcoholic beverage license is exempt from Bowling Green's requirement entirely (§4-8.08(d)). Danville additionally requires each licensed premises to keep at least one currently certified person on duty whenever alcohol is served, and staff of a newly licensed Danville business get no 30-day window — all employees must be trained before the business opens (Sec. 2.5-141(b)). Bowling Green bars any premises from letting a server work beyond 30 days without a current server certification. Where no local rule applies, responsibility for lawful service rests with the licensed establishment and its ABC-licensed permit holder rather than the individual server.", "exemptions": "Bowling Green is the only mandate city with an express exemption: \"Any person working at a special event for which a temporary alcoholic beverage license has been approved shall not be required to comply with this Section\" (City Code §4-8.08(d)) — festival and special-event workers serving under such a temporary license do not need STAR or any server certification there. Danville's ordinance contains no exemption (the full alcoholic-beverages chapter, Sec. 2.5-141, was read from the city's own code compilation), and Lexington-Fayette's Sec. 3-28 contains no exemption subsections (the section ends at (e)(6)). Statewide, no exemption question arises because Kentucky imposes no individual server-training mandate in the first place — STAR is voluntary outside the three mandate cities.", "issuing_authority": "Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), in the Public Protection Cabinet, developed and administers the STAR program (Server Training in Alcohol Regulations); the electronic certificate is issued through the state ABC training portal (abcportal.ky.gov). Kentucky imposes no statewide issuing mandate — where local training rules apply, they are set and enforced by city ABC administrators (e.g., Danville, Lexington-Fayette and Bowling Green).", "approved_provider_rule": "Kentucky's STAR course is completed online through the state ABC training portal (abcportal.ky.gov), which issues the electronic certificate on completion. In cities that mandate training: Danville requires the KY ABC's STAR course specifically (Ordinance 1822); Lexington-Fayette accepts any responsible-beverage-service program the urban county ABC administrator approves as meeting the content requirements of City Code Section 3-28(e); Bowling Green accepts the KY ABC STAR course or another City-approved server-seller training program (City Code Section 4-8.08).", "cost_range": "$40 for the Kentucky ABC's official STAR course (plus a 2.75% card convenience fee or a $0.35 ACH fee), completed through the state ABC portal; the certificate is valid three years. Privately run ABC-approved responsible-beverage-service programs that some cities also accept are priced separately by each vendor.", "validity_years": "3 years — the Kentucky ABC's STAR certification is valid for three years, and the Danville and Bowling Green ordinances require recertification every three years. Kentucky issues no statewide alcohol server card.", "county_exceptions": "Local ordinances make server training a legal requirement for individuals in three Kentucky cities — Danville, Lexington-Fayette and Bowling Green — even though the state imposes none. (1) Danville — Ordinance No. 1822 (City Code Sec. 2.5-141) requires all persons employed in selling or serving alcohol to complete the KY ABC's STAR course within 30 days of employment, keep at least one certified person on duty whenever alcohol is served, and recertify every three years — except that when a new business is licensed to serve alcoholic beverages, all employees must be trained before the business opens (Sec. 2.5-141(b)). (2) Lexington-Fayette — City Code Section 3-28 (Beverage service training) requires any person who sells or serves alcoholic beverages to complete a responsible-beverage-service training program, approved by the urban county ABC administrator, within 60 days of employment. (3) Bowling Green — City Code Section 4-8.08 requires every server — defined to include employees, volunteer help, working proprietors, and anyone whose duties include managing the licensed premises (§4-8.08(a)) — to complete the KY ABC STAR course or another City-approved server-seller training program within 30 days of employment, bars any premises from letting a server work past 30 days without current certification, and requires recertification every three years; persons working a special event held under an approved temporary alcoholic beverage license are exempt (§4-8.08(d)).", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"KRS Chapter 244 — Alcoholic Beverages: Prohibitions, Restrictions, and Regulations (statewide ABC regulatory authority; contains no statewide individual server-training mandate). KRS 244.080 provides an affirmative defense in a prosecution for selling to a minor where the sale was induced by false, fraudulent, or altered identification papers and the purchaser's appearance and character strongly indicated legal age.\", \"url\": \"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/chapter.aspx?id=38405\"}, {\"citation\": \"Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control — STAR (Server Training in Alcohol Regulations): state-developed responsible-beverage-service certification, valid three years, $40 (plus 2.75% card or $0.35 ACH fee); accepted statewide but not required statewide.\", \"url\": \"https://abc.ky.gov/newstatic_Info.aspx?static_ID=265\"}, {\"citation\": \"City of Danville Ordinance No. 1822 (Danville City Code Sec. 2.5-141, Mandatory responsible beverage service training) — KY ABC STAR training required within 30 days for all who sell or serve alcohol; when a new business is licensed to serve alcoholic beverages, all employees must be trained before the business opens (Sec. 2.5-141(b)); at least one certified person on duty at all times; recertify every three years.\", \"url\": \"https://www.danvilleky.org/218/Server-Training\"}, {\"citation\": \"Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Code of Ordinances Section 3-28 (Beverage service training) — any person who sells or serves alcoholic beverages must complete a responsible-beverage-service training program approved by the urban county ABC administrator within 60 days of employment.\", \"url\": \"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/lexingtonfayettecoky/latest/lexingtonfayettecoky_code/0-0-0-3568\"}, {\"citation\": \"City of Bowling Green Code of Ordinances Section 4-8.08 (Mandatory Server Training) — every server must complete the KY ABC STAR course or another City-approved server-seller training program within 30 days of employment; no premises may let a server work past 30 days without current certification; recertify every three years. \\\"Server\\\" includes employees, volunteer help, working proprietors, and anyone managing the licensed premises (§4-8.08(a)); persons working a special event held under an approved temporary alcoholic beverage license are exempt (§4-8.08(d)).\", \"url\": \"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/bowlinggreen/latest/bowlinggreen_ky/0-0-0-55471\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Kentucky ABC — STAR (Server Training in Alcohol Regulations) program page: state-developed server certification, valid 3 years, $40 plus card/ACH fee; accepted statewide, not required statewide\", \"url\": \"https://abc.ky.gov/newstatic_Info.aspx?static_ID=265\"}, {\"label\": \"Kentucky ABC STAR training portal — online course registration; electronic certificate issued on completion\", \"url\": \"https://abcportal.ky.gov/StarTraining/\"}, {\"label\": \"KRS Chapter 244 (Alcoholic Beverages) — statewide ABC regulatory authority; no statewide individual server-training mandate\", \"url\": \"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/chapter.aspx?id=38405\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Danville — Server Training: Ordinance 1822 (Code Sec. 2.5-141) requires the KY ABC STAR course within 30 days; new businesses must train all employees before opening; one certified person on duty; recertify every 3 years\", \"url\": \"https://www.danvilleky.org/218/Server-Training\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Danville — Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2.5 Alcoholic Beverages (Dec. 2022 compilation PDF): Sec. 2.5-141 Mandatory responsible beverage service training — 30-day window; all employees of a newly licensed business trained before opening; recertification at least every 3 years\", \"url\": \"https://danvilleky.org/DocumentCenter/View/1031/CDO-Ch-25-12222-Ord-1997_202212051212034177\"}, {\"label\": \"KRS 244.080 — Retail sales to certain persons prohibited; affirmative defense in a prosecution for selling to a minor (sale induced by false, fraudulent, or altered identification; purchaser's appearance strongly indicated legal age)\", \"url\": \"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=55942\"}, {\"label\": \"Lexington-Fayette Code of Ordinances Sec. 3-28 (Beverage service training) — any person who sells or serves alcohol must complete an approved responsible-beverage-service program within 60 days of employment\", \"url\": \"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/lexingtonfayettecoky/latest/lexingtonfayettecoky_code/0-0-0-3568\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Bowling Green Code of Ordinances Sec. 4-8.08 (Mandatory Server Training) — every server (incl. volunteers, working proprietors, premises managers) must complete KY ABC STAR or a City-approved program within 30 days of hire; recertify every 3 years; special-event workers under an approved temporary license exempt (§4-8.08(d))\", \"url\": \"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/bowlinggreen/latest/bowlinggreen_ky/0-0-0-55471\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ky-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "la-alcohol-server", "state": "Louisiana", "certification": "Responsible Vendor Server Permit", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Required within 45 days of hire; certified servers also give the licensee a first-offense safe-harbor defense.", "who_must_get": "Every \"server\" — any employee of a Class \"A\"/\"B\" retail or Retail Dealer permit holder who is authorized to sell or serve alcoholic beverages (or tobacco/vapor products), or who deals with customers who buy or consume them — plus all security personnel, must complete an approved Responsible Vendor course and hold a server permit within 45 days of commencing employment. Temporary/casual banquet or catering staff of a bona fide hotel or motel are excluded. The minimum age to sell or serve alcohol is 18. The establishment itself separately holds its own retail alcohol permit and its Responsible Vendor certification.", "exemptions": "The statutory exclusion is for temporary or casual banquet and catering staff of a bona fide hotel or motel — they fall outside the Responsible Vendor Act's definition of 'server' (La. R.S. 26:932) and so outside the server-permit requirement entirely. Everyone else who fits the definition — employees of Class \"A\"/\"B\" retail or Retail Dealer permit holders authorized to sell or serve alcoholic beverages (or tobacco/vapor products), or who deal with customers who buy or consume them, plus security personnel — must hold the permit; the 45-day period after commencing employment (La. R.S. 26:934) is a compliance window for new hires, not an exemption. On the security side, La. R.S. 26:932(5) narrows the definition: \"'Security personnel' shall not include persons employed by hotels or motels which consist of sleeping rooms, cottages or cabins unless the person works primarily in an area on the licensed premises of a hotel or motel where the principal commodity sold is alcoholic beverages for consumption on the licensed premises\" -- so a hotel/motel lodging-area security worker falls outside 'security personnel' and needs no permit. Source: La. R.S. 26:932; La. R.S. 26:934.", "issuing_authority": "Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC); the Responsible Vendor Program is overseen by a nine-member program administrator committee, and training is delivered by ATC-approved providers.", "approved_provider_rule": "Training must be taken from an \"approved provider\" — an individual or company approved by the nine-member Responsible Vendor program administrator committee and the commissioner to give server-training courses (R.S. 26:932(1), 26:933). ATC publishes the current Responsible Vendor Provider List. ATC's Responsible Vendor Handbook (2021 edition, still published and linked from the program page) says the RV card is available on the ATC website 7-10 days after the course and can be printed there. As of September 2, 2026 the ATC Responsible Vendor Information page states that online printing of RV permits is 'currently unavailable' and directs servers to request a copy by public records request or by emailing ATC with their full name as given to the provider, date of birth, and the last four digits of their social security number; requests missing any of that, or sent to ATC's complaint line, are rejected or delayed. The print address the handbook names now redirects to the ATC home page.", "cost_range": "The server training-course fee is set by the approved provider but is capped at $25 per course by regulation (LAC 55:VII.509(G)); the enabling statute sets a higher $50 ceiling (R.S. 26:936(B)); a replacement permit costs $5 (LAC 55:VII-507). Separately, each licensed establishment pays a $50 annual Responsible Vendor program fee.", "validity_years": "4", "county_exceptions": "The Responsible Vendor bar card is a single statewide credential valid with any Louisiana vendor (R.S. 26:933(B)(3)). Parishes and municipalities set their own local alcohol ordinances (hours, zoning, local occupational licenses) but do not issue a separate server card.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"La. R.S. 26:934 — Requirements for certification (server permit within 45 days of employment; permits valid for four years)\", \"url\": \"https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=84869\"}, {\"citation\": \"La. R.S. 26:932 — Definitions (\\\"server,\\\" \\\"server permit,\\\" \\\"approved provider\\\")\", \"url\": \"https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=84867\"}, {\"citation\": \"La. R.S. 26:935 — Server liability; suspension/revocation of server permit; vendor's safe-harbor defenses\", \"url\": \"https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=84870\"}, {\"citation\": \"La. R.S. 26:936 — Fees (per-establishment fee and per-course fee each capped at $50)\", \"url\": \"https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=84871\"}, {\"citation\": \"La. Admin. Code tit. 55, Pt VII, Section 507 — Servers and Security Personnel (four-year validity; $5 replacement fee; permit available on premises for inspection)\", \"url\": \"https://www.doa.la.gov/media/4hphiwka/55v1-17.docx\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-09-02", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Louisiana ATC — Responsible Vendor Information (official program page)\", \"url\": \"https://atc.louisiana.gov/responsible-vendors/responsible-vendor-information/\"}, {\"label\": \"Louisiana ATC — Responsible Vendor Handbook, 2021 edition (official PDF: server responsibilities, 45-day rule, 4-year validity, $50 fee)\", \"url\": \"https://atc.louisiana.gov/media/gywp32vv/rv-handbook-2021_a11y.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Louisiana ATC — Responsible Vendor Provider List (approved providers, official PDF)\", \"url\": \"https://atc.louisiana.gov/media/5e4bsyim/rv-list-6-23-26.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"La. R.S. 26:934 — Requirements for certification (45-day server permit; 4-year validity)\", \"url\": \"https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=84869\"}, {\"label\": \"La. Admin. Code tit. 55, Pt VII, Section 507 — Servers and Security Personnel\", \"url\": \"https://www.doa.la.gov/media/4hphiwka/55v1-17.docx\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/la-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ma-alcohol-server", "state": "Massachusetts", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Massachusetts has no statewide individual alcohol server/seller card, but at least two cities require one by local rule: servers, sellers, and ID-checkers — and, in Somerville, security staff — employed in Somerville and Worcester must complete an approved alcohol server training program within a set number of days of hire, except that in Worcester persons serving under a one-day special license must be server trained before serving any alcohol. Elsewhere in the state there is no individual mandate and legal responsibility rests with the licensed establishment.", "who_must_get": "There is no statewide alcohol server card, so most Massachusetts servers and sellers are not required by state law to hold one. A person who directly handles or sells alcohol must be at least 18 years old (M.G.L. c. 138 §34). However, individual servers, sellers, ID-checkers, and (in Somerville) security staff employed in certain cities must hold an approved training certificate under local licensing-authority rules — for example, Somerville (within 60 days of hire) and Worcester (within 30 calendar days of employment, except that persons serving under the authority of a one-day special license must be server trained before serving any alcoholic beverages — they get no 30-day window). In Somerville, the owner or manager of the licensee must additionally attend an initial training course with the Somerville Cares Prevention Program (SCAP) within 30 days of each issuance or renewal of the alcohol license (Rules & Regulations §1.19(a)) — a separate duty on top of the §1.19(b) employee training. Statewide, many employers and liquor-liability insurers also require TIPS or ServSafe Alcohol in practice, but outside the cities that mandate it, no statute compels an individual server or seller to be certified.", "exemptions": "Outside Somerville and Worcester there is nothing to be exempt from: Massachusetts imposes no statewide individual server-certification mandate (M.G.L. c. 138 §§12, 15, and 34 contain no training or certification language), so no server card is required by state law anywhere else in the Commonwealth. Within the two mandating cities, no exemption from the training requirement appears in the sources checked: the full text of Worcester License Commission Rule 28 (adopted 8/15/2019, the version the city serves today), the full Somerville Licensing Commission Rules & Regulations (March 2025 edition), and M.G.L. c. 138 §§12, 15, and 34. Worcester's Rule 28(a) instead contains the reverse of a grace period: its 30-day certification window does not extend to persons serving under the authority of a one-day special license, who \"shall be server trained prior to serving any alcoholic beverages\" — common for festivals and fundraisers.", "issuing_authority": "No Massachusetts state agency issues an individual server credential. The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC), an agency under the Massachusetts State Treasury, provides uniform control over the sale of alcoholic beverages and, together with each city or town's local licensing authority, licenses establishments (on-premises under M.G.L. c. 138 §12; retail/off-premises under §15) — not individual servers or sellers — and does not issue or approve an individual server certification. Where a city requires server training, the local licensing authority (for example, the Somerville Licensing Commission or the Worcester License Commission) sets the requirement and approves acceptable programs, but the completion certificate itself is issued by the private training provider (TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol, 21 Proof), not by a government body.", "approved_provider_rule": "Massachusetts maintains no statewide approved-provider list and issues no server card, because the state does not require or recognize an individual server certification. Where a city mandates training, the local licensing authority defines what is acceptable: Somerville requires 21 Proof, TIPS, ServSafe, or equivalent training \"approved by the Commission\"; Worcester requires an in-class/live program — online courses have not been accepted since September 1, 2019 — and publishes a non-exclusive informational list of local in-class/live programs while stating that the City does not endorse or support any specific program. In every case the completion certificate is issued by the private training provider, not by a Massachusetts state agency.", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "", "county_exceptions": "At least two Massachusetts cities require individual servers to be certified. Somerville Licensing Commission Rules & Regulations §1.19 (March 2025) imposes two distinct duties: under §1.19(a), upon each issuance or renewal of an alcohol license the owner or manager of the licensee must attend an initial training course with the Somerville Cares Prevention Program (SCAP), completed within 30 days of the issuance or renewal; and under §1.19(b), all agents and employees who sell or serve alcohol, check identification, or provide security must have successfully completed 21 Proof, TIPS, ServSafe, or equivalent training approved by the Commission within 60 days of hire. Worcester License Commission Rule 28 requires managers and all persons involved in selling or serving alcohol or checking identification to be certified within 30 calendar days of employment — except that persons serving under the authority of a one-day special license must be server trained before serving any alcoholic beverages — accepts only in-class/live programs (online courses barred since September 1, 2019; the City publishes a non-exclusive list of local programs and does not endorse or support any specific program), and requires re-certification every three years. Other municipalities may impose similar local rules; always check the establishment's local licensing authority.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"M.G.L. c. 138, § 34 — sale/delivery of alcohol to persons under 21; permits employment of persons 18 or older for the direct handling or selling of alcohol; contains no server-training or certification requirement\", \"url\": \"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter138/Section34\"}, {\"citation\": \"M.G.L. c. 138, § 12 — on-premises alcoholic-beverages licenses (restaurants, hotels, clubs, etc.) issued to establishments\", \"url\": \"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter138/Section12\"}, {\"citation\": \"M.G.L. c. 138, § 15 — retail/off-premises (package store) licenses granted by local licensing authorities\", \"url\": \"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter138/Section15\"}, {\"citation\": \"Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) — state agency for uniform control of alcohol sales; licenses establishments, not individual servers\", \"url\": \"https://www.mass.gov/orgs/alcoholic-beverages-control-commission\"}, {\"citation\": \"Worcester License Commission Rule 28 (Alcohol Server Training) — managers and all persons involved in the sales/serving of alcohol or checking identification shall be certified within 30 calendar days of employment, except that persons serving under the authority of a one-day special license shall be server trained prior to serving any alcoholic beverages; in-class/live programs only since Sept. 1, 2019; re-certification every 3 years\", \"url\": \"https://www.worcesterma.gov/inspections/document-center/server-training-rules.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"Somerville Licensing Commission Rules & Regulations §1.19 (March 2025) — (a) upon issuance or renewal of an alcohol license, the owner or manager of the licensee shall attend an initial training course with the Somerville Cares Prevention Program (SCAP), completed within 30 days of the issuance or renewal; (b) all agents/employees who sell or serve alcohol, check ID, or provide security shall have completed 21 Proof, TIPS, ServSafe, or equivalent training approved by the Commission within 60 days of hire\", \"url\": \"https://s3.amazonaws.com/somervillema-live/s3fs-public/licensing-commission-rules-and-regulations.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Worcester License Commission Rule 28 (Alcohol Server Training) — all persons involved in selling/serving alcohol or checking ID must be certified within 30 days of employment; one-day special license servers must be trained before serving; in-class only; re-cert every 3 years (worcesterma.gov)\", \"url\": \"https://www.worcesterma.gov/inspections/document-center/server-training-rules.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Somerville Licensing Commission Rules & Regulations §1.19, March 2025 — (a) owner/manager SCAP initial training within 30 days of each license issuance/renewal; (b) all agents/employees who sell or serve alcohol, check ID, or provide security must complete Commission-approved training within 60 days of hire\", \"url\": \"https://s3.amazonaws.com/somervillema-live/s3fs-public/licensing-commission-rules-and-regulations.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"M.G.L. c. 138 §34 — servers/sellers must be 18 or older; no statewide server-training or certification requirement (Massachusetts Legislature)\", \"url\": \"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter138/Section34\"}, {\"label\": \"M.G.L. c. 138 §12 — on-premises establishment liquor licenses\", \"url\": \"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter138/Section12\"}, {\"label\": \"M.G.L. c. 138 §15 — retail/off-premises establishment liquor licenses via local licensing authorities\", \"url\": \"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter138/Section15\"}, {\"label\": \"Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission — agency role (uniform control of alcohol sales); licenses establishments, issues no individual server certification\", \"url\": \"https://www.mass.gov/orgs/alcoholic-beverages-control-commission\"}, {\"label\": \"Boston Licensing Board — Liquor License FAQ; requires only that the manager of record be familiar with ABCC/Board rules, not that individual servers hold a card\", \"url\": \"https://www.boston.gov/departments/licensing-board/liquor-license-frequently-asked-questions\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ma-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "md-alcohol-server", "state": "Maryland", "certification": "Alcohol Awareness Program Certificate", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "State requires the licensee or one designated employee per establishment to be certified, not every individual server; temporary licenses and Class E (water vessel), Class F (railroad), and Class G (airplane) on-sale licenses are exempt from the requirement entirely (§4-505(b)(2)).", "who_must_get": "Under Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505(e), a holder of a retail alcoholic beverages license, or an employee designated by the holder, must complete training in an approved alcohol awareness program; each retail establishment must maintain at least one currently certified licensee or designated employee. Not every license class is covered: §4-505(b)(2) provides that the section does not apply to a temporary license, a Class E (on-sale) water vessel license, a Class F (on-sale) railroad license, or a Class G (on-sale) airplane license — so temporary-license events and vessel, railroad, and airplane licensees have no §4-505 certification duty. Maryland does not require every individual server or bartender statewide to personally hold the card, though employers commonly require it. Certificates are valid four years and must be renewed each successive four-year period, and must be presented to the proper authority on request. Local Boards of License Commissioners enforce the requirement, with a $100 fine for a first offense and a fine up to $500 or suspension or revocation of the license for later offenses.", "exemptions": "Under §4-505(b)(2), the entire section — including the subsection (e) certification requirement and the subsection (h) penalties — \"does not apply to: (i) a temporary license; (ii) a Class E (on–sale) water vessel license; (iii) a Class F (on–sale) railroad license; or (iv) a Class G (on–sale) airplane license.\" A nonprofit or event organizer operating under a Maryland temporary license therefore has no state alcohol awareness certification obligation, and neither do water vessel, railroad, or airplane on-sale licensees. Separately, the statewide rule reaches only the licensee or one designated employee per establishment — an ordinary individual server or bartender who is not the designee is not required by state law to hold the certificate (county boards may layer on presence or coverage rules; see the county and city exception details on this page). Note the reverse edge: §4-505(b)(1)(iii) extends the section to certain establishments not licensed to sell alcoholic beverages in jurisdictions that require certification, so unlicensed venues are not automatically outside it. No other statewide exemptions found. Sources checked: §4-505 full text (mgaleg.maryland.gov), COMAR 14.23.01.15, and the ATCC alcohol awareness program permit pages.", "issuing_authority": "The Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission (ATCC) — through its Executive Director — approves and certifies alcohol awareness programs and issues each program an alcohol awareness program permit (and issues instructors an alcohol awareness instructor's permit). The certificate of completion itself is issued to the individual by the ATCC-approved alcohol awareness program provider, not by the state. Enforcement is carried out by each county's local Board of License Commissioners (the local liquor board).", "approved_provider_rule": "Under Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505(c)-(d), the ATCC Executive Director approves, certifies, and issues an alcohol awareness program permit to each qualifying program, and every instructor must hold an alcohol awareness instructor's permit; COMAR 14.23.01.15 sets the program and certificate standards (including the 4-year validation period). The completion certificate is issued by the ATCC-approved provider. Get it from any provider on the ATCC's approved list — which includes 360training, StateFoodSafety, TAP Series, Professional Server Certificate Corp, ID Training LLC, Moroney Services, C.A.R.R.O.L.L. C.A.R.E.S., and the Frederick County Board of License Commissioners — or from a county-run session such as Prince George's County's BOLC classes.", "cost_range": "No statewide statutory fee or cap; the certificate price is set by the approved provider. Officially documented options: the Prince George's County Board of License Commissioners' in-person state-certified session is $75 per person; Montgomery County ABS offers free ALERT training, which complements but does not replace the state-certified course. Private state-approved online providers set their own fees.", "validity_years": "4", "county_exceptions": "Alcohol licensing is administered county-by-county through local Boards of License Commissioners, and requirements go further in some jurisdictions. Establishments in Montgomery, Harford, and Howard Counties must have a certified license-holder or a certified person employed in a supervisory capacity present during the hours alcohol may be sold; Montgomery County ABS also offers free ALERT training that supplements, but does not replace, the state-certified course. In Prince George's County, Board of License Commissioners Rule and Regulation No. 83 requires the licensee, or a person employed at a licensed premises, to be alcohol awareness certified, and the Board runs its own state-certified sessions at $75 per person. Some county Boards of License Commissioners have held ATCC alcohol awareness program permits of their own, but their statuses differ in the ATCC's permit database (as displayed July 2026): Frederick County's Board is listed with an issued program permit, Carroll County's shows 'Pending Renewal' (its prior term closed October 31, 2024), and Washington County's permit closed October 31, 2023 and is listed as 'Closed' — Washington County licensees should use another ATCC-approved provider.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"MD Code, Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505 (approved alcohol awareness program; a holder of a retail alcoholic beverages license or a designated employee must be certified; per §4-505(b)(2) the section does not apply to a temporary license or to Class E (water vessel), Class F (railroad), or Class G (airplane) on-sale licenses; certificate of completion valid 4 years from issuance with retraining each successive 4-year period; ATCC Executive Director approves/certifies programs and issues program permits; local licensing boards enforce; $100 first-offense / up to $500 or suspension/revocation subsequent penalties)\", \"url\": \"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gab§ion=4-505&enactments=false\"}, {\"citation\": \"COMAR 14.23.01.15 — Alcohol Awareness Program and Training (programs maintained in conformance with Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505; alcohol awareness program permit and instructor's permit; certificate content and 4-year validation period; 3-hour minimum instruction)\", \"url\": \"https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/14.23.01.15\"}, {\"citation\": \"MD Code, Alcoholic Beverages Article §2-158 (alcohol awareness program permit; subsection (b): the permit 'authorizes the holder to conduct an alcohol awareness program as certified by the Executive Director under §4-505 of this article' — establishing §4-505, not the parallel §3-504, as the operative certification section; permit fee $15)\", \"url\": \"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gab§ion=2-158&enactments=false\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"MD Alcoholic Beverages Article §4-505 — operative statewide statute (a holder of a retail alcoholic beverages license or a designated employee must complete an approved alcohol awareness program; temporary and Class E/F/G licenses exempt under §4-505(b)(2); 4-year certificate of completion; ATCC-issued program permits; penalties)\", \"url\": \"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gab§ion=4-505&enactments=false\"}, {\"label\": \"MD Alcoholic Beverages Article §2-158 — alcohol awareness program permit (subsection (b) certifies the program 'under §4-505 of this article'; $15 permit fee)\", \"url\": \"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gab§ion=2-158&enactments=false\"}, {\"label\": \"COMAR 14.23.01.15 — Alcohol Awareness Program and Training (conformance with §4-505; 4-year validation period; provider and instructor permits; certificate contents)\", \"url\": \"https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/14.23.01.15\"}, {\"label\": \"Maryland ATCC — Alcohol Awareness Program Permit list (state-approved providers with permit numbers and statuses; Frederick County BOLC listed as issued, Carroll County pending renewal, Washington County closed October 2023)\", \"url\": \"https://atcc.maryland.gov/account_type/alcohol-awareness-program-permit/\"}, {\"label\": \"Montgomery County ABS — Training (certified licensee/supervisory designee must be present during alcohol sale hours in Montgomery, Harford, and Howard Counties; free ALERT complements the state-certified course)\", \"url\": \"https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/alcohol-beverage-services/education-community-outreach-office/abs-training\"}, {\"label\": \"Prince George's County Board of License Commissioners — Alcohol Awareness Training flyer (state-approved vendors; 4-year certificate; $75 in-person county session)\", \"url\": \"https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/sites/default/files/media-document/Alcohol%20Awareness%20Training%20Flyer_0.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Prince George's County Board of License Commissioners — Rule and Regulation Book, R.R. No. 83 (Alcohol Awareness): 'Pursuant to Section 4-505 ... the licensee(s) of, or a person employed at, a licensed premises must be alcohol awareness certified.'\", \"url\": \"https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/37445/Rule-and-Regulation-Book\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/md-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "me-alcohol-server", "state": "Maine", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "State-approved certification; course attendance is admissible defense evidence; City of Bangor mandates it locally", "who_must_get": "No Maine statute requires an individual server or seller to hold the certificate statewide; the duty to serve responsibly rests on the licensed establishment. Servers and employers pursue certification because Title 28-A section 2515 makes proof that a server attended an approved server education course admissible as evidence that the server was not negligent or reckless in a Maine Liquor Liability Act suit, so many employers require it. Exception: in the City of Bangor, every individual who serves alcohol under an on-premises liquor license must complete a certified server training program within 90 days of starting employment.", "exemptions": "Statewide there is no individual credential to be exempt from — no Maine statute requires any alcohol server or seller to hold the certificate, so exemption questions arise only under the City of Bangor's local mandate, whose own scope lines define who sits outside it. Bangor Code § 61-29 reaches only individuals who serve alcoholic beverages \"pursuant to a liquor license that allows the service of alcohol for consumption on the premises\" — employees who only sell alcohol for off-premises consumption (store sales) are outside the training requirement entirely, as is anyone who does not serve under a licensee at all. New hires are not required to train before a first shift: § 61-29 allows completion within 90 days of the commencement of employment with a licensee. Caterers are not exempt — § 61-30 expressly contemplates caterers, requiring their training records to be kept at the caterer's principal place of business rather than on the licensed premises. The article (§§ 61-29 to 61-31, Ord. No. 18-150) contains no other carve-outs — no owner, manager, seasonal-staff, or volunteer exemption appears in the ordinance text — and the sanction for noncompliance runs against the liquor license itself: failure to meet § 61-29 may result in denial of a liquor license under 28-A M.R.S.A. § 653(2)(G). Source: City of Bangor Code of Ordinances ch. 61, art. IV.", "issuing_authority": "Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations (BABLO), within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services. BABLO approves the courses and runs its own B.A.S.I.C. course and online Seller Server Training; the completion certificate is issued by whichever BABLO-certified provider delivers the course.", "approved_provider_rule": "The BABLO director (or designee) approves alcohol server education courses for two-year terms against criteria set by the Server Education Advisory Committee (Title 28-A section 2519); providers may request renewal by submitting current course material at least 60 days before expiration. A person earns the certificate by completing an approved course and passing its evaluation. BABLO's current certified seller/server training programs are: BABLO's own in-person B.A.S.I.C. 4-hour Alcohol Seller/Server Informational Course with ID Training ($28 per attendee), BABLO's online Seller Server Training, the Maine CDC / Maine Prevention Network's Responsible Beverage Server and Seller Training, ServSafe (through HospitalityMaine), Rserving, T.I.P.S., Learn2Serve's Maine On-Premises Alcohol Seller-Server course (360training), and Ready Training Online's (RTO) Maine Alcohol Sales Off Premises course.", "cost_range": "$28 per participant for BABLO's own B.A.S.I.C. Alcohol Seller/Server course; Title 28-A section 2519(5) sets the bureau course fee at $28. Other BABLO-certified providers (Maine CDC, ServSafe, Rserving, T.I.P.S., Learn2Serve/360training, RTO) set their own prices.", "validity_years": "", "county_exceptions": "City of Bangor — Code of Ordinances Chapter 61 (Alcohol and Entertainment), Article IV (sections 61-29 to 61-31; Ordinance No. 18-150, adopted April 9, 2018): every individual who serves alcohol under an on-premises liquor license must complete a state-certified server training program (by September 1, 2018, or within 90 days of hire thereafter), and the licensee must keep written records of completed training and produce them on request.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 28-A, section 2515 — Evidence of responsible serving practices (attendance at an approved server education course is admissible to show the server was not negligent or reckless)\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/28-A/title28-Asec2515.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 28-A, section 2519 — Approval of alcohol server education courses (2-year course approval; $28 bureau course fee)\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/28-A/title28-Asec2519.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"City of Bangor, Maine, Code of Ordinances ch. 61, art. IV, sections 61-29 to 61-31 (Ord. 18-150)\", \"url\": \"https://ecode360.com/33232233\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"BABLO Alcohol Education — current certified seller/server training programs (B.A.S.I.C. $28, Maine CDC, ServSafe, Rserving, T.I.P.S., Learn2Serve, RTO)\", \"url\": \"https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bablo/education\"}, {\"label\": \"Title 28-A section 2515 — safe-harbor / admissible-evidence provision\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/28-A/title28-Asec2515.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Title 28-A section 2519 — course approval and $28 fee\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/28-A/title28-Asec2519.html\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Bangor Code ch. 61 art. IV — local on-premises server-training mandate\", \"url\": \"https://ecode360.com/33232233\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/me-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "mi-alcohol-server", "state": "Michigan", "certification": "Server Training Certification", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "No statewide law requires an ordinary adult server or bartender to personally hold a card, but Michigan law does put a personal training duty on specific people: an individual aged 17 who sells or serves alcohol for an on-premises licensee (MCL 436.1707(7)), any employee of a retailer, brewpub, or micro brewer who provides service to the consumer when delivering alcohol off the licensed premises (MCL 436.1203(12)(c) and (14)(c)), and any employee of a licensee with a Catering Permit who delivers and serves alcohol at a private event (MLCC). At the establishment level, the MLCC states that on-premises licensees must have server-trained supervisory personnel present on every shift during all hours alcohol is served — MCL 436.1906(10) itself states that duty for licensees whose license was issued, or more than a 50% interest transferred, on or after the commencement of the mandatory server training program, or licensees the commission determines need training — and MCL 436.1501(1) conditions new on-premises licenses and 50%+ transfers on the same proof. Because the state approves the training programs and recognizes the resulting certification, employers have staff complete it in practice.", "who_must_get": "Start with who has a personal duty. Michigan law requires these individuals to successfully complete an approved server training program: (1) any individual aged 17 who sells or serves alcoholic liquor for an on-premises licensee — permitted only if the individual has completed a server training program under section 906 and supervisory personnel aged 18 or older are on duty during the individual's shift (MCL 436.1707(7)); (2) any employee of a retailer, brewpub, or micro brewer who intends to provide service to consumers when delivering beer, wine, or mixed spirit drink at a location off the licensed premises (MCL 436.1203(12)(c)); (3) any employee of a retailer who intends to provide service to consumers when delivering spirits off the premises (MCL 436.1203(14)(c)); and (4) any employee of a licensee with a Catering Permit who will deliver and serve alcoholic beverages purchased from the licensee at a private event (MLCC, \"Private Events, Bartending Services and Food Trucks\"). Outside those four groups, no individual server or seller is required by statewide law to personally obtain a card. Beyond the personal duties, the training requirement falls on on-premises licensees (on-premises retailers and manufacturers with tasting rooms): a new on-premises license, or a transfer of more than a 50% interest, is not issued unless the applicant proves that, at a minimum, supervisory personnel present on each shift and during all hours alcohol is served have completed an approved server training program (the commission may allow at least 180 days to comply, and may waive the requirement for operators with responsible operating experience) (MCL 436.1501(1)). As a continuing matter, two official framings differ in scope and both are given here: the MLCC states the duty broadly — the licensee must keep active, unexpired server-trained supervisory personnel on every shift (MLCC FAQ and form LC-1866) — while MCL 436.1906(10) states it for an on-premises licensee whose license was issued, or who was the transferee of more than a 50% interest, on or after the commencement of the mandatory server training program, or a licensee the commission determines to be in need of training due to the frequency or types of violations. Off-premises licensees (stores, gas stations, and similar) must maintain proof of server training only when specifically ordered by the commission (Mich. Admin. Code R 436.1533(10)) — but an off-premises licensee's delivery employees who provide service still need training under MCL 436.1203 regardless of any commission order. A separate, voluntary \"responsible vendor\" designation requires the licensee to make training available to all employees within 60 days of hire.", "exemptions": "Ordinary adult (18+) bartenders and servers working on the licensed premises need no personal statewide card or training: the MLCC states that \"in Michigan bartenders and servers do not need a license to serve alcoholic beverages at a bar, restaurant, hotel, manufacturer's tasting room, or other licensed business that sells alcoholic beverages.\" That default does not cover four groups who owe a personal training duty — 17-year-old servers at on-premises licensees (MCL 436.1707(7)); employees who provide service when delivering beer, wine, or mixed spirit drink off the premises (MCL 436.1203(12)(c)); employees who provide service when delivering spirits off the premises (MCL 436.1203(14)(c)); and employees of Catering Permit licensees who deliver and serve at private events (MLCC) — nor the supervisory personnel an on-premises licensee designates to satisfy MCL 436.1906(10) and R 436.1060(6). No exemptions from those personal duties were found. Sources checked: MCL 436.1707, 436.1203, 436.1501, and 436.1906; Mich. Admin. Code R 436.1060 and R 436.1533; the MLCC Server Training Requirements FAQ; and the MLCC private-events page.", "issuing_authority": "Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC), a bureau of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Under MCL 436.1906 the MLCC approves the server training programs and appoints their sponsors as \"administrators\"; the MLCC-approved administrator (a private training provider) issues the individual's server training certification card, which the commission recognizes.", "approved_provider_rule": "Training may be delivered only by an administrator authorized by the MLCC under MCL 436.1906. A sponsor applies to the commission, which approves the program's curriculum and appoints the sponsor as an administrator; the administrator then delivers the commission-approved curriculum, administers an examination with a minimum passing grade of 70%, and issues the certification card. The MLCC publishes the current roster of approved server training programs (for example TAM, TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol, Learn2Serve, and Rserving) on its Server Training Requirements page. Off-premises courses must be separately approved for off-premises sales.", "cost_range": "Michigan sets no statutory fee or cap for the certification, and the MLCC charges nothing for the LC-1866 proof-of-training filing. The training itself is delivered by private MLCC-approved administrators, each of which sets its own course price.", "validity_years": "Up to 3 years — certification issued by an approved program's administrator expires not more than 3 years from the date of issuance (Mich. Admin. Code R 436.1060(5)), so a program may issue for a shorter term.", "county_exceptions": "None identified. Alcohol licensing and server training are administered statewide by the MLCC; no Michigan county or city operates its own separate alcohol-server card program.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"MCL 436.1906 (Michigan Liquor Control Code of 1998, Act 58 of 1998) - server training program; §906(10) requires an on-premises licensee \\\"whose license was issued or who was the transferee of more than a 50% interest in an on premises license on or after the commencement of the mandatory server training program\\\" — or one \\\"determined by the commission to be in need of training\\\" due to violations — to have server-trained supervisory personnel employed or present on each shift during all hours alcohol is served (the MLCC's FAQ and form LC-1866 state the supervisory-personnel duty broadly, without the statute's scoping clause; both framings are reported); §906(1)(e)/(8) frame the training as offered to the retail licensee for its employees\", \"url\": \"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-436-1906\"}, {\"citation\": \"MCL 436.1707(7) - an on-premises licensee may allow an individual who is 17 years of age to sell or serve alcoholic liquor only if (a) the individual has completed a server training program as provided for in section 906 and (b) supervisory personnel aged 18 or older are on duty during the individual's shift\", \"url\": \"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-436-1707\"}, {\"citation\": \"MCL 436.1203(12)(c) and (14)(c) - if a retailer, brewpub, or micro brewer or its employee intends to provide service to consumers when delivering beer, wine, or mixed spirit drink off the licensed premises ((12)(c)), or a retailer or its employee when delivering spirits ((14)(c)), the person providing the service must have successfully completed a server training program as provided for in section 906\", \"url\": \"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-436-1203\"}, {\"citation\": \"MCL 436.1501(1) - a new on-premises license or a 50%+ transfer is conditioned on the applicant/transferee proving that supervisory personnel completed a server training program; the commission may allow at least 180 days to comply and may waive the requirement for experienced operators\", \"url\": \"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-436-1501\"}, {\"citation\": \"Mich. Admin. Code R 436.1060 (Server training, requirements) - certification expires not more than 3 years from issuance (sub 5); minimum 70% examination score (sub 3); supervisory personnel must hold active, unexpired certification on each shift (sub 6)\", \"url\": \"https://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/lcc/Michigan-Liquor-Control-Commission-Code-and-Rule-Book.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"Mich. Admin. Code R 436.1533 (Off-premises server training; requirements) - off-premises licensees must maintain server-training proof only when ordered by the commission; same 3-year certification expiry\", \"url\": \"https://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/lcc/Michigan-Liquor-Control-Commission-Code-and-Rule-Book.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"MLCC 'Server Training Requirements' FAQ - 180-day proof requirement, supervisory-personnel rule, and the official list of approved server training programs\", \"url\": \"https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/lcc/faq/server-training-requirements\"}, {\"label\": \"MLCC 'Private Events, Bartending Services and Food Trucks' - the official list of who must complete server training: supervisory personnel for each shift at an on-premises licensee; Catering Permit employees who deliver and serve at private events; employees delivering alcohol to customers off the licensed premises; and any employee between 17 and 18 serving for an on-premises licensee\", \"url\": \"https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/lcc/private-events-bartending-services-food-trucks\"}, {\"label\": \"MCL 436.1906 - Michigan Liquor Control Code of 1998, server training program (see §906(10) with its scoping clause, and §906(1)(e)/(8) framing training as offered to the licensee for its employees)\", \"url\": \"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-436-1906\"}, {\"label\": \"MCL 436.1707(7) - a 17-year-old may sell or serve for an on-premises licensee only after personally completing an approved server training program, with 18+ supervisory personnel on shift\", \"url\": \"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-436-1707\"}, {\"label\": \"MCL 436.1203(12)(c)/(14)(c) - employees who provide service to consumers when delivering alcohol off the licensed premises must have successfully completed a server training program\", \"url\": \"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-436-1203\"}, {\"label\": \"MCL 436.1501(1) - server-trained supervisory personnel as a condition of new on-premises licensure / 50%+ transfer; at least 180 days to comply; waiver for experienced operators\", \"url\": \"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-436-1501\"}, {\"label\": \"MLCC Server Training Certification form LC-1866 - filing of proof for supervisory personnel; unexpired cards kept on premises; failure penalized by fines/suspension/revocation\", \"url\": \"https://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/lcc/General-Forms/Server-Training-Certifcation-Form-LC1866.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"MLCC Liquor Control Code and Administrative Rules book - R 436.1060 (server training: 3-year maximum expiry, 70% exam, supervisory-on-shift) and R 436.1533 (off-premises server training)\", \"url\": \"https://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/lcc/Michigan-Liquor-Control-Commission-Code-and-Rule-Book.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/mi-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "mn-alcohol-server", "state": "Minnesota", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "No statewide server-training law. Under cities' local-regulation power, some municipalities mandate training for individual servers -- Roseville requires city-approved training before serving and annually (temporary on-sale licenses exempt), and St. Paul requires director-approved alcohol server training for all servers at catered events, alongside a separate liquor-license fee discount for licensees meeting conditions that include security-agency training.", "who_must_get": "No individual anywhere in Minnesota is required by state law to hold a server card. Under Chapter 340A, responsibility rests with the licensed establishment (age-verification duties and dram-shop civil liability). City ordinances can and do add individual mandates. In Roseville, every licensee, manager, and employee or agent who sells or serves alcohol must complete a city-approved training program before serving and every year thereafter — with two carve-outs written into City Code § 302.08(C): temporary on-sale licenses issued under § 302.02, subparts k and l, are exempt, and the annual renewal can be extended on probationary terms for hardship reasons. In St. Paul, all servers of alcohol at a catered event must have received alcohol server training as approved by the director and must be at least 18 years old (Leg. Code § 409.01(7)) — an individual mandate on catered-event servers, distinct from the city's separate license-fee discount incentive.", "exemptions": "Statewide, everyone: Minnesota state law requires no individual server card (ch. 340A has no server-training or seller-certification section), so outside cities with their own ordinances there is no requirement to be exempt from. Within the sourced city mandates: Roseville City Code § 302.08(C) opens 'With the exception of temporary on-sale licenses issued pursuant to Section 302.02, subparts k and l' — so servers under a Roseville temporary on-sale license (e.g., an event) are exempt from the training requirement, and the every-year renewal can be extended on probationary terms 'for hardship reasons.' St. Paul's individual training mandate (Leg. Code § 409.01(7)) reaches only servers of alcohol at catered events; servers at ordinary licensed premises in St. Paul are not individually mandated (the city's § 310.16 fee discount is an incentive addressed to the licensee, not a server requirement). Rochester currently imposes no server-training mandate at all (see the county and city exception details on this page). No other exemptions found. Sources checked: Minn. Stat. ch. 340A full table of contents plus §§ 340A.509 and 340A.4041 (revisor.mn.gov), Roseville Title 3 § 302.08 full text (official city PDF), St. Paul Leg. Code §§ 409.01 and 310.16 (current Municode text), and the current Rochester Code of Ordinances (full-code search).", "issuing_authority": "No statewide server credential or issuer. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (aged) regulates alcohol licensing statewide but does not require or issue an individual server card. Where a city mandates training, that city — as the local licensing authority — approves the training program, and the certificate or sign-off comes from the city-approved provider or the establishment's own city-approved program, not from the state.", "approved_provider_rule": "No statewide approved-provider list and no state-issued card. Each city that mandates training approves the program itself. In Roseville, the training may be delivered by a professional trainer, the establishment's own city-approved program, or the Police Department's provided Manager and Server Training (MST) materials completed with a signed certification page, with the establishment keeping the sign-off records. In St. Paul, catered-event server training must be 'approved by the director' (Leg. Code § 409.01(7)). Private online seller-server courses are marketed for Minnesota, but they are provider-issued and satisfy the rule only where the local city accepts them.", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "No statewide card. Recertification is set by each city where training is required — e.g., Roseville requires it every year (annual), with probationary extensions of the annual cycle available for hardship reasons.", "county_exceptions": "No statewide requirement; individual cities impose their own. Roseville (City Code § 302.08(C)) requires city-approved server training before serving and every year thereafter for all licensees, managers, and employees or agents who sell or serve alcohol — except temporary on-sale licenses issued under § 302.02, subparts k and l, which are exempt, and with probationary extension of the annual renewal available for hardship reasons. St. Paul (Leg. Code § 409.01(7)) requires that all servers of alcohol at a catered event have received director-approved alcohol server training and be at least 18; separately, current § 310.16 reduces on-sale and off-sale liquor-license fees by 7 percent for licensees meeting listed conditions, including contracting with a security agency that provides investigations and training to the licensee (Chapter 310 was reenacted November 9, 2022 by Ord 22-46, which repealed former §§ 310.01–310.19 — the old '§ 310.19' incentive citation is obsolete). Rochester was long cited (via its pre-recodification City Code § 810.60(12)) as mandating server training, but the current Rochester Code of Ordinances (Supplement 8 Update 1, codified through Ordinance No. 4580, enacted March 16, 2026) contains no server-training provision — Chapter 5-19 (Alcoholic Beverages) has none and the city's licensing pages mention none — so no Rochester training mandate is asserted. Minnesota does not publish a complete roster of cities with server-training ordinances, so this is not an exhaustive list.", "legal_basis": "[]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Minn. Stat. ch. 340A (Liquor Act) — governs alcohol licensing and sale statewide; contains no server-training or seller-certification requirement\", \"url\": \"https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/340A\"}, {\"label\": \"Minn. Stat. § 340A.509 (Local Restrictions) — 'A local authority may impose further restrictions and regulations on the sale and possession of alcoholic beverages within its limits' (authority for city server-training ordinances)\", \"url\": \"https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/340A.509\"}, {\"label\": \"Minn. Stat. § 340A.4041 (Culinary Classes) — confirms the only '340A.4041' provision concerns cooking-class on-sale licenses, not alcohol server training\", \"url\": \"https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/340A.4041\"}, {\"label\": \"Roseville City Code, Title 3 Business Regulations, § 302.08(C) (Manager and Server Training) — all licensees, managers, and employees/agents who sell or serve alcohol must complete a city-approved program before serving and every year thereafter; temporary on-sale licenses (§ 302.02, subparts k and l) excepted; probationary extension for hardship\", \"url\": \"http://www.ci.roseville.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/34914/Title-3-Business-Regulations-\"}, {\"label\": \"Roseville Police Department — Manager and Server Training (MST) Approved Program (states the training is 'legally required by Roseville Ordinance'; required before serving and annually)\", \"url\": \"https://mn-roseville2.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/3719/Alcohol-Manager-Server-Training\"}, {\"label\": \"St. Paul Legislative Code § 409.01(7) — 'All servers of alcohol at a catered event must have received alcohol server training as approved by the director' and shall be at least 18 years of age (catering approval / class T and class N caterer licenses; chapter reenacted by Ord 22-47, Nov. 9, 2022)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/mn/st._paul/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIILECO_TITXXIXLI_CH409INLI_S409.01LIRECAAPCLEMLELILIATCLLECALI\"}, {\"label\": \"St. Paul Legislative Code § 310.16 (Discount from certain license fees) — 7 percent reduction of on-sale/off-sale liquor-license fees contingent on listed conditions, including contracting with a security agency providing investigations and training to the licensee; editor's note: Ord 22-46 (Nov. 9, 2022) repealed former ch. 310, §§ 310.01–310.19 and enacted the current chapter\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/mn/st._paul/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIILECO_TITXXIXLI_CH310UNLIPR_S310.16DICELIFE\"}, {\"label\": \"Rochester, Minnesota Code of Ordinances (current through Ord. No. 4580, enacted March 16, 2026) — the current code contains no server-training provision; the pre-recodification § 810.60(12) mandate is not part of current law\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/mn/rochester/codes/code_of_ordinances\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/mn-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "mo-alcohol-server", "state": "Missouri", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "Free state SMART certificate; encouraged, not required — mandatory only for liquor-sample pourers", "who_must_get": "No general statewide requirement — Missouri does not require bartenders, servers, or package-store sellers to hold a card or certificate. The SMART certificate is strongly encouraged, and an establishment earns enforcement-mitigation credit — participation in the program \"will be considered when determining the extent of the retailer's efforts to prevent violations\" — plus a possible liquor-liability insurance discount when its staff are certified. The one statewide legal mandate is narrow: every sampling-service employee who provides and pours intoxicating-liquor samples on a licensed retail premises must complete an ATC-approved server training program. Outside of sampling, responsibility rests on the licensed establishment to sell and serve lawfully.", "exemptions": "There is no statewide credential to be exempt from — Missouri requires no card of bartenders, servers, or package-store sellers, so the exemption question runs in reverse: the only workers under a statewide training mandate are sampling-service employees who provide and pour intoxicating-liquor samples on a licensed retail premises (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 311.297.3(2) — ATC-approved server training program required). Every other bartender, server, and seller is outside any state training mandate, and the SMART certificate stays voluntary for them. Local rules can add their own mandates: St. Joseph requires a city server license to sell or serve alcohol within its limits (St. Joseph Code of Ordinances ch. 4, sec. 18) — a local requirement, not a statewide one. Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 311.297.3(2); Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 311.", "issuing_authority": "Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC), Department of Public Safety — the state alcohol regulator, which fully supports the SMART program and certifies server-training courses. The SMART program itself is operated by the University of Missouri Wellness Resource Center (Partners in Prevention).", "approved_provider_rule": "The free SMART certificate is earned online at the state program's site (smartmo.education), operated by the University of Missouri Wellness Resource Center: register an account, complete the By-the-Drink \"Server Training\" course (bars/restaurants) or the Package \"Seller Training\" course (liquor stores, gas stations), pass the final exam, then download and print the certificate from the account dashboard. Missouri also lets a licensee or individual certify their own server-training course through the ATC's \"Server Training Application for Trainers\"; those ATC course certifications are valid two years and carry no application fee. Sampling-service employees must complete a program approved by the ATC.", "cost_range": "Free — the SMART course and certificate cost nothing, and there is no fee to certify a server-training course through the ATC. No statutory cost cap exists because no card is mandated statewide. (Local exception: the St. Joseph city server license costs $15.)", "validity_years": "2 years — the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control certifies server training courses for two-year terms, and the SMART program's materials state the individual certification is renewed every two years. Missouri issues no individual alcohol server card.", "county_exceptions": "St. Joseph (Buchanan County) requires anyone who sells or serves alcohol in the city to obtain a city server license (minimum age 18) within 30 days of employment — completed via an online training course and test, $15, valid 3 years (St. Joseph Code of Ordinances Ch. 4, Sec. 18). Other Missouri cities or counties may set their own local rules, so requirements should be checked with the local jurisdiction and employer.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Mo. Rev. Stat. § 311.297.3(2) — 'All sampling service employees that provide and pour intoxicating liquor samples on a licensed retail premises shall be required to complete a server training program approved by the division of alcohol and tobacco control.' This is the only statewide individual server-training mandate; general servers and sellers are not required to be certified.\", \"url\": \"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=311.297\"}, {\"citation\": \"Mo. Rev. Stat. Chapter 311 — Liquor Control Law (the statewide framework for alcohol licensing and service; contains no statewide server-card requirement for general service).\", \"url\": \"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneChapter.aspx?chapter=311\"}, {\"citation\": \"St. Joseph, MO Code of Ordinances, Ch. 4, Sec. 18 — city server license required to sell or serve alcohol within St. Joseph (a local rule, not a statewide mandate).\", \"url\": \"https://www.stjosephmo.gov/944/Server-Licenses\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Missouri ATC — Alcoholic Beverage Server Training (SMART is free and encouraged; sampling-service employees must complete an ATC-approved program; ATC course/trainer certifications valid 2 years, no cost)\", \"url\": \"https://atc.dps.mo.gov/enforcement/alcohol/server_training.php\"}, {\"label\": \"SMART — State of Missouri Alcohol Responsibility Training (Partners in Prevention, University of Missouri): free web-based training, certification renewed every two years, ATC fully supports it, liquor-liability insurance credit\", \"url\": \"https://www.mopip.org/SMART/\"}, {\"label\": \"SMART servers/sellers registration and certificate instructions (By-the-Drink Server vs Package Seller tracks; certificate downloaded from the account dashboard)\", \"url\": \"https://www.mopip.org/SMART/employees.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Mo. Rev. Stat. § 311.297 — alcohol samples for tasting on/off licensed retail premises; subsection 3(2) is the sampling-employee training mandate\", \"url\": \"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=311.297\"}, {\"label\": \"St. Joseph, MO — Server Licenses (local mandate: sell/serve alcohol requires a city server license, min age 18, online training + test, $15, valid 3 years, within 30 days of employment)\", \"url\": \"https://www.stjosephmo.gov/944/Server-Licenses\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/mo-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ms-alcohol-server", "state": "Mississippi", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "none", "mandate_detail": "No statewide server credential; responsibility sits with the ABC-permitted establishment", "who_must_get": "No individual who serves or sells alcohol in Mississippi is required by state law to hold a server card or complete training. Instead, the licensed establishment must hold the applicable ABC permit (on-premises retailer's, package retailer's, etc.) under Miss. Code Ann. § 67-1-51, and the permittee is responsible for lawful, responsible service. Owners and managers of package and on-premises retailers must maintain ABC identification cards; per-employee ID cards were discontinued March 3, 1999 (the ABC FAQ scopes this owner/manager ID-card duty to package and on-premises retailers specifically, not to every permit class). The one individual training duty in Mississippi alcohol law falls on alcohol delivery agents: under a delivery service permit (§ 67-1-51.1) every delivery agent must be at least 21 and trained and certified consistent with the permittee's program filed with the ABC Division. Employers, liability insurers, and some municipalities commonly require seller-server training in practice, but the state does not.", "exemptions": "There is no exemption list because there is no individual requirement to be exempt from: Mississippi law imposes no server card or training mandate on any individual, so no server, bartender, or clerk needs a carve-out to work without one. That absence is confirmed by three official sources -- the MS DOR ABC FAQ (no employee training or licensing requirement; per-employee ID cards discontinued March 3, 1999), the ABC Permits page (every one of the ~30 permit classes is establishment-based, with no individual server, bartender, or seller permit), and the full current text of Miss. Code Ann. § 67-1-51 as amended through 2026 HB 1761 (no server-training or server-card language anywhere in the section). The one individual duty that does exist has no stated carve-outs: every delivery agent working under a delivery service permit must be at least 21 and trained and certified consistent with the permittee's program filed with the ABC Division (Miss. Code Ann. § 67-1-51.1); neither the statute nor the ABC's pages state any exemption from that delivery-agent duty. One scoping note on the adjacent owner/manager duty: ABC identification cards are required of owners and managers of package and on-premises retailers specifically -- the ABC FAQ does not extend that duty to other permit classes (caterers, delivery services, temporary permittees).", "issuing_authority": "Mississippi Department of Revenue, Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Division — the statewide regulator of alcohol sales and distribution. ABC issues establishment permits (on-premises retailer's, package retailer's, caterer, delivery service, etc.), not individual server cards. No Mississippi agency issues an alcohol server/seller card or certification.", "approved_provider_rule": "Mississippi does not approve, list, or recognize any training provider for a general alcohol server/seller credential — no such state card exists to issue. The only server-side training the ABC Division reviews is a delivery service permittee's own internal or external delivery-agent program, which is submitted to the Division for approval as a condition of that establishment's delivery service permit (Miss. Code Ann. § 67-1-51.1).", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "", "county_exceptions": "", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Miss. Code Ann. § 67-1-51 (Local Option Alcoholic Beverage Control — permits and distance regulations; all permit classes are establishment-based, with no individual server-training or server-card requirement)\", \"url\": \"https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/1700-1799/HB1761SG.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"Miss. Code Ann. § 67-1-51.1 (delivery service permit; subsection (2)(d) and the delivery-agent provisions require every delivery agent to be at least 21 and 'trained and certified consistent with the training program submitted to the division')\", \"url\": \"https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2021/html/HB/1100-1199/HB1135SG.htm\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Mississippi Department of Revenue — Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) home: ABC 'regulates the legal and responsible sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages'; lists no server-training or responsible-vendor certification program\", \"url\": \"https://www.dor.ms.gov/abc\"}, {\"label\": \"MS DOR ABC — Permits (Licenses): all permit classes are establishment-based (on-premises retailer, package retailer, caterer, delivery service, temporary, etc.); no individual server/bartender permit or seller-server certification\", \"url\": \"https://www.dor.ms.gov/abc/permits-licenses\"}, {\"label\": \"MS DOR ABC — Frequently Asked Questions: no mandatory server-training/certification stated; establishments (not employees) hold permits; owners/managers keep ABC ID cards; per-employee ID cards discontinued March 3, 1999\", \"url\": \"https://www.dor.ms.gov/abc/abc-frequently-asked-questions\"}, {\"label\": \"Miss. Code Ann. § 67-1-51 — Permits; distance regulations. Permit classes are establishment-based; no individual server-training or server-card requirement\", \"url\": \"https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/1700-1799/HB1761SG.htm\"}, {\"label\": \"Miss. Code Ann. § 67-1-51.1 — Delivery service permit: delivery agents must be 21+ and 'trained and certified consistent with the training program submitted to the division' (the only individual training duty in MS alcohol law)\", \"url\": \"https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2021/html/HB/1100-1199/HB1135SG.htm\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ms-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "mt-alcohol-server", "state": "Montana", "certification": "Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service (RASS) Certificate", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Required within 60 days of hire and every 3 years for most covered employees -- but drivers for third-party delivery licensees must train before their first alcohol delivery (eff. Jan. 1, 2026); separate on-premises and off-premises programs", "who_must_get": "Every employee authorized to sell, serve, or deliver alcoholic beverages in the normal course of employment, plus that employee's immediate supervisor, at any Montana-licensed retailer, manufacturer, or alcohol delivery service. For most covered employees, training must be completed within 60 days of the date of hire (or, for existing employees of a newly licensed business, within 60 days of licensure) and repeated every 3 years after the initial training. The 60-day window does not cover everyone: MCA 16-4-1005(1)(a) opens 'Except as provided in 16-4-307,' and under MCA 16-4-307(3)(e) (effective January 1, 2026) a driver for a third-party delivery licensee may deliver beer or table wine only after completing a responsible server and sales training program or a department-certified delivery training program (MCA 16-4-1010) before the driver's first alcohol delivery -- a delivery driver relying on the 60-day window would be delivering untrained, in violation. Licensees must keep employment records verifying completion and certify compliance annually on the license renewal form (MCA 16-4-1004). The requirement does not apply to holders of special permits issued under 16-4-301 (MCA 16-4-1002).", "exemptions": "One statutory exemption, one scope limit, and one reverse carve-out. Exemption: the Responsible Alcohol Sales, Service, and Delivery Act does not apply to special permits -- 'This part does not apply to special permits issued under 16-4-301' (MCA 16-4-1002, as amended by Sec. 5, Ch. 75, L. 2025). Scope limit: the duty reaches only employees 'authorized to sell, serve, or deliver alcoholic beverages in the normal course of employment' and their immediate supervisors (MCA 16-4-1005(1)(a)) -- staff whose work never includes selling, serving, or delivering alcohol (cooks, bussers, entertainers) are outside the mandate. Reverse carve-out (a stricter deadline, not a relief): drivers for third-party delivery licensees get no 60-day grace -- they must complete a responsible server and sales training program or a department-certified delivery training program before their first alcohol delivery (MCA 16-4-307(3)(e), effective January 1, 2026). No other exemption found. Sources checked: MCA Title 16, chapter 4, part 10 (2025 annotated code, mca.legmt.gov), MCA 16-4-307, and the Montana DOR RASS pages.", "issuing_authority": "Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (card), Alcohol Outreach & Education Unit. The department certifies the training programs; the certificate of completion is issued by the state-certified trainers and DOR-approved providers that deliver the training. By statute the department itself may not provide the training program.", "approved_provider_rule": "The Department of Revenue (Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division) certifies all responsible server and sales training programs under MCA 16-4-1006 but does not itself provide the training. A certified program must cover the effects of alcohol, the applicable civil/criminal/administrative penalties, ID-checking procedures, handling difficult situations, and end with a final test; participants who pass receive a certificate of completion. Programs are certified in two classes -- on-premises consumption and off-premises consumption. Training is available in person from state-certified trainers or online from the DOR's published list of approved providers (questions: DORCARDRASS@mt.gov). Completion can be looked up through the department's training-verification tool. For third-party delivery drivers there is a parallel track: under MCA 16-4-1010 (effective January 1, 2026) the department also certifies delivery training programs (covering ID checking, strategies used by underage persons, and preventing sales to underage or intoxicated persons) and has 30 business days to approve, deny, or request modifications to a program proposed by a third-party alcohol delivery licensee; those drivers satisfy their before-first-delivery duty with either a certified RASS program or a certified delivery training program.", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "None. The requirement is statewide under the Responsible Alcohol Sales, Service, and Delivery Act (Title 16, Chapter 4, Part 10, MCA); no Montana county or city issues a separate local alcohol server card.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Mont. Code Ann. § 16-4-1005 (Licensees required to ensure training -- 'Except as provided in 16-4-307,' 60 days of hire, every 3 years; amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 75, L. 2025 and Sec. 3, Ch. 307, L. 2025)\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0100/section_0050/0160-0040-0100-0050.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Mont. Code Ann. § 16-4-1006 (Responsible server and sales training program -- department certifies on-/off-premises programs, certificate of completion)\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0100/section_0060/0160-0040-0100-0060.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Mont. Code Ann. § 16-4-1001 (Short title: Responsible Alcohol Sales, Service, and Delivery Act)\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0100/section_0010/0160-0040-0100-0010.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Mont. Code Ann. § 16-4-307(3)(e) (Third-party delivery license, effective January 1, 2026, En. Sec. 1, Ch. 75, L. 2025 -- drivers must 'have completed a responsible server and sales training program or a delivery training program under Title 16, chapter 4, part 10, prior to their first alcohol delivery')\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0030/section_0070/0160-0040-0030-0070.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Mont. Code Ann. § 16-4-1010 (Delivery training program -- rulemaking, effective January 1, 2026: department certifies delivery training programs; 30 business days to approve, deny, or request modifications)\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0100/section_0100/0160-0040-0100-0100.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Mont. Code Ann. § 16-4-1002 (Legislative intent -- 'This part does not apply to special permits issued under 16-4-301'; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 75, L. 2025)\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0100/section_0020/0160-0040-0100-0020.html\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Montana DOR -- Licensee & Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service Resources (RASS overview: 60 days / every 3 years)\", \"url\": \"https://revenue.mt.gov/ResponsibilityMatters/responsible-alcohol-sales-and-service-training-resources\"}, {\"label\": \"Montana DOR (CARD) -- RASS Training Resources & approved online provider list\", \"url\": \"https://svc.mt.gov/dor/liquorserver/public/providertraining.aspx\"}, {\"label\": \"MCA 16-4-1005 -- Licensees required to ensure training ('Except as provided in 16-4-307')\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0100/section_0050/0160-0040-0100-0050.html\"}, {\"label\": \"MCA 16-4-1006 -- Responsible server and sales training program\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0100/section_0060/0160-0040-0100-0060.html\"}, {\"label\": \"MCA 16-4-307 -- Third-party delivery license (effective January 1, 2026): delivery drivers must complete a responsible server and sales training program or a delivery training program prior to their first alcohol delivery\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0030/section_0070/0160-0040-0030-0070.html\"}, {\"label\": \"MCA 16-4-1010 -- Delivery training program (effective January 1, 2026): department certifies delivery training programs as the alternative track for third-party delivery drivers\", \"url\": \"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0160/chapter_0040/part_0100/section_0100/0160-0040-0100-0100.html\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/mt-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "nc-alcohol-server", "state": "North Carolina", "certification": "Responsible Alcohol Seller/Server (RASP) Certificate", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "State-run RASP; retail-permit applicants must show proof of training, but individual servers need no card", "who_must_get": "North Carolina does not require individual on-premises servers, bartenders, or off-premises retail clerks to hold a server card or complete training before selling or serving alcohol; the ABC Commission recommends that all employees be trained beforehand and offers the RASP course free. What the state does require is on the establishment/permittee: every applicant for a retail ABC permit must submit proof of responsible alcohol seller/server training as part of the permit application, before the permit is issued (14B NCAC 15B .0113(a)) -- a permit-applicant obligation, not a per-employee card. Alcohol delivery carries a separate individual mandate: under G.S. 18B-1001.4(b), each person delivering alcoholic beverages under a delivery service permit must first complete a Commission-approved delivery training course and hold the resulting certificate before making any deliveries. A retailer holding a retail permit under G.S. 18B-1001(1)-(6), (10), or (16) that delivers its own malt beverages, unfortified wine, or fortified wine does not need a delivery service permit for its employees to make those deliveries -- but G.S. 18B-1001.4(e) adds, in the statute's own words, that \"the other provisions of this section apply to the retailer,\" which includes the subsection (b) training requirement, so such retailers should not assume their delivery operation is outside the training rule.", "exemptions": "For the seller/server certificate itself there is no exemption to state, because there is no individual mandate to be exempt from: no North Carolina statute or rule requires an individual server, bartender, or clerk to hold a card -- the 14B NCAC 15B .0113(a) proof-of-training duty sits on the retail ABC permit applicant, and the ABC Commission only recommends training for employees. For the separate delivery-training mandate, no statutory exemption was found; the one carve-out in the section runs the other way: G.S. 18B-1001.4(e) provides that a retailer holding a permit under G.S. 18B-1001(1)-(6), (10), or (16) needs no delivery service permit for its own employees to deliver its malt beverages or wine, \"however, the other provisions of this section apply to the retailer\" -- an exemption from the permit, not from the section's other provisions, which include the subsection (b) training requirement (how far (e)'s 'apply to the retailer' reaches the retailer's individual employees is a construction question the statute does not answer; the ABC Commission's delivery-training page frames the duty as binding 'each delivery service agent' without addressing this class). Sources checked: 14B NCAC 15B .0113 full rule text (OAH), G.S. 18B-1001.4 full section (ncleg.gov, current through S.L. 2025-25), and the ABC Commission's education pages (RASP, free online training, external vendor certification, delivery agent training).", "issuing_authority": "North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (NC ABC Commission), through its Education Community Outreach (ECO) Section, which runs the Responsible Alcohol Seller/Server Program (RASP). The Commission offers the training itself -- free 2-hour in-person classes and a free online Seller/Server course through its training portal -- and separately approves external private course vendors under 14B NCAC 15B .0113. There is no per-server \"card\" issuer; the trainee receives a certificate of completion/training from the ABC Commission's course or from a Commission-approved provider.", "approved_provider_rule": "Under 14B NCAC 15B .0113(d), a training course and its provider must be approved by the Commission before a certificate of training or transcript will be accepted. A prospective alcohol-education vendor -- or a business permittee that trains its own employees -- submits the provider's name and contact information along with a copy of its course content to the Commission, which approves courses/providers that meet the minimum content requirements in .0113(c) (NC-specific age laws, ID verification, Dram Shop law, sales to intoxicated/underage persons, hours of sale, etc.). Course approval is valid three years and must be resubmitted at least every three years to stay approved; providers must update content within 30 days of Commission notice of ABC-law changes. To get the certificate, take the ABC Commission's free online Seller/Server course through its training portal (abc2.nc.gov/Training) or attend a free in-person RASP class, or complete a Commission-approved private/online vendor course; the certificate of completion downloads from the training portal or is issued by the approved provider.", "cost_range": "The NC ABC Commission's own RASP training is free -- both the 2-hour in-person class and the online Seller/Server course are provided at no cost. Commission-approved external (private) course vendors set their own fees.", "validity_years": "No expiration is set by state rule for the individual's certificate of training. The three-year term in 14B NCAC 15B .0113(d) is the approval cycle for the training course/provider, not the trainee's certificate.", "county_exceptions": "North Carolina regulates alcohol permitting and seller/server training uniformly at the state level through the ABC Commission; individual server-card requirements are not delegated to counties or cities. Local ABC boards operate ABC stores and provide local enforcement, not individual server certification. No North Carolina county or municipality was found to impose its own individual server-card requirement distinct from the statewide framework.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"14B NCAC 15B .0113 -- Alcohol Seller/Server Training: retail ABC permit applicants must submit proof of responsible alcohol seller/server training; minimum course content; Commission approval of courses/providers (course approval valid 3 years). Eff. July 1, 2018.\", \"url\": \"http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2014b%20-%20public%20safety/chapter%2015%20-%20alcoholic%20beverage%20control%20commission/subchapter%20b/14b%20ncac%2015b%20.0113.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"N.C. Gen. Stat. Sec. 18B-1001.4 -- Delivery service permit; subsection (b): each individual delivering alcoholic beverages pursuant to a delivery service permit must first complete a Commission-approved training course; subsection (e): a retailer with a permit under G.S. 18B-1001(1)-(6), (10), or (16) needs no delivery service permit for its employees to deliver its own malt beverages or wine, \\\"however, the other provisions of this section apply to the retailer\\\"\", \"url\": \"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_18B/GS_18B-1001.4.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"N.C. Gen. Stat. Sec. 18B-207 -- Rules (ABC Commission rulemaking authority; cited authority for 14B NCAC 15B .0113, with G.S. 18B-100 and 18B-122)\", \"url\": \"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_18B/GS_18B-207.html\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"NC ABC Commission -- Responsible Alcohol Seller/Server Program (RASP): free 2-hour in-person training for owners, managers and employees, at no cost; approved resources also offer live/online classes\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.nc.gov/education/responsible-alcohol-sellerserver-program-rasp\"}, {\"label\": \"NC ABC Commission -- Free Online Training: Commission recommends that all employees receive training prior to selling or serving alcoholic beverages; free online Seller/Server course via the ABC training portal\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.nc.gov/education/free-online-training\"}, {\"label\": \"NC ABC Commission -- External Training Course Vendor Certification Requirements: courses/providers must be Commission-approved before a certificate is accepted; cites 14B NCAC 15B .0113(d); course approval valid three years\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.nc.gov/education/external-training-course-vendor-certification-requirements\"}, {\"label\": \"14B NCAC 15B .0113 -- Alcohol Seller/Server Training (official NC OAH rule text)\", \"url\": \"http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2014b%20-%20public%20safety/chapter%2015%20-%20alcoholic%20beverage%20control%20commission/subchapter%20b/14b%20ncac%2015b%20.0113.html\"}, {\"label\": \"NC ABC Commission -- Delivery Service Agent Training: NCGS 18B-1001.4(b) requires each delivery service agent to complete an online training course and be awarded a certificate prior to engaging in delivery services\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.nc.gov/education/delivery-service-agent-training-and-delivery-service-permit-maintenance\"}, {\"label\": \"NC ABC Commission -- Education Community Outreach hub: free in-person RASP trainings statewide; free online Seller/Server and Delivery trainings\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.nc.gov/education\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/nc-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "nd-alcohol-server", "state": "North Dakota", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Required by city ordinance in several cities; state gives licensees a first-violation training mitigation", "who_must_get": "No one is required by North Dakota state law to hold an alcohol server/seller card -- the state has no statewide individual mandate. What is required statewide is that the establishment hold a retail alcoholic beverage license from the Attorney General, and the licensee is responsible for lawful service; under N.D. Cent. Code Sec. 5-02-10.1, a licensee that provided its employees approved alcohol server training receives a mitigating factor (a lesser penalty) on a first violation. The individual requirement is set city by city: where a municipal ordinance mandates training, every person who sells, serves, delivers, or manages the sale or service of alcohol -- and anyone who checks identification for purchase or admittance -- must obtain the local certificate of training within the deadline the ordinance sets -- in Fargo, training must be completed before employment begins (Ordinance No. 5378, adopted December 27, 2022, abolished Fargo's former 90-day grace period and extended the mandate to everyone in the stream of service of alcoholic beverages, including security staff and door attendants); elsewhere a post-hire grace period applies (Grand Forks 60 days; Williston, Dickinson, and West Fargo 90 days; Watford City 6 months) -- and must renew it every 3 years where the ordinance sets a term.", "exemptions": "North Dakota state law exempts everyone by default: no statute requires any individual to hold a server card, so outside the cities with training ordinances (Grand Forks, Fargo, West Fargo, Williston, Dickinson, Watford City), no server card is needed at all. That statewide negative is confirmed from the full text of N.D. Cent. Code ch. 5-02 -- whose only training reference is the Sec. 5-02-10.1 licensee mitigation -- and from the Attorney General's retail-license page, which states no server-training requirement. Within the mandating cities, no occupational exemptions were found in the ordinance texts: Grand Forks Sec. 21-0235 sweeps in everyone who sells, serves, delivers, or manages the sale or service of alcohol and anyone who checks identification; Williston Sec. 3-150(b) covers 'all servers of alcohol'; Fargo's updated ordinance covers all individuals in the stream of service of alcoholic beverages including security and door staff; Watford City Sec. 6-535(4) covers licensees together with their managers and employees. Sources checked: the statute (N.D. Cent. Code ch. 5-02, full chapter PDF), the Attorney General's licensing page, the ND HHS ordinance compilation, and the current Fargo (Fargo Cass Public Health page) and Williston (eCode360 Sec. 3-150) texts. Adjacent but establishment-side, not a server-card exemption: N.D.C.C. Sec. 5-02-01(3) exempts certain nonprofit fundraising sales from the retail-license requirement.", "issuing_authority": "There is no statewide server-card issuer. North Dakota licenses the establishment, not the individual: the North Dakota Attorney General's Office issues the retail alcoholic beverage license (the bar/store's own license), and the Office of State Tax Commissioner licenses wholesalers, manufacturers, and direct shippers and collects alcohol tax -- neither issues an individual server/seller card. Where a city ordinance requires server training, the certificate is issued or approved by the municipal police department (e.g., the Grand Forks, Williston, and West Fargo police departments) or by the Police Chief/City Administrator (Dickinson, Watford City); in Fargo, since Ordinance No. 5378 (December 2022), the training is available online only through the North Dakota Safety Council's Responsible Beverage Server course and the certificate comes from that course, coordinated by Fargo Cass Public Health (which formerly facilitated the in-person Fargo Police Department classes). At the state level, the Department of Health and Human Services (Behavioral Health Division) runs a voluntary Responsible Beverage Service Training (RBST) prevention program, and the North Dakota Safety Council offers a Responsible Beverage Server course -- trainings that satisfy the licensee-mitigation safe harbor but are not a state-mandated card.", "approved_provider_rule": "There is no state approval list for a server card because the state does not issue one. In cities that mandate training, the municipal police department (or, in Dickinson and Watford City, the Police Chief and City Administrator) must approve every training program and instructor, and the card is obtained by completing an approved course and, in some cities, passing a test -- Grand Forks requires a score of at least 75% on a Grand Forks Police Department test and issues the certificate through the department; Dickinson requires at least 72%. In Fargo, under the 2022 ordinance update, the course is delivered online only through the North Dakota Safety Council's Responsible Beverage Server course (in-person classes, including private classes, are no longer offered). The certificate stays with the individual across employers. For the statewide safe harbor, training must address intoxication, drunk driving, and underage drinking and be \"approved by the licensing authority\" (the local governing body) under N.D. Cent. Code Sec. 5-02-10.1; the ND HHS RBST program and the ND Safety Council's Responsible Beverage Server course are commonly used to meet it.", "cost_range": "North Dakota sets no statewide server-card fee because there is no state card. Where a city requires training, the course price is set by the approved provider, not fixed by statute -- in Fargo the required North Dakota Safety Council online course currently costs $20 (per Fargo Cass Public Health); the state does not charge for the credential. Ordinance penalties mostly fall on the license holder: Williston assesses a mandatory $750 administrative fee on the license holder for a first sale-to-minor violation and a mandatory $2,500 fee for a second or third offense within 60 months of the first (City Code Sec. 3-150(c), as amended by Ord. No. 1101, 4-23-2019); Dickinson $500; Fargo $500. But not only on the license holder -- some cities also fine the individual: Grand Forks fines a person working without the required certificate up to $50 for a first violation, up to $100 for a second within one year, and up to $200 for each further violation within a year of the second (City Code 21-0236(1)).", "validity_years": "No statewide server card. Where a North Dakota city mandates one, the certificate of training is valid 3 years and must be renewed before it expires -- Grand Forks, Dickinson, Fargo, Watford City, and West Fargo all set a three-year term.", "county_exceptions": "At least six North Dakota cities mandate individual server training by ordinance (five set a 3-year card term; Williston's Sec. 3-150 fixes no card expiration or renewal period): Grand Forks -- Mandatory Alcohol Server Training, City Code Sec. 21-0235, certificate issued by the Grand Forks Police Department (or an approved trainer) within 60 days of hire, minimum test score 75%, valid 3 years. Fargo -- mandatory server training, updated by Ordinance No. 5378 (adopted at the December 27, 2022 City Commission meeting): training must be completed prior to employment (the former 90-day grace period was abolished), the mandate covers all individuals involved in the stream of service of alcoholic beverages -- managers, servers, bartenders, security, and door attendants -- and the course is available online only through the North Dakota Safety Council's Responsible Beverage Server course (currently $20), coordinated by Fargo Cass Public Health; cards are valid 3 years from completion. Williston -- Sec. 3-150(b), all servers trained within 90 days of employment, cards kept on file by the licensee along with date of hire; the ordinance sets no card expiration or renewal term. West Fargo -- Sec. 10-0104, server training approved by the West Fargo Police Department, 90-day grace period, renewed every 3 years. Dickinson -- Sec. 4.08.240, training approved by the Police Chief/City Administrator, minimum score 72%, 90-day grace period, renewed every 3 years. Watford City -- Sec. 6-535, training approved by the Police Chief/City Administrator, 6-month grace period, card valid 3 years. Requirements vary by jurisdiction; other cities may impose their own.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"N.D. Cent. Code Sec. 5-02-10.1 -- Violations; alcohol server training accepted as a mitigating factor for a first violation against a retail licensee (training addressing intoxication, drunk driving, and underage drinking, as approved by the licensing authority; enacted by 2015 House Bill 1416)\", \"url\": \"https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t05c02.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"N.D. Cent. Code ch. 5-02 -- Municipal and county retail alcoholic beverage licensing (local governing body is the licensing authority)\", \"url\": \"https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t05c02.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Grand Forks, N.D., City Code Sec. 21-0235 -- Mandatory alcohol server training (certificate valid 3 years; issued by Grand Forks Police Department; Ord. No. 4230, 5-5-08)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/nd/grand_forks\"}, {\"citation\": \"Fargo, N.D., Municipal Code -- mandatory server training, as amended by Ordinance No. 5378 (adopted Dec. 27, 2022): training required prior to employment; scope covers all individuals in the stream of service of alcoholic beverages including security; card valid 3 years (the pre-2022 Art. 25-15/Sec. 25-1511 numbering no longer resolves in the current code following reorganization)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/nd/fargo\"}, {\"citation\": \"Williston, N.D., City Code Sec. 3-150 -- 'Administrative fees and suspension or revocation of license to sell alcoholic beverages' [Ord. No. 854, 3-26-2002; Ord. No. 895, 6-26-2007; Ord. No. 1101, 4-23-2019]: subsection (b) requires all alcohol servers trained within 90 days of employment with cards kept on file (no card expiration term); subsection (c) sets the administrative fees ($750 first offense; $2,500 second/third within 60 months). Later Ch. 3 amendments (Ord. No. 1171, 9-9-2025; Ord. No. 1173, 10-14-2025) left the Sec. 3-150(b) training mandate unchanged\", \"url\": \"https://ecode360.com/36547864\"}, {\"citation\": \"West Fargo, N.D., City Code Sec. 10-0104(7) -- server training required, approved by the West Fargo Police Department (card renewed every 3 years)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/nd/west_fargo\"}, {\"citation\": \"Dickinson, N.D., City Code Sec. 4.08.240 -- server training approved by the Police Chief/City Administrator, minimum 72%, card renewed every 3 years (Ord. No. 1296, eff. 4-18-05)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/nd/dickinson\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"ND Health & Human Services -- Responsible Beverage Service Training (RBST): state program; server training is not required at the state level\", \"url\": \"https://www.hhs.nd.gov/prevention/alcohol/underage-drinking-prevention-strategies/RBST\"}, {\"label\": \"ND HHS (Behavioral Health/Prevention) -- North Dakota Server Training Ordinances: official compilation of the Williston, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Fargo, Watford City, and West Fargo ordinances with code sections (caution: this compilation is not kept current -- it predates Fargo Ord. No. 5378 (Dec. 27, 2022, which ended the 90-day grace period) and Williston Ord. No. 1101 (Apr. 23, 2019, which raised the first-offense fee to $750); current Fargo and Williston text is cited separately)\", \"url\": \"https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/BH/nd-server-training-ordinances-exclusion.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Fargo Cass Public Health -- Server Training (ordinance updated: training required prior to employment; applies to all individuals in the stream of service including security; online only via the ND Safety Council, currently $20; cards valid three years from completion)\", \"url\": \"https://fargond.gov/city-government/departments/fargo-cass-public-health/server-training-tobacco-prevention-victim-impact-panel-vip\"}, {\"label\": \"N.D. Cent. Code ch. 5-02 (statute PDF) -- includes Sec. 5-02-10.1 server-training mitigating factor\", \"url\": \"https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t05c02.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"ND Attorney General -- Retail Alcoholic Beverage License (establishment license; no server-training requirement stated)\", \"url\": \"https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/licensing-and-gaming/licensing/retail-alcoholic-beverage-license/\"}, {\"label\": \"ND Office of State Tax Commissioner -- Alcohol Tax & Licensing (wholesalers, manufacturers, direct shippers)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tax.nd.gov/business/alcohol-tax\"}, {\"label\": \"ND Safety Council -- Responsible Beverage Server training (not a legal requirement at the state level; 2015 HB 1416 reduced licensee liability when employees are trained)\", \"url\": \"https://www.ndsc.org/impairment/responsible-beverage-server/\"}, {\"label\": \"Williston, N.D. City Code Ch. 3 (eCode360) -- Sec. 3-150 alcohol server training within 90 days of employment\", \"url\": \"https://ecode360.com/36547516\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/nd-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ne-alcohol-server", "state": "Nebraska", "certification": "Alcohol Server/Seller Certification", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "State-recognized NLCC certification; mandatory only by commission order or local ordinance", "who_must_get": "No statewide law requires an individual server or seller to hold the certification; statewide it is voluntary and taken for educational purposes. Going uncertified does not shed the legal duties around alcohol sales, and those duties do not rest only on the establishment: the criminal prohibition on selling or furnishing alcoholic liquor to minors or mentally incompetent persons binds any person — the individual bartender or clerk personally — and violating it is a Class I misdemeanor, rising to a Class IIIA felony for a knowing and intentional violation where serious bodily injury or death results from the minor's consumption or impaired condition (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 53-180, 53-180.05). NLCC rules separately forbid the licensee and any partner, principal, agent, or employee of the licensee from selling, serving, or furnishing alcohol to a visibly intoxicated or incapacitated person (237 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, § 019.01N). License discipline for violations — suspension, cancellation, or a cash penalty in lieu — falls on the licensed establishment (§ 53-1,104). Certification becomes mandatory only when the Commission orders it — for example, remedial or \"penalty in abeyance\" training imposed on a licensee and its staff after a violation — or when a local ordinance requires it. Locally, the City of Lincoln requires its own alcohol server/seller permit and training (managers in particular); the City of Kearney requires servers/sellers to complete an approved course; and Ogallala and North Platte have local training requirements.", "exemptions": "Statewide, there is no mandate to be exempted from: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 53-117.03 makes certification permissive (a person who completes an approved program \"may become certified\"), so most Nebraska servers and sellers need no certification at all unless the Commission orders training (e.g., the penalty-in-abeyance remedy, 237 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 1, § 007) or a local ordinance requires it (Lincoln, Kearney, Ogallala, North Platte). Going uncertified exempts no one from the underlying legal duties: the criminal prohibition on selling or furnishing alcohol to minors or mentally incompetent persons binds any person, including the individual server (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 53-180, 53-180.05), and NLCC rules bar the licensee and any partner, principal, agent, or employee from serving intoxicated or incapacitated persons (237 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, § 019.01N). No exemption provisions found in the state-level sources checked: Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 53-117.03, 53-180, 53-180.05, and 53-1,104; 237 Neb. Admin. Code (ch. 1 § 007, ch. 6 § 019.01N, ch. 14); the NLCC Training and Education page; and the official Certified Alcohol Training Courses PDF. The four cities' local ordinance texts were not individually searched for exemptions — the NLCC advises checking the local clerk's office.", "issuing_authority": "Nebraska Liquor Control Commission (NLCC). The NLCC approves beverage-server training programs and issues and maintains the Server/Seller certification through its POSSE customer portal; the training courses themselves are delivered by NLCC-approved third-party providers (and, in Lincoln, by the city).", "approved_provider_rule": "The NLCC approves beverage-server training organizations and programs under its rules (Title 237, Chapter 14) and publishes a \"Certified Alcohol Training Courses\" list. To become certified: complete an NLCC-approved course and obtain its training certificate, create a POSSE customer-portal account, upload the certificate, score 100% on the NLCC quiz (unlimited attempts), and pay the $20 certification fee; the certification is then issued and downloadable in POSSE.", "cost_range": "$20 NLCC certification fee (a $20 statutory cap) plus an approved-course fee set by the training provider. Course fees range from $0 (the City of Lincoln's RBST course) to about $75 (Responsible Hospitality Council classroom management course), with common online courses running roughly $9 to $38. Enrollment in a commission-run training program, if offered, is capped by statute at $30.", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "City of Lincoln — operates its own alcohol training and alcohol server/seller permit program (its RBST course is run by the city) and requires training, especially for managers. City of Kearney — requires servers/sellers to complete one of the NLCC-approved training programs. Cities of Ogallala and North Platte — have local training requirements. The NLCC advises checking local city and county clerk's offices for additional local requirements.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 53-117.03 — Employee and management training; commission powers and duties; fees; certification (certification fee capped at $20; commission-program enrollment fee capped at $30; a person who completes an approved program 'may become certified')\", \"url\": \"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=53-117.03\"}, {\"citation\": \"237 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 14 — Minimum Standards for Alcohol Server Training Programs (NLCC rules implementing the training and certification program)\", \"url\": \"https://lcc.nebraska.gov/legal-enforcement/rules-and-regulations\"}, {\"citation\": \"237 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 1, § 007 — Penalty in Abeyance (Commission may require a licensee or its employees to complete approved server training)\", \"url\": \"https://lcc.nebraska.gov/legal-enforcement/rules-and-regulations\"}, {\"citation\": \"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 53-1,104 — Violations by licensee; license suspension, cancellation, or revocation, or cash penalty in lieu of suspending sales\", \"url\": \"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=53-1,104\"}, {\"citation\": \"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 53-180 — Prohibited acts relating to minors and incompetents (\\\"No person shall sell, furnish, give away, exchange, or deliver... any alcoholic liquors to or for any minor or to any person who is mentally incompetent\\\" — the duty binds any person, including the individual server, not only the establishment)\", \"url\": \"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=53-180\"}, {\"citation\": \"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 53-180.05 — Prohibited acts relating to minors and incompetents; violations; penalties (any person violating § 53-180 is guilty of a Class I misdemeanor; a knowing and intentional violation is a Class IIIA felony with a 30-day mandatory minimum where serious bodily injury or death resulted from the minor's consumption or impaired condition)\", \"url\": \"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=53-180.05\"}, {\"citation\": \"237 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 6, § 019.01N — no licensee or partner, principal, agent, or employee of any licensee may sell, serve, or furnish alcoholic beverages to (or allow possession on the licensed premises by) a person who is or has become intoxicated and/or incapacitated by alcohol or other drugs or who is mentally incapacitated\", \"url\": \"https://lcc.nebraska.gov/legal-enforcement/rules-and-regulations\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"NLCC Training and Education — official page describing the certified alcohol server/seller training and the POSSE certification process ($20 fee; voluntary vs. commission-required upload)\", \"url\": \"https://lcc.nebraska.gov/legal-enforcement/training-and-education\"}, {\"label\": \"NLCC Certified Alcohol Training Courses (official PDF) — approved-course list, the $20 processing fee, the 3-year certificate validity, and the local-ordinance notes for Lincoln, Kearney, Ogallala and North Platte\", \"url\": \"https://lcc.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/legal-enforecement/Certified%20Alcohol%20Training%20Courses%204-20-26.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 53-117.03 — enabling statute for the training/certification program (fee caps; permissive 'may become certified')\", \"url\": \"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=53-117.03\"}, {\"label\": \"NLCC Rules and Regulations (Title 237) — Ch. 14 alcohol-server-training standards; Ch. 1 §007 penalty-in-abeyance training; Ch. 6 §019.01N prohibition on the licensee or any partner, principal, agent, or employee selling, serving, or furnishing alcohol to an intoxicated or incapacitated person\", \"url\": \"https://lcc.nebraska.gov/legal-enforcement/rules-and-regulations\"}, {\"label\": \"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 53-1,104 — licensee violations; suspension or cash penalty in lieu\", \"url\": \"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=53-1,104\"}, {\"label\": \"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 53-180 — prohibition on selling or furnishing alcoholic liquor to minors or mentally incompetent persons; binds any person, including the individual server\", \"url\": \"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=53-180\"}, {\"label\": \"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 53-180.05 — penalties for violating § 53-180: Class I misdemeanor for any person; Class IIIA felony for a knowing and intentional violation where serious bodily injury or death results\", \"url\": \"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=53-180.05\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ne-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "nh-alcohol-server", "state": "New Hampshire", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "none", "mandate_detail": "No server card required; only the licensee or a designated manager must complete free state training", "who_must_get": "New Hampshire requires no alcohol server or seller card for bartenders, waitstaff, or retail clerks. Instead, under RSA 178:2, every retail liquor licensee must ensure the business's proprietor, a partner, a corporate officer, an LLC member, or a designated manager completes the Liquor Commission's Management Training Seminar within 45 calendar days of the license being issued -- with a statutory grandfather clause: the requirement does not apply to any person who already held a retail license on the effective date of that paragraph (RSA 178:2, II). For a one-day license, a management representative must train before the event -- but an applicant issued 2 or more one-day licenses during any 12-month period is required to attend the training only once during that 12-month period, not before every event (RSA 178:2, IV(b)). The Commission may suspend the license until the training is completed. Individual servers and clerks are not required to be certified, although the Commission offers them free optional training -- T.E.A.M. for on-premise staff and G.E.T.S. for off-premise/grocery staff.", "exemptions": "New Hampshire's broadest exemption is categorical: no individual server, seller, or bartender needs any card or certification at all -- the T.E.A.M. and G.E.T.S. courses are optional. The licensee-training duty in RSA 178:2 carries two statutory carve-outs of its own: (1) one-day licenses -- 'If 2 or more one-day licenses are issued to the same applicant during any 12-month period, the management representative of the applicant shall be required to attend the training program only once during that 12-month period' (RSA 178:2, IV(b)), so a nonprofit or organization running several one-day licensed events a year trains once, not before every event; and (2) a grandfather clause -- the 45-day training requirement 'shall not apply to any person who holds a retail license on the effective date of this paragraph' (RSA 178:2, II), i.e., persons continuously licensed since before the paragraph took effect. Sources checked for further carve-outs: RSA 178:2 (current text, carrying the 2025 amendment eff. July 1, 2025), RSA 179:5, and the NHLC Division of Enforcement & Licensing education/training pages -- none states a carve-out beyond the two above.", "issuing_authority": "There is no state or county office that issues an individual alcohol server card in New Hampshire. All official alcohol training is run by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, Division of Enforcement & Licensing (Training & Outreach Unit, Concord), which administers the mandatory Management Training Seminar for owners/managers and the optional employee courses -- Total Education in Alcohol Management (T.E.A.M.) for on-premise staff and the Grocer Education Training Seminar (G.E.T.S.) for off-premise/grocery staff -- through the State of New Hampshire Online Learning Portal.", "approved_provider_rule": "New Hampshire operates no approval scheme for private server-training vendors, because the state mandates no individual server credential. The state delivers all official alcohol training itself: the required Management Training Seminar for owners/managers and the optional employee courses (T.E.A.M., G.E.T.S.) are provided free by the Division of Enforcement & Licensing through the State of New Hampshire Online Learning Portal (online, with in-person classes available on request), and a Certificate of Training is issued once the course quiz is passed.", "cost_range": "There is no individual server-card fee because the state issues no such card. All official training is free: RSA 178:2 requires the Commission to provide the mandatory owner/manager training with no additional fees or cost to the licensee, and the optional employee courses (T.E.A.M., G.E.T.S.) are offered free of charge through the state online learning portal.", "validity_years": "", "county_exceptions": "None. Liquor licensing, server education, and enforcement in New Hampshire are administered solely by the state Liquor Commission; the state's cities and towns do not issue their own alcohol server cards or impose separate server-certification requirements.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"RSA 178:2 -- Licenses Authorized; Training Required (the retail licensee's proprietor/partner/officer/LLC member or a designated manager must train within 45 days; the Commission provides the training free)\", \"url\": \"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XIII/178/178-2.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"RSA 179:5 -- Prohibited Sales (duty not to sell to persons under 21 or to visibly intoxicated persons falls on the licensee, salesperson, and any person; no server-certification safe harbor)\", \"url\": \"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XIII/179/179-5.htm\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"NH Liquor Commission, Division of Enforcement & Licensing -- Education & Training (hub)\", \"url\": \"https://www.enforcement.liquor.nh.gov/education-training\"}, {\"label\": \"NHLC Enforcement -- Trainings for Licensee Employees (T.E.A.M., G.E.T.S.)\", \"url\": \"https://www.enforcement.liquor.nh.gov/education-training/trainings-licensee-employees\"}, {\"label\": \"NHLC Enforcement -- Trainings for Owners/Managers/Person in Charge (M.T.S.)\", \"url\": \"https://www.enforcement.liquor.nh.gov/education-training/trainings-ownersmanagersperson-charge\"}, {\"label\": \"State of New Hampshire Online Learning Portal -- NHLC courses (free; Certificate of Training)\", \"url\": \"https://lms.nh.gov/liquor/portal/\"}, {\"label\": \"RSA 178:2 -- Licenses Authorized; Training Required\", \"url\": \"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XIII/178/178-2.htm\"}, {\"label\": \"RSA 179:5 -- Prohibited Sales\", \"url\": \"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XIII/179/179-5.htm\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/nh-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "nj-alcohol-server", "state": "New Jersey", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "City-issued covered-employee ID cards required by local ordinance in a few municipalities; no statewide server mandate", "who_must_get": "Statewide, no individual is required to hold a server or seller card. New Jersey sets a minimum age of 18 to sell, pour, or serve alcoholic beverages and places license-discipline responsibility on the licensed establishment -- but the individual worker is not shielded: a bartender or sales clerk who sells to a person under the legal age of 21 is personally subject to a disorderly persons charge under N.J.S.A. 33:1-77 (per the current ABC Handbook for Retail Licensees). Under the New Jersey Licensed Alcoholic Beverage Server Fair Liability Act, civil dram-shop liability rests on the licensed establishment: the Act's defined term 'licensed alcoholic beverage server' means a person licensed to sell alcoholic beverages under R.S. 33:1-1 et seq. or holding an ABC permit to sell -- not the individual employee -- and the Act is the exclusive civil remedy for injury from negligent service to a visibly intoxicated person or a minor. The state mandates no training. Individual requirements arise only under municipal ordinance, and they do not depend on the municipality having its own Alcoholic Beverage Control board: any municipality -- whether its licenses are issued by the governing body or by a separate municipal ABC board -- may require covered employees (bartenders, servers, and others who serve or handle alcohol, and often supervisors and security staff) to obtain a local identification card, generally before or shortly after starting work; Hoboken (an ABC-board city) and East Newark (where the Mayor and Council issue the licenses) both do. In Hoboken, all employees who serve alcohol must also complete a course on the dangers of alcohol abuse and detecting intoxication, paid for by the licensee.", "exemptions": "New Jersey's statewide exemption is categorical: the state requires no server or seller card from anyone, so outside a municipality whose ordinance imposes one, no individual credential is needed at all -- verified by absence across the full text of the current ABC Handbook for Retail Licensees (Revised November 2015) and the Division's public pages; the Division licenses establishments, not servers. Where a local ordinance does apply, it reaches only its own defined workers: Hoboken's card requirement covers 'covered employees' -- those who serve alcoholic beverages, waiters and waitresses, persons with supervisory authority, and those performing security functions (Sec. 68-15A) -- so staff outside that definition fall outside the card rule; East Newark's Sec. 6-7 reaches all staff employed by a licensed establishment, including bartenders, waiters, waitresses, and other employees. Neither ordinance states exemption categories within its covered class -- none found. Sources checked: the current ABC Handbook (full text), the enacted Fair Liability Act text (L.1987, c.152), the njoag.gov ABC pages, Hoboken City Code Ch. 68, and East Newark Borough Code Ch. 6.", "issuing_authority": "New Jersey has no statewide server-card issuer. The state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (Department of Law & Public Safety) licenses establishments and regulates the industry but issues no individual server or seller card. Where an individual credential is required, it is issued locally by whichever municipal authority the ordinance designates -- for example, the Hoboken Department of Public Safety / Police Department ABC Unit, and the East Newark Police Department. Having a municipal ABC board is not what triggers a card requirement -- the ordinance is: East Newark has no ABC board at all (its alcoholic beverage licenses are issued by the Mayor and Council under Borough Code Sec. 6-3.2), yet it requires the card.", "approved_provider_rule": "New Jersey runs no statewide provider-approval program because it does not require or recognize a server certification; the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control neither approves nor certifies courses. National courses (such as TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol, and Learn2Serve) are sold privately and are commonly required by employers and by liquor-liability insurers, but not by the state. Where a local card is required, the individual applies to the municipality -- in Hoboken, a written ABC employee application to the Department of Public Safety with a 2x2 passport photo, fingerprints, two forms of identification, and a $50 city fee plus the State Police fingerprint-processing fee; in East Newark, registration and written application through the Police Department with fingerprints, a criminal background check, photographs, and valid government ID, with a $75 fee plus a State Police-SBI money order.", "cost_range": "No statewide server-card fee (New Jersey issues no state card). Local fees vary -- Hoboken charges a $50 city fee to issue or to renew a covered-employee identification card PLUS a separate money order or check payable to the New Jersey State Police, Identification Division, for the fingerprint-processing fee at the State Police's current posted rate (Sec. 68-15F), and $5 for a replacement card. East Newark charges $75 for the certificate or bar card, covering processing and issuance, plus a money order made out to \"The Division of the State Police - SBI\" in the amount the State requires (Borough Code Sec. 6-7, Ord. No. 07-2025). In Hoboken, where the ordinance also requires an alcohol-awareness course, the licensee (not the employee) pays for the course (Sec. 68-14A).", "validity_years": "No statewide server card. Local card terms vary -- e.g., Hoboken's covered-employee identification card is valid from issuance until June 30 of the third calendar year, then renewed; Hoboken's older licensee cards expire June 30 annually. East Newark's certificate or bar card covers the year commencing July 1 and ending June 30, with renewal applications due no later than May 31. Many other municipal cards are issued or renewed annually.", "county_exceptions": "Hoboken (City Code Ch. 68) requires every \"covered employee\" -- anyone who serves alcohol, waiters and waitresses, supervisors, and security staff -- to obtain an ABC employee identification card from the Department of Public Safety (written application, 2x2 passport photo, fingerprints, two IDs, $50 fee; valid until June 30 of the third calendar year; $50 renewal, $5 replacement) under Sec. 68-15, and requires all serving employees to complete an alcohol-abuse and intoxication-detection course paid for by the licensee under Sec. 68-14; the $50 city fee is accompanied by a separate State Police fingerprint-processing fee (Sec. 68-15F). East Newark (Borough Code Ch. 6, Sec. 6-7, amended in entirety 4-9-2025 by Ord. No. 07-2025) requires all staff -- bartenders, waiters, waitresses, and other employees -- to register and obtain a certificate or bar card through the Police Department: fingerprints, criminal background check, photographs, and valid government ID; a $75 fee plus a money order to \"The Division of the State Police - SBI\"; a temporary certificate valid up to 3 months is issued at initial filing; the card covers the year July 1 to June 30, renewal applications are due by May 31, and staff hired after July 1, 2025 must apply within 30 days of hiring. East Newark has no municipal ABC board -- its licenses are issued by the Mayor and Council (Sec. 6-3.2) -- which is why a card mandate is an ordinance question, not an ABC-board question. Similar covered-employee card or registration rules can exist in any municipality, whether licensing is administered by the governing body or by one of the 20 municipal ABC boards the current state Handbook lists (Atlantic City, Camden, Clifton, East Orange, Elizabeth, Galloway, Garfield, Hillside, Hoboken, Jersey City, Linden, Newark, North Bergen, Orange, Passaic, Paterson, Rahway, Secaucus, West New York, and West Orange); requirements vary by jurisdiction.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"N.J.S.A. 2A:22A-1 et seq. -- New Jersey Licensed Alcoholic Beverage Server Fair Liability Act (the Act's defined 'licensed alcoholic beverage server' is the person licensed under R.S. 33:1-1 et seq. or ABC-permitted to sell alcoholic beverages -- the establishment, not the individual employee; exclusive civil remedy for negligent service to a visibly intoxicated person or a minor; no training mandate)\", \"url\": \"https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll/statutes/1/112/825?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"N.J.S.A. 33:1-1 et seq. -- Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (state ABC authority; establishment licensing)\", \"url\": \"https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll/statutes/1/29291/29292?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"Hoboken City Code Ch. 68 -- Alcoholic Beverages, Sec. 68-14 (mandatory server course) and Sec. 68-15 (covered-employee identification card)\", \"url\": \"https://ecode360.com/15244218\"}, {\"citation\": \"East Newark Borough Code Ch. 6 -- Alcoholic Beverage Control (Sec. 6-3.2: all licenses issued by the Mayor and Council -- no municipal ABC board; Sec. 6-7: police-administered certificate/bar card, $75 fee plus State Police-SBI money order, July 1-June 30 term, renewals by May 31; amended in entirety 4-9-2025 by Ord. No. 07-2025, further amended by Ord. No. 13-2025)\", \"url\": \"https://ecode360.com/36256632\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"NJ Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control -- official state agency home\", \"url\": \"https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-alcoholic-beverage-control-home/\"}, {\"label\": \"NJ ABC -- Alcoholic Beverage Control Handbook for Retail Licensees (Revised November, 2015 -- the current edition, linked from the Division's ABC Publications page; the superseded March-2004 edition remains served at the old /lps/ URL and must not be cited)\", \"url\": \"https://nj.gov/oag/abc/downloads/abchandbook02.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"NJ ABC -- Publications page (the Division's own index; locator proving which Handbook edition is current)\", \"url\": \"https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-alcoholic-beverage-control-home/abc-publications/\"}, {\"label\": \"N.J.S.A. 2A:22A-1 et seq. -- Licensed Alcoholic Beverage Server Fair Liability Act\", \"url\": \"https://repo.njstatelib.org/bitstreams/27e2cd64-c355-4189-a918-36d5cd571c31/download\"}, {\"label\": \"Hoboken City Code Ch. 68 -- Alcoholic Beverages (Sec. 68-14, 68-15)\", \"url\": \"https://ecode360.com/15244218\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Hoboken -- Alcoholic Beverage Control (employee bar cards via HPD ABC Unit)\", \"url\": \"https://www.hobokennj.gov/municipal-boards/alcoholic-beverage-control\"}, {\"label\": \"East Newark Borough Code Ch. 6 -- Alcoholic Beverage Control\", \"url\": \"https://ecode360.com/36256632\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/nj-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "nm-alcohol-server", "state": "New Mexico", "certification": "Server Permit", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Required within 30 days of employment; the ABC director issues the server permit after an approved server course.", "who_must_get": "Anyone employed as a server on a licensed premises must obtain alcohol server training within 30 days of employment (NMSA 1978 § 60-6E-4). A \"server\" is any individual who sells, serves or dispenses alcoholic beverages for on- or off-premises consumption, including those who manage, direct or control the sale or service of alcohol and, where applicable, those who deliver it — bartenders, bouncers, waiters and waitresses, convenience- and grocery-store clerks, resident agents, and license owners and lease holders. Corporate officers who do not manage, direct or control the sale, delivery or service of alcohol are excluded. Servers must be 21 or older, except that 18-to-20-year-olds may hold a permit to sell or serve alcohol with meals in a full-service restaurant (but may not work as a bartender).", "exemptions": "The only exclusion from New Mexico's server-permit mandate is built into the statutory definition of 'server': under NMSA 1978 § 60-6E-3(F), 'server' does not include officers of a corporate licensee or lessee who do not manage, direct or control the sale, delivery or service of alcohol -- a corporate officer with no hands-on or supervisory role in alcohol service needs no permit. Everyone else who sells, serves or dispenses alcoholic beverages on a licensed premises is covered, including license owners and lease holders, bartenders, bouncers, waiters and waitresses, convenience- and grocery-store clerks, and resident agents. No other exemptions found. Sources checked: the Liquor Control Act compilation effective 7/1/2025 (full Article 6E plus § 60-7A-12), the ABC Rules (Title 15 NMAC, including 15.11.31), and the RLD ABC FAQs-for-Servers and Course Schedule/Provider List pages. (The age rules -- 21+ generally, 18-to-20 only in full-service restaurants with meals and never as bartender -- are restrictions on who may serve, not exemptions from the permit.)", "issuing_authority": "Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC) of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department. Under NMSA 1978 § 60-6E-7, the ABC director issues the server permit to each applicant who completes an ABC-approved provider's alcohol server education course and exam. The permit is the property of the server and is mailed to the applicant. Temporary server permits are time-limited: § 60-6E-7(A) lets the director issue them at the director's discretion and sets no duration itself, but the governing rule does -- under 15.11.31 NMAC, temporary server permits are valid for 120 days from the date the exam is successfully completed (photocopies of the designated application copy or a computer print-out are not valid temporary permits), and the RLD provider-list page states the same: temporary permits are only valid for 120 days from the date the class was taken. A server past that 120-day window whose permanent card has not arrived is no longer covered by the temporary permit. For the missing-card scenario the two official RLD pages give different contacts -- the FAQs-for-Servers page says to call the ABC office at 505-476-4875, while the provider-list page directs the same inquiry to (505) 476-4547 or abc.serverpermits@rld.nm.gov (the server-permit desk); both are official RLD contacts.", "approved_provider_rule": "Training may be delivered only by providers the ABC director certifies; each authorized provider is assigned an \"ASE-\" number, must use a director-approved curriculum, and must post a $5,000 surety bond -- or, at the director's discretion, submit other evidence of financial responsibility satisfactory to the director in lieu of the bond (NMSA 1978 §§ 60-6E-3, 60-6E-5; the in-lieu alternative is § 60-6E-5(C)). Applicants take the New Mexico course (not the national version) from an authorized provider — online (Way to Serve, Certus/SellerServerOnline, ServSafe/NM Restaurant Association) or in person in Albuquerque — and on passing the course the ABC director issues the server permit, which is mailed to the server. Lost permits and duplicate copies are requested through the NM-PLUS online portal.", "cost_range": "$30–$35 for the required ABC-approved server-training course (per the RLD approved-provider list: NM Restaurant Association / ServSafe $30 online and in person; Certus / SellerServerOnline $34 online; Way to Serve $34.99 plus tax online; Alcohol Server's Training Services $35 in person). There is no fixed statutory state permit fee — NMSA 1978 § 60-6E-7(D) authorizes but does not require the ABC director to charge a separate issuance fee, and the permit card is mailed by ABC with no additional charge listed.", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "None. The server-permit requirement is statewide and uniform under the Alcohol Server Education Article of the Liquor Control Act. New Mexico counties and municipalities regulate liquor licensing through local option districts, but they do not issue or require a separate local alcohol-server card.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"NMSA 1978, § 60-6E-4 (Server training required; alcohol service or sales — no person shall be employed as a server unless that person obtains alcohol server training within 30 days of employment)\", \"url\": \"https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/4443/1/document.do\"}, {\"citation\": \"NMSA 1978, § 60-6E-7 (Server permits; issuance; ownership; fees — director issues the server permit; permit is the property of the server; valid three years from issuance; director may charge a fee; director may issue temporary server permits at discretion)\", \"url\": \"https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/4443/1/document.do\"}, {\"citation\": \"NMSA 1978, §§ 60-6E-3, 60-6E-5 (Definitions of server, provider and program; director approval of programs; $5,000 provider surety bond, or -- at the director's discretion -- other evidence of financial responsibility in lieu, § 60-6E-5(C))\", \"url\": \"https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/4443/1/document.do\"}, {\"citation\": \"NMSA 1978, § 60-6E-9 (Alcohol server education required for license renewal — each server must have held a valid server permit as a condition of the establishment's license renewal)\", \"url\": \"https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/4443/1/document.do\"}, {\"citation\": \"NMSA 1978, § 60-7A-12(E) (licensee violation to employ or engage a person to sell/serve alcohol who has not received server training within 30 days of employment)\", \"url\": \"https://nmonesource.com/nmos/nmsa/en/4443/1/document.do\"}, {\"citation\": \"New Mexico Administrative Code, Title 15 (ABC Rules) — 15.11.31 NMAC (alcohol server education program: permit issuance, distribution and replacement — temporary server permits are valid for 120 days from the date the exam is successfully completed; provider, instructor and program certification; and the provider surety bond) and 15.11.2.14 NMAC (server certifications / server permits); the penalty schedule sits in Chapter 10 at 15.10.61 NMAC (item 316, Employing a Person Without a Server Permit — up to $500)\", \"url\": \"https://www.rld.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ABC-NMAC-ABC-Rules-Revised-9.28.2021-Issued-11.9.2021-1_-1.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"NM RLD Alcoholic Beverage Control — FAQs for Servers (who must get a server permit, how to get and renew it, age rules)\", \"url\": \"https://www.rld.nm.gov/abc/frequently-asked-questions/for-servers/\"}, {\"label\": \"NM RLD ABC — Alcohol Server Training Course Schedule & Approved Provider List (authorized ASE providers; course fees $30–$35; NM course vs. national)\", \"url\": \"https://www.rld.nm.gov/abc/server-permit-renew-or-request-duplicate-copy/course-schedule-provider-list/\"}, {\"label\": \"NMSA Chapter 60 Liquor Control Act (official RLD/ABC compilation, effective 7/1/2025) — Article 6E Alcohol Server Education, §§ 60-6E-1 through 60-6E-12\", \"url\": \"https://www.rld.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ABC-NMSA-Chapter-60-LCA-effective-7.1.2025-issued-7.24.2025-UNLOCKED.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"NM ABC Administrative Rules (NMAC Title 15; issued 11/9/2021) — server education program (15.11.31), server certifications (15.11.2.14), penalty schedule (15.10.61)\", \"url\": \"https://www.rld.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ABC-NMAC-ABC-Rules-Revised-9.28.2021-Issued-11.9.2021-1_-1.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"NM RLD ABC — Laws, Rules and Regulations (source page linking the Liquor Control Act and ABC rules PDFs)\", \"url\": \"https://www.rld.nm.gov/abc/laws-rules-and-regulations/\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/nm-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "nv-alcohol-server", "state": "Nevada", "certification": "Alcohol Education Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Required only in counties of 100,000 or more (currently Clark and Washoe), or in a jurisdiction -- a city or other political subdivision, not only the county itself -- located in a county under 100,000 whose own governing body opts in by majority vote of its members (NRS 369.630(7)(b)); off-premises sealed-container sellers are covered only in counties of 700,000 or more (only Clark); a covered worker must obtain the card within 30 days of hire.", "who_must_get": "Any person hired to sell or serve alcoholic beverages, or to perform the duties of a security guard, at a covered establishment must complete a certified program and hold a valid alcohol education card within 30 days of being hired. On-premises businesses that sell by the drink (bars, restaurants, taverns, clubs open to the public) are covered in counties of 100,000 or more; off-premises sellers of sealed containers (liquor and packaged-goods stores) count as an establishment only in counties of 700,000 or more, so packaged-goods clerks are covered only in Clark County. The legal duty to ensure each worker is carded falls on the establishment's owner or operator, and a violation is a civil infraction issued to the establishment; wholesale dealers and private clubs not open to the public are excluded.", "exemptions": "No occupational carve-outs were found in NRS 369.625-369.635 or in the awareness-card provisions of the Nevada Administrative Code (statute, administrative code, and Department of Taxation guidance searched). The mandate limits itself geographically rather than by occupation: cards are required only in counties with population 100,000 or more (currently Clark and Washoe) -- and for off-premises package sellers only in counties of 700,000 or more (currently Clark) -- plus any smaller jurisdiction, county or city, that opts in under NRS 369.630(7)(b). Workers in jurisdictions outside that scope are not required to hold a card.", "issuing_authority": "The Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education (CPE) develops the curriculum and, through its Administrator, certifies the alcoholic beverage awareness programs and approves the in-person testing locations. The certified private schools -- not a government office -- issue the plastic alcohol education card and keep the issuance records; CPE publishes the list of approved providers and handles complaints.", "approved_provider_rule": "A provider is certified by the Administrator of the Commission on Postsecondary Education after submitting qualified instructors and a curriculum covering the statutory topics (the clinical effects of alcohol, identifying and discontinuing service to intoxicated patrons, applicable alcohol laws, preventing disturbances, and preventing sales to minors). The two official sources set different hour minimums, and both apply: NRS 369.625(2)(a) requires not fewer than 2 hours of instruction, while the certification rule the program must meet, NAC 394.715(1)(b), sets per-topic minimums that total 3.5 hours -- 1 hour on the clinical effects of alcohol on the human body, plus 30 minutes each on identifying intoxicated persons, discontinuing service to them, applicable state and local laws, preventing and halting fights or disturbances, and preventing service to minors -- so a certified course contains at least 3.5 instructional hours, ending in a closed-book final exam. A person earns the card by completing a certified program and scoring at least 75 percent on each exam subject; courses may be taken online, but the exam must be proctored in person at a CPE-approved location. The certified school issues the plastic alcohol education card (name of holder, provider name, unique ID number, issue and expiration dates) and keeps a record of issuance. CPE publishes the approved-provider list, which includes schools such as TAM of Nevada and the Nevada Restaurant Association.", "cost_range": "State law caps a certified program at no more than $40 per person (NRS 369.625). Approved providers set their own price at or below that cap; the card itself carries no separate state fee.", "validity_years": "4 years (renew by re-completing a certified program)", "county_exceptions": "The state rule applies automatically to on-premises establishments in counties whose population is 100,000 or more -- currently Clark (Las Vegas) and Washoe (Reno). Off-premises package sellers are treated as an establishment only in counties of 700,000 or more -- currently only Clark. In a county under 100,000, the opt-in unit is the jurisdiction, not only the county: NRS 369.630(7)(b) applies the requirement in any jurisdiction 'located in a county whose population is less than 100,000, if the governing body of the jurisdiction has, by the affirmative vote of a majority of its members, agreed to be bound' -- so a city council in a small county can opt its city in even if the county itself has not, and a worker in that city then needs the card. Where the state rule applies, NRS 369.635 preempts local governments from adopting their own server-education standards; a local government may set its own only in a jurisdiction where the state rule does not apply.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"NRS 369.610 -- 'Alcoholic beverage awareness program' defined\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-369.html#NRS369Sec610\"}, {\"citation\": \"NRS 369.620 -- 'Establishment' defined (on-premises by-the-drink businesses; off-premises sealed-container sellers only in counties of 700,000 or more; retail liquor stores included; wholesale dealers and non-public private clubs excluded)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-369.html#NRS369Sec620\"}, {\"citation\": \"NRS 369.625 -- Curriculum (not fewer than 2 hours), certification of the program by the Commission, $40 cost cap, and 4-year alcohol education card\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-369.html#NRS369Sec625\"}, {\"citation\": \"NRS 369.630 -- Owner/operator must ensure employees who sell or serve alcohol or work security complete a certified program and obtain a valid alcohol education card within 30 days of hire; applies only in jurisdictions located in counties of 100,000 or more, or in jurisdictions in smaller counties whose own governing body opts in by majority vote (subsec. (7)(b)); violation is a civil infraction\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-369.html#NRS369Sec630\"}, {\"citation\": \"NRS 369.635 -- Political subdivisions prohibited from adopting their own server-education standards, except where NRS 369.630 does not apply\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-369.html#NRS369Sec635\"}, {\"citation\": \"NAC 394.715 -- Requirements for certification of an alcoholic beverage awareness program (curriculum hours by topic totaling 3.5 hours: 1 hour clinical effects + five 30-minute topics; closed-book final exam; distance-education exam must be proctored by the provider or a person/entity approved by the Administrator)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NAC/NAC-394.html#NAC394Sec715\"}, {\"citation\": \"NAC 394.730 -- Alcohol education card: issued on a 75% score in each subject; plastic form; must show holder name, provider, unique ID, issue and expiration dates; provider keeps issuance record\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NAC/NAC-394.html#NAC394Sec730\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Nevada Legislature -- NRS 369.600 to 369.635 (Alcoholic Beverage Awareness Programs)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-369.html#NRS369Sec600\"}, {\"label\": \"Nevada Legislature -- NRS 369.630 (employee alcohol-education-card requirement; 30-day window; applies only in counties of 100,000+ or opt-in jurisdictions)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-369.html#NRS369Sec630\"}, {\"label\": \"Nevada Legislature -- NRS 369.625 ($40 cost cap; 4-year card; program certification)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-369.html#NRS369Sec625\"}, {\"label\": \"Nevada Legislature -- NAC 394.715 & 394.730 (program certification; alcohol education card issuance)\", \"url\": \"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NAC/NAC-394.html#NAC394Sec730\"}, {\"label\": \"Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education -- Approved Alcohol Beverage Training Providers (current list, published 2/28/2026: card facts, in-person proctoring at a CPE-approved location, provider names, complaint contact)\", \"url\": \"https://www.cpe.nv.gov/siteassets/content/home/alcohol-awareness-approved-providers-02-2026.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education -- Licensure home\", \"url\": \"https://cpe.nv.gov/Licensure/Licensure_Home/\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/nv-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ny-alcohol-server", "state": "New York", "certification": "Certificate of Completion of an Approved Alcohol Training Awareness Program", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "state-recognized ATAP. New York issues a Certificate of Completion, not a server card, and it expires three years from the date of the program session. The certificate's legal value runs to the licensee rather than the server, and only on conditions (ABC Law §65(6)–(7))", "who_must_get": "No individual is legally required to hold a Certificate of Completion. No provision of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law requires a server, bartender, or off-premises clerk to be trained or certified; the SLA states only that the Authority \"recommends that all licensees and employees who serve or sell alcoholic beverages take an Alcohol Training Awareness Program.\" Employers ask for it anyway because the certificate's legal value runs to the licensee — and each benefit is narrower than it is usually described. (1) The affirmative defense exists only for underage sales: in a proceeding under ABC Law §118 to revoke, cancel, or suspend a license \"in which proceeding it is alleged that a person violated subdivision one of this section\" — that is, §65(1), selling, delivering, or giving alcohol to a person under 21 — it is an affirmative defense that the person who committed the alleged violation held a valid certificate of completion or renewal; the defense does not exist for a §65(2) charge of serving a visibly intoxicated person. The certificate alone is also not enough: the statute requires that \"[s]uch licensee shall have diligently implemented and complied with all of the provisions of the approved training program,\" and \"the licensee must prove each element of such affirmative defense by a preponderance of the credible evidence\" (ABC Law §65(6)(b)) — evidence of three unlawful underage sales by any employee within a two-year period is weighed against the licensee on that question. (2) The 25% civil-penalty reduction has preconditions: where a charge is sustained that a person violated §65(1) or §65(2), any civil penalty imposed is reduced by 25% only if the licensee has had no adjudicated violation of the ABC Law at that licensed premises within the previous five-year period and submits written proof, within 90 days of the imposition of the civil penalty, that all of its employees involved in the direct sale or service of alcoholic beverages to the public at that premises hold a valid certificate of completion or renewal (ABC Law §65(7)(b); the five-year period is measured from the dates the violations occurred). Responsibility rests on the licensed establishment and its staff to comply with the ABC Law, including the ban on selling or serving alcohol to anyone under 21.", "exemptions": "Nobody in New York is required to hold this credential, so there is no exempt class — there is no mandate to be exempt from. The ATAP framework is voluntary at every level, and the practical question is not \"am I exempt?\" but \"who actually benefits from the certificate?\"\n\n**No individual server needs anything.** No provision of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law requires a server, bartender, waiter, or off-premises clerk to be trained or certified to sell or serve alcohol. The New York State Liquor Authority only \"recommends that all licensees and employees who serve or sell alcoholic beverages take an Alcohol Training Awareness Program,\" noting that training \"may reduce the penalty imposed\" if the Authority charges the establishment with a violation (NY SLA, Alcohol Training Awareness Program). A server who has never taken the course is breaking no law, and no New York county or city was found to add a local server-card mandate (see County exceptions).\n\n**No licensee is required to hold a program approval either.** ABC Law §17(12)(b): \"No licensee shall be required to apply for any such certificate or renewal certificate and the licensee may voluntarily surrender such a certificate or renewal certificate at any time.\" In context, \"such certificate\" is the SLA Certificate of Approval — the credential a school, trade association, franchisor, or multi-premises licensee obtains in order to give the training under §17(12)(a). It is not the student's Certificate of Completion, which approved schools issue to everyone who completes the course.\n\n**The certificate's benefits run to the licensee, not to the server — and both carry conditions.** A server gains no legal immunity by holding one. The establishment gains two things, each hedged: (1) an affirmative defense under ABC Law §65(6)(b), available only in a §118 proceeding alleging a violation of §65(1) (sale to a person under 21) and not for a §65(2) charge of serving a visibly intoxicated person — and only if the licensee has also \"diligently implemented and complied with all of the provisions of the approved training program,\" proving each element by a preponderance of the credible evidence; and (2) a 25% reduction of any civil penalty under ABC Law §65(7)(b), available only where the licensee has had no adjudicated ABC Law violation at that licensed premises within the previous five years and submits written proof, within 90 days of the penalty's imposition, that all employees involved in the direct sale or service of alcohol to the public at that premises hold a valid certificate of completion or renewal.\n\nSources checked for a mandate or an exemption: the statute (ABC Law §65 and §17(12)), the issuing agency's program page (NY SLA, Alcohol Training Awareness Program), and the agency's own forms (ATAP Certificate of Approval Application; Certificate of Completion). None imposes a duty on any individual to be certified.", "issuing_authority": "New York State Liquor Authority (SLA). The SLA certifies the training schools; the individual's Certificate of Completion is issued by the SLA-certified school that delivers the course, not by the SLA directly.", "approved_provider_rule": "An individual takes the course (classroom, online, or distance learning) from any school on the SLA's \"Certified ATAP Schools\" list and receives a Certificate of Completion from that school — there is no separate state-issued card, and the individual pays no fee to the SLA. The SLA's form Certificate of Completion states on its face that it \"expires three years from the date of the program session.\" Behind that: training schools apply to the SLA for a Certificate of Approval as an Alcohol Training Awareness Program (ATAP) provider; the curriculum must cover the minimum criteria the SLA's application form attributes to Part 106.3 of the Authority's rules and regulations (the licensee's and server's duty not to sell to anyone under 21 under ABC Law §65, the right to refuse service to an underage, intoxicated, or unidentified patron, the forms of written evidence of age acceptable under ABC Law §65-b(2), and detecting false identification). The Certificate of Approval issues once the school pays the $900 certificate fee (a school fee, not a student fee — see Cost for the statute-versus-form conflict on when it is due) and expires after three years unless renewed. Approved schools are published on the SLA's \"Certified ATAP Schools\" list.", "cost_range": "New York sets no fee for the individual server's course — each SLA-certified ATAP school prices its own classroom, online, or distance-learning course, and a server pays the SLA nothing. The only state fee is the $900 Certificate of Approval fee, paid by the school (not by servers) to become and remain an approved ATAP provider; an approval lasts three years. Two official sources conflict on when that $900 is due, and both are current, so both are stated here. The statute — ABC Law §17(12)(b) — says \"A fee in the amount of nine hundred dollars shall be paid to the authority with each application for a certificate of approval or renewal certificate,\" adding that the Authority \"shall promptly refund such fee to an applicant whose application was denied.\" The SLA's own current ATAP Certificate of Approval Application form instead instructs applicants, in capitals, \"DO NOT SEND PAYMENT WITH THE APPLICATION\" — the Secretary's Office grants approval \"conditioned on payment of a certificate fee of $900,\" and \"You will not receive the Certificate of Approval until the Authority receives the $900.\" The amount is identical either way; the disagreement is about payment timing and affects schools applying to teach, not servers taking the course.", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "None identified. The ATAP framework is administered statewide by the SLA; no New York county or city imposes its own separate alcohol-server card beyond it.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"N.Y. Alcoholic Beverage Control Law §65(6) — in a §118 proceeding to revoke, cancel or suspend a license \\\"in which proceeding it is alleged that a person violated subdivision one of this section\\\" (sale to a person under 21), it is an affirmative defense that the person who committed the alleged violation \\\"held a valid certificate of completion or renewal from an entity authorized to give and administer an alcohol training awareness program.\\\" The defense is limited to §65(1) underage-sale proceedings — it is not available against a §65(2) charge of serving a visibly intoxicated person — and the certificate is not sufficient on its own: \\\"Such licensee shall have diligently implemented and complied with all of the provisions of the approved training program,\\\" and \\\"the licensee must prove each element of such affirmative defense by a preponderance of the credible evidence.\\\" Evidence of three unlawful sales to persons under 21 by any employee within a two-year period is considered in determining whether the licensee diligently implemented the program.\", \"url\": \"https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ABC/65\"}, {\"citation\": \"N.Y. Alcoholic Beverage Control Law §65(7) — where a charge is sustained that a person violated subdivision one (under-21 sale) or subdivision two (visibly intoxicated person) and \\\"the licensee has not had any adjudicated violation of this chapter at the licensed premises where the violation occurred within the previous five year period,\\\" any civil penalty imposed \\\"shall be reduced by twenty-five percent if the licensee submits written proof, within ninety days of the imposition of such civil penalty, that all of the licensee's employees involved in the direct sale or service of alcoholic beverages to the public at the licensed premises where the violation occurred have obtained a valid certificate of completion or renewal\\\" (§65(7)(b)). \\\"For the purposes of this subdivision, the five year period shall be measured from the dates that the violations occurred.\\\" Separately, §65(7)(a) provides that where the person who committed the violation held a valid certificate at the time, the civil penalty for that offense shall be recovery of the penal sum of the bond on file during the period in which the violation took place.\", \"url\": \"https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ABC/65\"}, {\"citation\": \"N.Y. Alcoholic Beverage Control Law §17(12) — the Authority sets the minimum criteria for alcohol training awareness programs and issues certificates of approval to the schools and other entities that give them. §17(12)(b): \\\"No licensee shall be required to apply for any such certificate or renewal certificate and the licensee may voluntarily surrender such a certificate or renewal certificate at any time. A fee in the amount of nine hundred dollars shall be paid to the authority with each application for a certificate of approval or renewal certificate... Each certificate of approval and renewal thereof shall be issued for a period of three years.\\\" The same subdivision requires that \\\"[e]ach entity authorized to give and administer an alcohol training awareness program shall issue certificates of completion to all licensees and employees who successfully complete\\\" the program — the individual's credential is a certificate of completion, not a state-issued card.\", \"url\": \"https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ABC/17\"}, {\"citation\": \"N.Y. State Liquor Authority — Alcohol Training Awareness Program: the Authority \\\"recommends that all licensees and employees who serve or sell alcoholic beverages take an Alcohol Training Awareness Program\\\" and notes that, if it charges a licensee with a violation, \\\"proof that your staff has participated in training may reduce the penalty imposed.\\\" The SLA approves ATAP schools; the Certificate of Completion expires three years from the program session date.\", \"url\": \"https://sla.ny.gov/training\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"NY State Liquor Authority — Training / Alcohol Training Awareness Program (SLA recommends training; proof of training may reduce the penalty imposed)\", \"url\": \"https://sla.ny.gov/training\"}, {\"label\": \"NY SLA — Certified ATAP Schools (official approved-provider directory)\", \"url\": \"https://sla.ny.gov/certified-atap-schools\"}, {\"label\": \"NY SLA — Certificate of Completion form ('Certificate of Completion of an Approved Alcohol Training Awareness Program'; 'This Certificate of Completion expires three years from the date of the program session')\", \"url\": \"https://sla.ny.gov/certificate-completion\"}, {\"label\": \"NY SLA — ATAP Certificate of Approval Application (school credential: $900 certificate fee, 'DO NOT SEND PAYMENT WITH THE APPLICATION', approval conditioned on payment, expires in three years, required curriculum topics)\", \"url\": \"https://sla.ny.gov/atap-certificate-application\"}, {\"label\": \"N.Y. Alcoholic Beverage Control Law §65 (NY Senate) — §65(1) under-21 sales; §65(2) visibly intoxicated persons; §65(6) affirmative defense in under-21 proceedings, conditioned on diligent implementation of the approved program; §65(7) 25% civil-penalty reduction and its five-year and 90-day conditions\", \"url\": \"https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ABC/65\"}, {\"label\": \"N.Y. Alcoholic Beverage Control Law §17(12) (NY Senate) — SLA power over alcohol training awareness programs; no licensee required to apply for a certificate of approval; $900 fee payable with each application; three-year approval; approved entities issue certificates of completion\", \"url\": \"https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ABC/17\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ny-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "oh-alcohol-server", "state": "Ohio", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "Safe-harbor mitigation for the licensed permit holder; free state ASK course, no individual mandate", "who_must_get": "No individual server, seller, or bartender is legally required to hold a card in Ohio. Instead, Ohio Revised Code 4301.253 makes training an affirmative mitigation for the licensed establishment: when the Liquor Control Commission considers whether to suspend or revoke a Chapter 4303 liquor permit, or to allow the permit holder to pay a forfeiture, it must consider whether the permit holder and the permit holder's employees have completed a training program covering (A) the statutes and rules governing alcohol sales, (B) prevention of illegal serving to persons under 21, (C) conflict-management skills in alcohol-related situations, and (D) methods to safely evacuate the premises in an emergency. This safe-harbor is why permit holders have their servers and sellers take the free ASK course even though no law compels the individual to.", "exemptions": "There is no exemption list because there is nothing to be exempt from: Ohio law requires no individual server, seller, or bartender to hold an alcohol server card or certificate in the first place. Training is a voluntary safe-harbor that benefits the establishment -- Ohio Revised Code 4301.253 directs the Liquor Control Commission to consider whether the permit holder and its employees completed qualifying training when weighing permit suspension, revocation, or a forfeiture election, and that consideration binds the Commission, not the individual worker. Sources checked for any individual mandate or carve-out (none found): ORC 4301.253 (the training-consideration statute), ORC 4301.252 (the forfeiture election it references), the ORC Chapter 4303 liquor-permit index, the OIU Alcohol Server Knowledge (ASK) program page, the Ohio Dept. of Commerce/Division of Liquor Control ASK page, and the OIU/DPS program bulletin.", "issuing_authority": "The Ohio Investigative Unit (OIU), a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, develops and delivers the state's Alcohol Server Knowledge (ASK) course and issues the completion certificate; it runs the program in partnership with the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control, the state's alcohol regulator. The Ohio Liquor Control Commission is the body that weighs whether a permit holder and its employees completed training when deciding permit penalties. Ohio does not designate an exclusive credential issuer, so private training vendors may also issue their own server certificates.", "approved_provider_rule": "Ohio does not operate a formal approved-provider registry for alcohol-server training. Ohio Revised Code 4301.253 instead defines the four curriculum elements a program must cover to count toward mitigation. The state's own ASK course is delivered free by the Ohio Investigative Unit on the state's Ohio Learn platform, launched from the OIU ASK program page and requiring a free OHID account; the learner completes the course, passes a final exam, and is issued a completion certificate. Employers may instead use a private course that covers the same statutory elements.", "cost_range": "The state's ASK course is free for all participants -- the Ohio Investigative Unit offers it both online and in person at no charge, and no statutory fee applies. Any price for a private third-party server course is set by that provider.", "validity_years": "No state-set expiration. Because Ohio imposes no individual server mandate, the ASK certificate carries no statutory renewal period; any refresh cycle is set by the training provider, not by the state.", "county_exceptions": "Ohio administers alcohol permits centrally through the Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control, with enforcement by the Ohio Investigative Unit; the state does not delegate server-credentialing to counties or cities, and no separate county or city individual server-card requirement is established.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 4301.253 -- Liquor Control Commission must consider whether the permit holder and employees completed a qualifying training program when deciding permit suspension/revocation or forfeiture (eff. Apr. 7, 2004, S.B. 23, 125th G.A.)\", \"url\": \"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4301.253\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 4301.252 -- permit-holder forfeiture election referenced by the training-consideration statute\", \"url\": \"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4301.252\"}, {\"citation\": \"Ohio Rev. Code Chapter 4303 -- liquor permits (the establishment permits whose penalties the training consideration applies to)\", \"url\": \"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/chapter-4303\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Ohio Investigative Unit -- Alcohol Server Knowledge Program (ASK)\", \"url\": \"https://oiu.ohio.gov/schools-and-businesses/resources/ask\"}, {\"label\": \"Ohio Dept. of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control -- Alcohol Server Knowledge Program\", \"url\": \"https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/liquor-control/social-responsibility-and-alcohol-abuse-prevention/alcohol-server-knowledge-program\"}, {\"label\": \"Ohio Rev. Code Sec. 4301.253 (training-program consideration)\", \"url\": \"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4301.253\"}, {\"label\": \"Ohio Dept. of Public Safety / OIU bulletin -- 'OIU Offers Online Alcohol Server Knowledge course' (course is free; certificate on completion)\", \"url\": \"https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHOSHP/bulletins/302f225\"}, {\"label\": \"Ohio Learn portal (Public Safety Training Campus) -- ASK course accessed via OHID login\", \"url\": \"https://learning.dps.ohio.gov/\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/oh-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ok-alcohol-server", "state": "Oklahoma", "certification": "Alcoholic Beverage Employee License", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Employee license plus ABLE-approved server training required within 14 days of licensure", "who_must_get": "Any employee who participates in the service, mixing, or sale of alcoholic beverages at an ABLE-licensed establishment -- a package store, retail spirits, retail wine or retail beer store, brewpub, mixed beverage establishment, beer and wine establishment, bottle club, or public event -- must hold an employee license. A manager employed by a mixed beverage, public event, or bottle club licensee must hold one whether or not the manager serves. Applicants must be at least 18 years old (16 for grocery or convenience store employees), and no one under 21 may be employed to sell spirits (18-and-older staff may open and serve beer and wine, or serve premade shaker-tin drinks mixed by someone 21 or older). Hotel employees who stock room mini-bars are also covered. First-time applicants must complete an approved server-training course no later than 14 days after initial licensure; for an event bartender that course must be an approved in-person course (ABLE: 'Online Training Programs are not available for the Event Bartender License'). Employees who do not take part in the service, mixing, or sale of mixed beverages at certain licensees, and special-event, caterer (unless catering a mixed-beverage premises), airline/railroad, and wholesale-only staff, are exempt (see exemptions).", "exemptions": "37A O.S. Sec. 2-121 carves out several groups who do not need the employee license. Non-participants at listed licensee types: in the statute's words, 'Persons employed by a mixed beverage, on-premises beer and wine, retail wine, retail beer, public event or a bottle club licensee who do not participate in the service, mixing or sale of mixed beverages shall not be required' to be licensed -- but this carve-out does not extend to a manager employed by a mixed beverage, public event, or bottle club licensee, who must hold the license whether or not the manager participates. Also exempt under Sec. 2-121: employees of special event licensees; employees of caterers, unless catering a premises licensed for mixed beverages; employees of airline and railroad beverage licensees; and employees of beer distributors and other ABLE licensees that sell only to other licensees rather than to the public (wholesale-only). Note the scope of the non-participant carve-out: it names only the licensee types listed above, so it is not a general exemption for every non-serving employee at every ABLE-licensed business.", "issuing_authority": "Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission. The Commission issues the individual employee license through its online licensing portal (Accela) and approves the server-training programs that satisfy the training prerequisite.", "approved_provider_rule": "The applicant must successfully complete one server-training course conducted by the ABLE Commission or by another entity approved by the Commission -- an employer's in-house training program qualifies. The Commission publishes the approved-provider list (in-person and online), which includes ACE Alcohol Compliance Education (Oklahoma Restaurant Association), TIPS/360training, Learn2Serve, A+ Server Education, Rserving, ServSafe Alcohol, and Techniques of Alcohol Management (TAM), among others. Exception -- event bartenders: ABLE states plainly that 'Online Training Programs are not available for the Event Bartender License,' so a bartender working under a public event licensee cannot satisfy the training requirement with an online course. An event bartender must complete an approved in-person course -- ABLE's page states 'In-person training is required for the Event Bartender License,' adds that those in-person sessions also satisfy the training requirement for the ordinary Alcoholic Beverage Employee Server License, and as of August 2026 the list comprises ACE Alcohol Compliance Education (ORA), By-Way In-Person Event Bartender Training, and Raise the Bar: Responsible Alcohol Service Certification -- and the ABLE Commission also offers its own event-bartender classes (seating limited). The employee license itself is applied for through the ABLE Commission's online licensing portal (Accela); the certificate of completion must be uploaded to the licensee's ACCELA account and be available for ABLE inspection at the workplace within 14 days of licensure.", "cost_range": "$30.00 statutory license fee (37A O.S. Sec. 2-101), plus a $3.50 online convenience fee, at application and at each two-year renewal; $5.00 of the fee is deposited in the state Alcoholic Beverage Governance Revolving Fund. The required server-training course is priced separately by the provider chosen.", "validity_years": "2", "county_exceptions": "The mandate is statewide, but 37A O.S. Sec. 2-121 also requires an employee to hold a health card issued by the county in which they are employed if that county issues such a card. No county issues a separate server card in place of the state employee license.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"37A O.S. Sec. 2-121 -- Employee License (who must hold it; ages; 14-day server-training prerequisite; ABLE-approved programs)\", \"url\": \"https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=479556\"}, {\"citation\": \"37A O.S. Sec. 2-101 -- Annual license fees; subsec. (A)(22) Employee License $30.00; subsec. (E) employee licenses valid for two (2) years\", \"url\": \"https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=479534\"}, {\"citation\": \"37A O.S. Sec. 6-130.1 -- Attributing Actions of an Employee to Establishment; affirmative defenses (context)\", \"url\": \"https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=549209\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-08-03", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"ABLE Commission -- Employee License and Server Training (approved-provider list; 14-day rule)\", \"url\": \"https://oklahoma.gov/able-commission/licensing/employee-license-and-server-training.html\"}, {\"label\": \"ABLE Commission -- Individual License Guide (EMP: $30 + $3.50; authorizes work where alcohol is sold)\", \"url\": \"https://oklahoma.gov/able-commission/licensing/license-and-permit-guide/individual-license-guide.html\"}, {\"label\": \"ABLE Commission -- FAQs (age 16/18/21; complete training within 14 days of licensure)\", \"url\": \"https://oklahoma.gov/able-commission/faqs.html\"}, {\"label\": \"ABLE Commission -- Online Licensing Portal (Accela)\", \"url\": \"https://aca-prod.accela.com/ABLE/Default.aspx\"}, {\"label\": \"37A O.S. Sec. 2-101 -- Annual license fees; $30 employee fee, 2-year validity\", \"url\": \"https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=479534\"}, {\"label\": \"OSCN official statute -- 37A O.S. Sec. 2-121 Employee License\", \"url\": \"https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=479556\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ok-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "or-alcohol-server", "state": "Oregon", "certification": "OLCC Service Permit", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Required before serving; OLCC-approved class + proctored test, 45 days after applying to finish", "who_must_get": "Any individual employed by — or acting on behalf of or at the direction of — an OLCC licensee who mixes, sells, or serves alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises where served or sold, dispenses malt beverages/wine/cider into securely covered containers the consumer provides (e.g., growler fills), or directly supervises people who do those tasks (ORS 471.360(1)). The growler/consumer-container duty is not limited to on-premises businesses: OLCC states that 'store clerks/employees responsible for filling growlers at an off-premises licensed business are also required to have a valid service permit' — so grocery-store and bottle-shop clerks who fill growlers need one too. Nor is the duty employee-only: under ORS 471.360(1)(d), as amended in 2024, a licensee who holds or applies for a license authorizing on-premises sale or service must personally hold a service permit unless the licensee designates another permit-holding individual who exercises control over the business's alcohol-sales practices (ORS 471.360(2)); OAR 845-009-0010(1)(d) applies the same requirement to the individual principals of a licensed legal entity who perform those duties. Since March 31, 2025, the application, fee, approved server-education course, and OLCC-proctored test must all be completed before the person mixes, sells, or serves alcohol; applicants then have 45 days after applying to finish the course and pass the test to receive the five-year permit. Working without a required permit is a Class B violation (ORS 471.360(6)).", "exemptions": "Not everyone who works around alcohol needs the permit. OAR 845-009-0010(2) lists three groups who are 'not required to have a valid service permit or temporary service permit': (a) 'The holders of Public Passenger Carriers licensees and their alcohol servers whose primary business is transportation (for example airlines and most trains), but it does not waive the requirement for Public Passenger Carriers whose primary business is touring (for example tour boats in Oregon waters more than 30 days per calendar year and small excursion-type railroads)'; (b) 'The holders of some temporary sales licenses pursuant to OAR 845-005-0440, and their alcohol servers, including employees and volunteers serving alcoholic beverages for a nonprofit or charitable organization with a temporary sales license' — so a volunteer pouring at a nonprofit's or charity's temporary-sales-license event does not need a permit; and (c) 'Persons serving or providing alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption at a location that does not have a Commission-issued liquor license and the activity does not require a Commission-issued liquor license.' There is also a role carve-out, in OLCC's own words: 'If you set up and clear tables, work in the kitchen, check ID at the door, or work as a janitor, bouncer, or security person, you do not need a service permit as long as you do not also mix, serve, or sell alcohol' — and, per the same OLCC page, as long as you do not supervise those who do. The statutory authority behind the rule-based exceptions is ORS 471.360(5) (commission may waive the requirement by rule); ORS 471.360(2) separately lets an individual licensee avoid holding a personal permit by designating a permit-holding responsible person.", "issuing_authority": "Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC)", "approved_provider_rule": "The required course must be an OLCC-approved Alcohol Server Education class taken through an independent OLCC-approved provider (available online or in person); the OLCC does not teach the class itself. The permit is obtained by applying in the OLCC's CAMP (Cannabis & Alcohol Management Program) online portal, completing the approved course, and passing the OLCC-proctored examination in CAMP (a score of 70% or better passes the initial exam; 80% for renewal). The OLCC then issues the service permit.", "cost_range": "$23.00 non-refundable application fee paid to the OLCC. The required OLCC-approved Alcohol Server Education course is a separate charge by the independent provider; the state license directory notes these courses average about $30.", "validity_years": "5", "county_exceptions": "", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"ORS 471.360 — Service permit or temporary service permit required; waiver; penalty; rules (current text through 2024 c.40 §10: covered duties at (1)(a)–(c); licensee coverage at (1)(d) with the designee waiver at (2); licensee may not allow unpermitted service at (3); rule-based waiver authority at (5); Class B violation at (6))\", \"url\": \"https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors471.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"OAR 845-009-0010 — Service Permit and Temporary Service Permit Requirements\", \"url\": \"https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/viewSingleRule.action?ruleVrsnRsn=320634\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"OLCC — Alcohol Service Permits (official program page)\", \"url\": \"https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/pages/alcohol-service-permits.aspx\"}, {\"label\": \"Oregon Secretary of State License Directory — Alcohol Service Permit\", \"url\": \"https://apps.oregon.gov/SOS/LicenseDirectory/LicenseDetail/390\"}, {\"label\": \"OAR 845-009-0010 — Service Permit and Temporary Service Permit Requirements (SOS Administrative Rules Database)\", \"url\": \"https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/viewSingleRule.action?ruleVrsnRsn=320634\"}, {\"label\": \"ORS Chapter 471 (official Oregon Legislature text) — ORS 471.360, Service permit or temporary service permit required; waiver; penalty; rules\", \"url\": \"https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors471.html\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/or-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "pa-alcohol-server", "state": "Pennsylvania", "certification": "RAMP Server/Seller Training Certification", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "All alcohol-service staff must be RAMP server/seller trained within 6 months of hire, renewing every 2 years; newly approved managers of certain license types must complete owner/manager training within 180 days of appointment approval, renewing every 2 years", "who_must_get": "All \"alcohol service personnel\" — anyone who serves or sells alcoholic beverages or checks IDs, including bartenders, servers/waiters, bouncers/door persons, and distributor salespersons — hired on or after August 8, 2016 must complete RAMP server/seller training within six months of being hired, and must be retrained before their certification expires (every two years). Employees transferred into an alcohol-service position on or after that date have six months from assuming the new duties. In addition, all cashiers selling wine under a wine expanded permit and all cashiers selling ready-to-drink cocktails under an RTD cocktail permit must be RAMP server/seller trained, and, when a licensee uses an off-premises catering permit, every employee whose primary responsibility at the catered function is to sell or serve alcoholic beverages or to check the identification of those seeking to enter the function must have completed server/seller training within the two years before the event. Separately, under 47 P.S. § 4-471.1(g), a newly appointed manager of a restaurant, eating place retail dispenser, hotel, club, limited distillery, or distributor licensee must complete RAMP owner/manager training within 180 days of PLCB approval of the appointment — unless the manager successfully completed the training within the two years before being appointed — and must renew owner/manager training every two years (40 Pa. Code § 5.203). The establishment's own four-part RAMP certification remains voluntary for the licensee unless it is mandated after an adjudicated citation for sales to minors or visibly intoxicated persons, under a conditional licensing agreement, or before obtaining a wine expanded or ready-to-drink cocktail permit.", "exemptions": "The server/seller mandate reaches only \"alcohol service personnel,\" so employees outside that definition do not need RAMP server/seller training. The Liquor Code's formal definition, quoted on the PLCB Apply for RAMP Certification page, carries a \"primary responsibility\" qualifier: alcohol service personnel means any employee of a licensee — such as a bartender, waiter or, in the case of a distributor or importing distributor, a salesperson — whose primary responsibility includes the resale, furnishing, or serving of liquor or malt or brewed beverages, plus any employee, such as a doorperson, whose primary responsibility is to ascertain the age of individuals attempting to enter the licensed premises. The PLCB's own summary phrases the group more broadly as anyone who serves or sells alcoholic beverages and/or checks IDs; both official phrasings coexist. In practice, employees whose primary responsibility is none of those things — cooks, kitchen staff, setup crews, cashiers not selling wine or ready-to-drink cocktails under an expanded/RTD permit — are outside the individual training mandate. The same limit applies at an off-premises catered function: the two-year training rule covers only employees whose primary responsibility at the function is to sell or serve alcoholic beverages or to check identifications of those seeking to enter (PLCB RAMP Training page; 40 Pa. Code § 5.204). No county or city imposes a separate server card. No other statutory exemption was found; searched 47 P.S. § 4-471.1 (full text), 40 Pa. Code ch. 5 subch. I (§§ 5.201, 5.203, 5.204), and the PLCB RAMP overview, RAMP Training, and Apply for RAMP Certification pages.", "issuing_authority": "Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) — sets and approves the training curriculum and providers; the certificate of completion is issued by the PLCB-approved training entity or the PLCB.", "approved_provider_rule": "Server/seller training must use a PLCB-certified curriculum and is delivered three ways: online through providers on the PLCB's approved-provider list, in classroom sessions scheduled through PLCB+, or with PLCB-approved classroom instructors. Completion requires a course-exam score of 80% or better, after which the approved training entity (or the PLCB) issues the certificate. Approved online providers on the PLCB list include eStrategy Solutions (ramptraining.com), Serving Alcohol, Inc., 360training (gettips.com), Affordable Alcohol Training (LIQUORexam.com), and National Restaurant Association Solutions/ServSafe, among others.", "cost_range": "The PLCB does not set a fee for server/seller training; fees are established by the PLCB-approved providers and vary by provider. (No official statutory cap or fixed figure is published.)", "validity_years": "2", "county_exceptions": "None. Pennsylvania is an alcohol-control state; alcohol licensing and server/seller training are governed statewide by the PLCB, and no county or city issues its own separate alcohol-server card.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"47 P.S. § 4-471.1 (Liquor Code § 471.1), Responsible alcohol management — requires all alcohol service personnel to complete server/seller training within six months of being hired; certification valid for two years (mandatory server/seller training added by Act 39 of 2016, effective August 8, 2016). Subsection (g), added Dec. 22, 2011 (P.L.530, No.113), requires a manager appointed by a restaurant, eating place retail dispenser, hotel, club, limited distillery, or distributor licensee to complete the manager/owner training within 180 days of board approval of the appointment, unless successfully completed prior to appointment\", \"url\": \"https://www.palegis.us/statutes/unconsolidated/law-information/view-statute?txtType=HTM&yr=1951&sessInd=0&smthLwInd=0&act=21&chpt=4&sctn=71&subsctn=1\"}, {\"citation\": \"40 Pa. Code § 5.203 (Mandatory training for managers) — any manager required under section 471.1(g) of the Liquor Code to complete owner/manager training within 180 days of approval of appointment by the PLCB; owner/manager training expires after 2 years and must be renewed every 2 years\", \"url\": \"https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/040/chapter5/s5.203.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"40 Pa. Code § 5.204 (Mandatory training for alcohol service personnel), in Chapter 5, Subchapter I (Responsible Alcohol Management Program) — PLCB regulation requiring each member of a licensee's alcohol service personnel to have completed server/seller training within the past two years; the section states \\\"Server/seller training expires after 2 years. Alcohol service personnel must renew server/seller training every 2 years.\\\"\", \"url\": \"https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/040/chapter5/s5.204.html\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"PLCB — Responsible Alcohol Management Program (RAMP) overview\", \"url\": \"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/lcb/alcohol-education-training/ramp\"}, {\"label\": \"PLCB — RAMP Training Requirements (individual server/seller mandate)\", \"url\": \"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/lcb/alcohol-education-training/ramp/ramp-training\"}, {\"label\": \"PLCB — Apply for RAMP Certification (prerequisites, 2-year validity, no application fee)\", \"url\": \"https://www.pa.gov/services/lcb/apply-for-ramp-certification\"}, {\"label\": \"PLCB — Server/Seller Online Training Providers (approved-provider list)\", \"url\": \"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/lcb/alcohol-education-training/ramp/server-online-training-providers\"}, {\"label\": \"40 Pa. Code § 5.204 — Mandatory training for alcohol service personnel (regulation)\", \"url\": \"https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/040/chapter5/s5.204.html\"}, {\"label\": \"40 Pa. Code § 5.203 — Mandatory training for managers (180 days from PLCB approval of appointment; expires after 2 years)\", \"url\": \"https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/040/chapter5/s5.203.html\"}, {\"label\": \"47 P.S. § 4-471.1 — Liquor Code, Responsible alcohol management (statute)\", \"url\": \"https://www.palegis.us/statutes/unconsolidated/law-information/view-statute?txtType=HTM&yr=1951&sessInd=0&smthLwInd=0&act=21&chpt=4&sctn=71&subsctn=1\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/pa-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ri-alcohol-server", "state": "Rhode Island", "certification": "Server Permit", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Certified training within 60 days of hire; 75% exam; recertify every 3 years; issued by DBR-certified programs", "who_must_get": "At any establishment holding a Class B, Class C, Class D, Class J, Class N, or Class P license, every person who sells or serves alcoholic beverages, anyone supervising those who sell or serve, anyone whose job includes checking identification for alcohol purchases, and valet parking staff must complete a DBR-certified alcohol server training program and score at least 75% on its exam within 60 days of starting employment, and must carry a valid Server Permit on the premises while selling or serving. Servers must be recertified every three years. A Server Permit issued through an approved Rhode Island program is honored across jurisdictions subject to the three-year limit. In the city of Pawtucket and the town of Smithfield, employees may be required to complete the training before they begin work rather than within 60 days. Under § 3-7-6.1(f)(4), failing to have the permit on your person is not itself a violation, provided proof of a valid permit is provided within ten (10) days. Note the license-class scope: the mandate attaches only to establishments holding the classes named in § 3-7-6.1 -- staff of a Class A package/liquor store are outside it (see exemptions).", "exemptions": "Who does not need the Server Permit: R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-7-6.1 is titled and scoped 'Renewal of Class B, Class C, Class D, Class J, Class N and Class P licenses' -- the training-and-permit mandate attaches only to establishments holding those license classes. Class A licenses are absent from the statute, and DBR's own liquor page identifies what Class A is ('a Class A licensee (liquor store)' -- the retail package store), so a clerk at a Class A package/liquor store is not required by § 3-7-6.1 to complete server training or hold a Server Permit; the same is true of staff working under any license class the section does not name. Within a covered Class B/C/D/J/N/P establishment, the duty falls only on the four statutory groups -- persons who sell or serve alcoholic beverages, anyone supervising those who sell or serve, anyone whose job entails checking identification for alcohol purchases, and valet parking staff; employees doing none of those things (for example kitchen staff) are outside the statutory list. No broader exemption was found; searched § 3-7-6.1 (full text), 230-RICR-30-10-1 § 1.4.43, the DBR liquor page, and the DBR Liquor Enforcement and Compliance FAQ.", "issuing_authority": "Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation (DBR), Division of Commercial Licensing -- Liquor Enforcement and Compliance. DBR is authorized by R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-7-6.1 to certify Alcohol Server Training Programs statewide (this certification role moved from the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals to DBR by a 2017 amendment). DBR does not issue or track individual credentials; each DBR-certified training program issues the wallet-sized Server Permit to servers who pass its exam.", "approved_provider_rule": "Training providers are approved by DBR: a program files a complete application (application form, full curriculum, all audio/video/print/instructional and examination materials, written testing and grading procedures, and a sample Server Permit); DBR reviews and, if satisfactory, issues a Program Certificate valid for up to three years and recertified every three years, and it may audit or attend any certified program. DBR maintains the authoritative, dated list of Certified Alcohol Server Training Programs on its liquor page (last updated 04/06/2026, twelve certified programs): Professional Server Certification Corp. (Rserving), STOP, Inc. (Server Training on Premise), 360training.com/TIPS, Responsible Alcohol Service, National Restaurant Association ServSafe, LIQUORexam.com, ABC Server Training, USERVE, TAP Series, A+ Server Education, TEAM Coalition, and ServeSmart LLC. Because the roster changes over time, check the DBR liquor page for the current list before enrolling. You get the card from the certified program you take (in person or online); the program must issue the wallet-sized Server Permit no later than 14 business days after you pass the exam. Because DBR does not license individuals, for a copy or the expiration date you contact the program you used.", "cost_range": "Rhode Island sets no state fee for the individual Server Permit; DBR neither charges for nor issues the individual credential. The card is issued by a private DBR-certified training program, and the course price is set by that program.", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "The requirement is uniform statewide: R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-7-6.1(g) requires that any local enactment on alcohol server training for Class B, C, D, J, N, and P licenses be made by state statute, so municipalities cannot run their own separate server-training programs. The statute itself names two localities -- the city of Pawtucket and the town of Smithfield -- which may require eligible employees to complete the certified training prior to employment, instead of within 60 days of hire.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-7-6.1 -- alcohol server training on renewal of Class B, C, D, J, N and P licenses: who must train (servers, supervisors, ID checkers, valet), 60-day deadline, 75% minimum score, recertification every 3 years, DBR program certification, server permits, and graduated penalties\", \"url\": \"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE3/3-7/3-7-6.1.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"230-RICR-30-10-1 § 1.4.43 (Liquor Control Administration) -- Alcohol Server Training Program Certification: definitions of 'Server' and 'Server permit', program-approval application and 3-year Program Certificate, instructional and test-content standards, and Server Permit issuance (wallet-sized, within 14 business days of passing)\", \"url\": \"https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/230-30-10-1\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"R.I. DBR -- Liquor (Commercial Licensing): hosts the official, dated list of Certified Alcohol Server Training Programs (twelve certified programs as of the 04/06/2026 update; DBR certifies the programs but does not license individuals)\", \"url\": \"https://dbr.ri.gov/real-estate-and-commercial-licensing/liquor\"}, {\"label\": \"R.I. DBR -- Liquor Enforcement and Compliance FAQ: DBR certifies the programs but does not license individuals; for a certificate copy/expiration, contact the training program used\", \"url\": \"https://dbr.ri.gov/real-estate-and-commercial-licensing/liquor/liquor-enforcement-and-compliance-frequently-asked\"}, {\"label\": \"R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-7-6.1 -- statewide server-training mandate (60 days, 75%, 3-year recertification, Class B/C/D/J/N/P)\", \"url\": \"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE3/3-7/3-7-6.1.htm\"}, {\"label\": \"230-RICR-30-10-1 § 1.4.43 -- Alcohol Server Training Program Certification (official RI Code of Regulations, Secretary of State portal)\", \"url\": \"https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/230-30-10-1\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ri-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "sc-alcohol-server", "state": "South Carolina", "certification": "Alcohol Server Certificate", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "State-issued certificate; SCDOR-approved online training; required of covered servers and managers since May 1, 2026, and within 30 days of hire thereafter", "who_must_get": "Every alcohol server and manager at a business licensed or permitted for on-premises consumption must complete an SCDOR-approved training program and hold a state-issued alcohol server certificate. The requirement reaches permittees, licensees, managers who oversee alcohol service, and covered employees. On the hours threshold, the two official sources phrase the trigger differently: the statute defines an 'employee' as a person who is employed for at least ten hours a week by a permittee or a licensee (S.C. Code § 61-3-100(7)), while SCDOR's guidance says anyone who works at least 10 hours a week serving alcohol for on-premises consumption must complete training -- if you are near the threshold, the statutory definition is the broader, controlling text. Covered workers had to comply by May 1, 2026 (a deadline the General Assembly extended by joint resolution from an earlier date), or within thirty days of being hired thereafter. Under SCDOR guidance, a licensee must pay a $100 penalty per violation for a server who fails to maintain or produce a copy of a valid SCDOR-issued alcohol server certificate. Not everyone who pours a drink is covered: § 61-3-100(2) excludes individuals employed or volunteering on a temporary basis for a one-time special event, such as a banquet, or at an event holding a temporary permit, and individuals who only transfer alcohol between locations as a distributor or wholesaler; off-premises retail clerks at package/liquor stores also fall outside this on-premises training mandate (see exemptions).", "exemptions": "You do not need the alcohol server certificate if you fall outside the statute's definition of 'alcohol server.' S.C. Code § 61-3-100(2) states, verbatim, that 'alcohol server' does not include an individual 'employed or volunteering on a temporary basis for a one-time special event, such as a banquet, or at an event that has a temporary permit to sell beer, wine, or alcoholic liquors by the drink,' does not include an individual 'transferring alcohol from one location to another as a distributor, wholesaler, or as otherwise lawfully authorized to transfer alcohol from one location to another by this title,' and does not include an individual who cannot lawfully serve or deliver alcohol pursuant to §§ 61-4-90(D) and 61-6-2200. So temporary and volunteer workers at one-time special events or at temporary-permit events -- banquets, festivals, fundraisers, charity events -- do not need the certificate, and neither do distributor or wholesaler personnel who only transfer alcohol between locations. The definition also reaches only sales for on-premises consumption, so off-premises retail clerks at package/liquor stores are outside the training mandate. Coverage threshold: the statute defines a covered 'employee' as a person employed at least ten hours a week by the permittee or licensee (§ 61-3-100(7)), while SCDOR's guidance phrases the trigger as working at least 10 hours a week serving alcohol for on-premises consumption -- near the threshold, the statutory definition is the broader, controlling text.", "issuing_authority": "South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR), Alcohol Beverage Licensing (ABL) section. The Department approves the private training programs and issues the individual alcohol server certificate, which the server downloads from the SCDOR website (dor.sc.gov/AlcoholServerCertificate) after completing an approved course.", "approved_provider_rule": "Training is delivered by private providers whose programs the SCDOR must approve. A provider submits its program to the Department's Alcohol Beverage Licensing section (ABL@dor.sc.gov), which approves or denies within 60 days. Approved programs must be delivered online (classroom training is not accepted), run at least four hours, be offered in both English and Spanish, use linear navigation, and end in an online-proctored test. SCDOR publishes the approved list (for example A+ Server Education, ServSafe Alcohol, 360training, LIQUORexam, Alcohol Seller Server Training, and SC Server Training by Lea B. Kerrison). After passing, the server receives a certificate number from the provider and then downloads the state-issued certificate from dor.sc.gov/AlcoholServerCertificate, typically within two weeks. Do not sit on it: an individual must apply for the alcohol server certificate within six months of completing a program (§ 61-3-130(A)(1)); if circumstances warrant, SCDOR may issue a temporary alcohol server certificate valid for no more than thirty calendar days.", "cost_range": "South Carolina charges no state fee to issue or renew the certificate (S.C. Code Sec. 61-3-130(F)). By statute a training provider may charge no more than $50 per participant for the course (Sec. 61-3-120(A)(2)); the actual course price is set by the approved provider.", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "None. Alcohol licensing and server training are administered statewide by the South Carolina Department of Revenue; South Carolina counties and cities do not run separate alcohol server-card programs.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"S.C. Code Ann. Title 61, Chapter 3 -- Alcohol Server Training (Secs. 61-3-100 to 61-3-140: server/employee defined, training required, three-year certificate, no state fee, $50 provider cap, enforcement)\", \"url\": \"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t61c003.php\"}, {\"citation\": \"2025 Act No. 42 (H.3430) -- Tort Reform and Liquor Liability; creates the alcohol server training program and the $1M liquor-liability insurance rule; signed May 12, 2025; server-training provisions effective Jan. 1, 2026\", \"url\": \"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/3430.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"2026 Act No. 265 (Joint Resolution R113, H5261) -- extends the alcohol server training compliance deadline to May 1, 2026. Ratified Mar. 5, 2026; signed by the Governor Mar. 9, 2026; effective Mar. 9, 2026. The act number was assigned on the General Assembly's bill page on Aug. 19, 2026\", \"url\": \"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/5261.htm\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-08-25", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"SCDOR ABL -- How H.3430 Impacts Your Business\", \"url\": \"https://dor.sc.gov/alcohol-beverage-licensing-abl/operating-abl-business\"}, {\"label\": \"SCDOR ABL -- Recognized Training Programs (approved list; provider submission to ABL@dor.sc.gov; how servers get the certificate)\", \"url\": \"https://dor.sc.gov/alcohol-beverage-licensing-abl/recognized-training-programs\"}, {\"label\": \"SCDOR -- Alcohol server training deadline extended to May 1 (news)\", \"url\": \"https://dor.sc.gov/news/alcohol-server-training-deadline-extended-may-1\"}, {\"label\": \"SCDOR -- Alcohol server training programs now available (news)\", \"url\": \"https://dor.sc.gov/news/alcohol-server-training-programs-now-available\"}, {\"label\": \"S.C. Code Title 61, Chapter 3 -- Alcohol Server Training\", \"url\": \"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t61c003.php\"}, {\"label\": \"2025 Act No. 42 (H.3430) -- Tort Reform and Liquor Liability\", \"url\": \"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/3430.htm\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/sc-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "sd-alcohol-server", "state": "South Dakota", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "Safe-harbor cuts the licensee's underage-sale penalty; under-21 bartenders must be certified", "who_must_get": "South Dakota requires no general alcohol server or seller card: anyone 21 or older may sell, serve, or tend bar with no certification. The state's only individual training mandate is narrow and applies to 18-to-20-year-olds -- and it sits on top of, not in place of, the statute's service conditions. Under SDCL 35-4-79.4, an on-sale or off-sale licensee may let a person aged 18 to 20 sell or serve alcoholic beverages at all only if less than 50% of the establishment's gross business is from the sale of alcoholic beverages, or the licensee or an employee of the licensee who is at least 21 is on the premises when the beverage is sold or served; the statute expressly provides that 'to sell or serve alcoholic beverages' includes tending bar or drawing, pouring, or mixing alcoholic beverages, so those two conditions gate every form of under-21 service, bartending included. A person aged 18 to 20 who tends bar or draws, pours, or mixes alcoholic beverages under this section must additionally be certified by a nationally recognized alcohol management program -- certification is an extra requirement for the bartending subset, never a substitute for the conditions. A violation of SDCL 35-4-79.4 is a Class 2 misdemeanor. For every other server and clerk, certification is voluntary but strongly incentivized: under SDCL 35-2-10.1, if a clerk sells to a minor, a licensee whose clerk completed a Department-approved training program pays half the civil penalty ($500 rather than $1,000 for a first violation, and $1,000 rather than $2,000 for a second within 24 months), which is why employers and liquor-liability insurers commonly require the training.", "exemptions": "Everyone 21 or older is outside the certification requirement, because there is no general requirement to be exempt from: South Dakota law demands no alcohol server or seller card of anyone 21 or older, verified as an absence claim against the full texts of SDCL 35-2-10.1 and SDCL 35-4-79.4 (neither imposes a general certification duty) and both SD Department of Revenue alcohol pages (no mandate stated; training is framed through the penalty-reduction incentive). The single statutory certification requirement falls on a person aged 18 to 20 who tends bar or draws, pours, or mixes alcoholic beverages under SDCL 35-4-79.4 -- and even for that group, certification alone is never enough: an 18-to-20-year-old may sell or serve alcohol only where less than 50% of the establishment's gross business is from alcohol sales or the licensee or an employee 21 or older is on the premises. Local ordinances may be more restrictive than state law, so check with local officials before relying on the absence of a state requirement.", "issuing_authority": "There is no South Dakota office that issues an individual alcohol server card. The South Dakota Department of Revenue (Special Taxes Division, Pierre) approves the nationally recognized alcohol training programs and publishes the approved list, but the completion certificate itself is issued by the private approved provider (for example TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol, TAM, or SureSell), not by the state.", "approved_provider_rule": "The Department of Revenue approves nationally recognized alcohol training programs and lists them on its Alcohol Training Programs page: TIPS / eTIPS (through 360training.com), ServSafe Alcohol (through the South Dakota Retailers Association), TAM and TAM Online (through the Licensed Beverage Dealers of South Dakota), Responsible Alcohol Server Training (through Professional Server Certification Corporation), the Online Responsible Alcohol Training Program (Skillsoft / Ready Training Online), and SureSell (SureSellNow.com / Diversys Learning, printable certificate on completion). The certificate is issued by the provider once the course is completed; the Department cautions that it has not approved every variation of each program, so learners should confirm a specific course with the provider or the Department before enrolling.", "cost_range": "South Dakota charges no state fee: there is no state-issued server card and no state exam or approval fee paid by the individual, and no statutory cap. The only cost is the course price, which is set by the approved private training provider, so it varies by program.", "validity_years": "South Dakota sets no statutory validity period for server certification -- the state neither issues a card nor fixes a renewal cycle; the certificate's term is determined by the approved training provider that issues it.", "county_exceptions": "State law is a floor. The Department of Revenue notes that local ordinances may be more restrictive than state law and advises checking with local officials; a municipality or county may therefore impose stricter alcohol-service rules than the state. No specific city or county alcohol-server-card ordinance was identified from official South Dakota sources.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"SDCL 35-2-10.1 -- Conditions under which a retail license may not be revoked or suspended for sale to persons under 21; reduced civil penalty when the employee has been certified by a nationally recognized training program approved by the department\", \"url\": \"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/35-2-10.1\"}, {\"citation\": \"SDCL 35-4-79.4 -- Exception permitting persons 18 or older to sell or serve alcohol; any such person tending bar or drawing, pouring, or mixing alcoholic beverages must be certified by a nationally recognized alcohol management program\", \"url\": \"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/35-4-79.4\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"SD Dept. of Revenue -- Alcohol Laws & Regulations (SDCL 35-2-10.1 penalty/training incentive; SDCL 35-4-79.4 under-21 certification)\", \"url\": \"https://dor.sd.gov/businesses/taxes/alcohol/alcohol-laws-regulations/\"}, {\"label\": \"SD Dept. of Revenue -- Alcohol (Alcohol Training Programs: department-approved provider list)\", \"url\": \"https://dor.sd.gov/businesses/taxes/alcohol/\"}, {\"label\": \"SDCL 35-2-10.1 -- reduced civil penalty when the certified-employee safe harbor applies\", \"url\": \"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/35-2-10.1\"}, {\"label\": \"SDCL 35-4-79.4 -- under-21 bartender must be certified by a nationally recognized alcohol management program\", \"url\": \"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/35-4-79.4\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/sd-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "tn-alcohol-server", "state": "Tennessee", "certification": "Server Permit", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "TABC server permit required within 61 days of hire to serve at liquor-by-the-drink establishments", "who_must_get": "Any person employed to serve or dispense alcoholic beverages at an establishment holding an on-premise consumption (liquor-by-the-drink) license must hold a TABC Server Permit. The two official sources scope the covered beverages differently, and both are stated here: TABC's guidance says the permit is required to serve liquor, wine, and high-gravity beer, while the statute's employment bar is broader -- T.C.A. Sec. 57-4-203(h) forbids the licensee from employing any person 'in the serving of beer, wine or other alcoholic beverages' who does not possess a server permit. Rule 0100-01-.03 extends the requirement to on-premise managers and assistant managers whose duties directly or indirectly affect alcohol sales. The applicant must be at least eighteen (18) and must complete a Commission-certified alcohol-awareness program within the year before applying. Two official sources set the length differently and both are stated here: T.C.A. Sec. 57-3-704 sets the applicant's statutory floor at not less than 3.5 hours, while the Commission's own rule requires a certified program to run at least five (5) hours of classroom instruction, excluding breaks (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0100-08-.02(7) and .04(1)(d)1). Because the statute requires the training to come from a Commission-certified program, the five-hour rule governs the class you actually sit. A newly hired server may work up to sixty-one (61) days from the original hire date before holding the permit; this one-time grace period does not reset with each change of employer. The licensee must ensure every serving employee holds the permit and keep it available on the person or on the premises for inspection. Employees aged 16-17 who are not permitted to take orders for or serve alcohol do not need the permit -- see the exemption below.", "exemptions": "Not required: an employee aged 16 or 17 who is lawfully employed under T.C.A. Sec. 50-5-106(b)(2) and is not permitted to take orders for or serve alcoholic beverages does not need a server permit. T.C.A. Sec. 57-3-704(h) says so directly: 'A person employed pursuant to Sec. 50-5-106(b)(2) and not permitted to take orders for or serve intoxicating beverages is not required to obtain a server permit.' In practice this covers 16- and 17-year-old bussers, hosts, and food runners at liquor-by-the-drink establishments: they may lawfully work there without a permit (which they could not obtain anyway, since applicants must be at least 18) so long as they never take drink orders or serve alcohol. No other individual exemption appears in the statutes and rules cited on this page (T.C.A. Secs. 57-3-704, 57-3-707, 57-4-203; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. chapters 0100-01 and 0100-08); the 61-day new-hire grace period in T.C.A. Sec. 57-3-707 is a timing allowance, not an exemption.", "issuing_authority": "The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), Nashville, issues the Server Permit. Applicants apply through the state's Regulatory Licensing and Permitting System (RLPS). The underlying alcohol-awareness course is delivered by training programs the Commission certifies, and the Commission publishes the approved-programs list, but the permit itself is issued by the TABC, not by the training provider.", "approved_provider_rule": "Training is delivered by TABC-certified alcohol-awareness programs; the Commission publishes the approved-programs list and the applicant obtains the permit itself from the TABC via RLPS after completing an approved course.", "cost_range": "The TABC server-permit application fee is $20.00, paid through RLPS. The alcohol-awareness course is a separate charge set by the Commission-certified training provider and is not fixed by the state.", "validity_years": "2 years for permits issued on or after January 1, 2025; permits issued before that date remain valid 5 years from issuance", "county_exceptions": "No Tennessee county or city issues a substitute for the TABC Server Permit -- for liquor-by-the-drink service the permit is uniform statewide and issued only by the TABC. Local beer boards separately license beer sales by establishments, and at least one locality adds its own individual registration on top: Shelby County's beer-permit page states that 'all employees who serve, sell, or handle beer in these establishments must also register with the Shelby County clerk' (beer-permit establishments outside municipal boundaries in Shelby County). Check the local beer board where the establishment operates for any employee-registration duty.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"T.C.A. Sec. 57-4-203 -- an on-premise-consumption licensee (licensed under Sec. 57-4-101) may not employ any person in serving beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages who does not possess a server permit from the Commission; the licensee must ensure each serving employee holds the permit and keeps it available for inspection\"}, {\"citation\": \"T.C.A. Sec. 57-3-704 -- Application requirements for server permits (applicant at least 18; must complete not less than 3.5 hours of alcohol-awareness training from a Commission-certified program within one year before applying); subsection (h): a person employed pursuant to Sec. 50-5-106(b)(2) -- a 16- or 17-year-old lawfully employed at the establishment -- who is not permitted to take orders for or serve intoxicating beverages is not required to obtain a server permit\"}, {\"citation\": \"T.C.A. Sec. 57-3-707 -- a new server may work 61 days after being hired without the permit, after which the permit is required\"}, {\"citation\": \"Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0100-01-.03 (Conduct of Business) -- on-premise managers/assistant managers and individuals whose duties affect alcohol sales must hold a valid server permit under Sec. 57-3-707\", \"url\": \"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/0100/0100-01.20240509.pdf\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"TN ABC -- Server Permit (On-Premise Permit): requirement, 18+, training within 1 year, 61-day grace, validity (5 yr pre-2025 / 2 yr from 1/1/2025)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tn.gov/abc/permitting/server.html\"}, {\"label\": \"TN ABC -- Server Training Programs (certified programs; in-house/law-enforcement/public; 1-year certification)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tn.gov/abc/alcohol-awareness/server-training-program.html\"}, {\"label\": \"TN ABC -- Approved Server Permit Training Programs list (PDF)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/abc-documents/abc-documents/TABC-Certified-SPTP-Classroom-and-Online.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"TN ABC -- Fees (Server permit $20.00)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tn.gov/abc/public-information-and-forms/fees.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0100-08 -- Rules for Professional Alcohol Server Training ($20.00 non-refundable application fee at 0100-08-.03(1); training within 1 year at .03(3); five (5)-hour classroom minimum at .02(7) and .04(1)(d)1; current dated edition per the SOS chapter index)\", \"url\": \"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/0100/0100-08.20240509.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0100-01-.03 (managers must hold a valid server permit)\", \"url\": \"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/0100/0100-01.20240509.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Shelby County Government -- Beer Permits ('All employees who serve, sell, or handle beer in these establishments must also register with the Shelby County clerk'; applies to beer-permit establishments outside municipal boundaries in Shelby County)\", \"url\": \"https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/560/Beer-Permits\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/tn-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "tx-alcohol-server", "state": "Texas", "certification": "TABC Seller/Server Certification", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "No general individual mandate -- but TABC may order an establishment to require certification of all of its employees (16 TAC § 34.21), and an individual's certificate can be revoked (16 TAC § 50.31). The safe-harbor defense protects the licensee, not the server, which is why employers require certification within 30 days of hire.", "who_must_get": "No general mandate: TABC states that “There is no requirement to be certified under state law, but many employers require certification for employment” (TABC Certification FAQs). That baseline has a compulsory exception: under 16 TAC § 34.21, after notice and an opportunity for hearing, TABC “may require by written order that a licensee or permittee require all of its employees to acquire and maintain seller server certification,” so an employee at an establishment placed under such an order is legally required to acquire and maintain the certificate. TABC may impose that order on a licensee or permittee that has violated a provision of the code or rules relating to the sale, service, dispensation or delivery of alcohol to a minor or an intoxicated person more than once in a twelve month period, or that has been found to have engaged in conduct directly or indirectly encouraging violations of law, and the order remains in effect until the business has established 24 continuous months of operation from the date of the last violation without a further such violation (16 TAC § 34.21(a)-(b)). Absent such an order the certificate is the employer's choice, and employers require it because of safe harbor: TABC will not take administrative action against the license or permit holder for an employee's unlawful sale only if the person selling is not the owner or an officer of the company, every employee who sells, serves, dispenses or delivers alcohol -- plus their immediate managers -- holds a current certificate from a TABC-approved school and is certified within 30 days of hire, the employer has written responsible-service policies that every employee has read and understood, the employer has not directly or indirectly encouraged the violation, and there are not three or more such violations in a 12-month period (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code § 106.14(a); 16 TAC § 34.20). A certificate is not permanent either: a holder who sells or serves alcohol to a minor or an intoxicated person must be recertified within 30 days of the violation or TABC may revoke the certificate, a second violation within 12 months can bring revocation with a 90-day bar on recertification, and TABC may cancel or suspend a seller-server certification for a violation of the code or a commission rule (16 TAC § 50.31; Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code § 106.14(e)). Separately, Texas law does require sellers and servers at certain businesses such as bars and nightclubs to take the free annual TABC Opioid-Related Drug Overdose Course -- a distinct mandatory course, not the seller/server certificate.", "exemptions": "Texas imposes no general duty to hold this certificate, so by default there is no exempt class -- there is nothing to be exempt from. TABC's Certification FAQs answer “Do bartenders and wait staff need to be certified sellers/servers to sell or serve alcoholic beverages?” with “No. There is no requirement to be certified under state law, but many employers require certification for employment,” and TABC's certification page only “strongly recommends” that sellers and servers obtain it. A bartender, waiter, cashier or clerk who has never taken the course is breaking no state law.\n\n**The exception runs the other way -- an order under 16 TAC § 34.21 creates a duty.** After notice and an opportunity for hearing, TABC “may require by written order that a licensee or permittee require all of its employees to acquire and maintain seller server certification.” It may do so where the business has violated the rules on the sale, service, dispensation or delivery of alcohol to a minor or an intoxicated person more than once in a twelve month period, or has been found to have engaged in conduct directly or indirectly encouraging violations of law. Such an order “shall remain in effect until such time as the licensee or permittee has established 24 continuous months of operation from the date of the last violation” without a further violation of that kind. At an establishment under a § 34.21 order, certification is compulsory for every employee -- the general “voluntary” answer does not apply.\n\n**No county or city can add a local requirement.** The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code “shall exclusively govern the regulation of alcoholic beverages in this state” (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code § 109.57(b)), so there is no local server-card mandate to be exempt from either (see County exceptions).\n\n**Why employers require it anyway.** The certificate's legal value runs to the establishment, not to the server. Under Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code § 106.14(a) and 16 TAC § 34.20, an employee's unlawful sale is not attributed to the license or permit holder where every employee who sells, serves, dispenses or delivers alcohol -- and their immediate managers -- is certified within 30 days of hire and the other safe-harbor conditions are met. That defense is why a certificate an employee does not legally need is, in practice, a condition of employment. It has limits: safe harbor does not cover a sale by the owner or an officer of the company, and TABC may revoke an individual's certificate outright (16 TAC § 50.31).\n\nSources checked for an exemption or a mandate: the statute (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code §§ 106.14 and 109.57), the administrative rules (16 TAC ch. 34 and ch. 50, in TABC's published rulebook), and the agency's own pages (TABC Certification; TABC Certification FAQs; Information for Trainers and Schools). No tier imposes a duty on any individual to be certified, and none creates an exempt class -- because the baseline is that nobody is required.", "issuing_authority": "The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) sets the seller training program requirements, approves the schools and trainers, and maintains the statewide certification database. The individual certificate itself is issued by the private TABC-approved seller/server school where the student completes the course, not by a government office.", "approved_provider_rule": "An individual takes the course from any TABC-approved seller/server school; TABC publishes the list of approved schools, and most are online and finish in a few hours. Attendance alone is not enough. Under 16 TAC § 50.29(a) a student must complete either a 120-minute classroom-based course of instruction or an internet-based, self-paced course of instruction, complete all required topics of the commission standard competence curriculum, and pass the Commission Standard Competence Test -- which requires answering at least 70% of the test questions correctly (16 TAC § 50.26(b)(19)). A classroom-based school must issue the certificate on the date and at the location of the session at which the student met those requirements; an internet-based school must issue it electronically within 24 hours (16 TAC § 50.9(d)-(e)). Certified schools then have seven days to upload trainee information into the TABC database, after which certification can be confirmed through TABC's Seller/Server Certificate Inquiry system, which TABC treats as official proof of certification. A certificate expires on the second anniversary of the date it is issued (16 TAC § 50.28(b)). It is the schools and trainers, not students, that TABC approves: a school becomes TABC-approved by applying through the TABC Seller/Server School Management System, paying the required fees and passing criminal background checks for owners, managers and trainers, and TABC reviews and approves the course materials. Trainers must be at least 21 with two years of teaching or training experience (or 15 hours of post-secondary education in a related field), complete the TABC Train the Trainer course and pass its final exam with a score of 80% or better, and clear a background check (16 TAC § 50.25).", "cost_range": "The state sets no individual course fee and no statutory price cap; each TABC-approved seller/server school prices its own course (most are online and finish in a few hours). TABC's own charges fall on the schools and trainers, not on students: under 16 TAC § 50.22 a primary seller/server school certificate costs $1,000 for the original two-year term and $500 to renew (plus a $100 late fee), each branch certificate costs $200 original / $100 renewal if classroom-based and $50 original / $25 renewal if internet- or mobile-app-based, and a change of ownership filing fee is $100. A seller server trainer certificate costs $100 for the original two-year term and $50 to renew (plus a $50 late fee) under 16 TAC § 50.25(d), and TABC adds a $34 training fee for each trainer who has not yet completed the Train the Trainer course. Schools must also order and pay for seller server certificate numbers in advance, and those “certificate numbers cost $2.00 each” (16 TAC § 50.9(a)) -- TABC's only per-certificate charge, billed to the school rather than to the student.", "validity_years": "2", "county_exceptions": "Seller/server certification is a uniform statewide TABC program; no Texas county or city imposes its own separate server-card requirement. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code preempts local alcohol regulation: Section 109.57(b) declares the legislature's intent that “this code shall exclusively govern the regulation of alcoholic beverages in this state,” and Section 109.57(a) bars a governmental entity of the state from imposing stricter standards on premises or businesses required to hold a license or permit than on similar premises that are not. Local option elections decide only whether alcoholic beverages may be sold in an area (wet or dry), not whether the people selling them must be certified.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Tex. Alco. Bev. Code Sec. 106.14 (Actions of Employee) -- the safe-harbor rule that an employee's actions are not attributable to the employer where the employer requires a commission-approved seller training program and the employee attended it; subsection (e) lets the commission cancel or suspend the certification of a seller-server\", \"url\": \"https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/AL/htm/AL.106.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"Tex. Alco. Bev. Code Sec. 109.57 (Application of Code; Other Jurisdictions) -- subsection (b): the Code “shall exclusively govern the regulation of alcoholic beverages in this state,” which is why no county or city adds a server-card rule\", \"url\": \"https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/AL/htm/AL.109.htm\"}, {\"citation\": \"16 Tex. Admin. Code Sec. 34.20 (Attribution of Actions of Employee to License or Permit Holder) -- the safe-harbor rule and its conditions, including certification within 30 days of hire and the definition of “employee” that reaches immediate managers\", \"url\": \"https://www.tabc.texas.gov/static/sites/default/files/2020-07/tabc-administrative-rules.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"16 Tex. Admin. Code Sec. 34.21 (Mandatory Participation in Seller Server Certification) -- TABC “may require by written order that a licensee or permittee require all of its employees to acquire and maintain seller server certification” after repeat sale-to-minor or sale-to-intoxicated violations; the order lasts until 24 continuous months of violation-free operation\", \"url\": \"https://www.tabc.texas.gov/static/sites/default/files/2020-07/tabc-administrative-rules.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"16 Tex. Admin. Code ch. 50 (Seller Server Training) -- Sec. 50.9 issuance of certificates and the $2.00 certificate number; Sec. 50.22 school and branch fees; Sec. 50.25 trainer certificate and fees; Sec. 50.28 two-year expiration; Sec. 50.29 the 120-minute course, the required curriculum and the Commission Standard Competence Test; Sec. 50.31 revocation of an individual's certificate\", \"url\": \"https://www.tabc.texas.gov/static/sites/default/files/2020-07/tabc-administrative-rules.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"Conflict between official sources, stated rather than resolved: TABC's own Certification FAQs still cite “TABC Administrative Rules Sec. 34.4” for safe harbor and “Sec. 34.4 and 34.5” for sanctions and penalties. In TABC's current published administrative rules, Sec. 34.4 is “Suspensions” and there is no Sec. 34.5 at all; the safe harbor is Sec. 34.20 and the seller/server training rules are Chapter 50, both cited above. This page follows the rulebook and flags the FAQ's superseded numbering\", \"url\": \"https://www.tabc.texas.gov/faqs/tabc-certification-faqs/\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"TABC Certification (overview of seller/server certification)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tabc.texas.gov/services/tabc-certification/\"}, {\"label\": \"TABC Certification FAQs (no general legal requirement; two-year validity; the safe-harbor conditions)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tabc.texas.gov/faqs/tabc-certification-faqs/\"}, {\"label\": \"TABC Administrative Rules (complete rulebook: 16 TAC ch. 34 safe harbor and mandatory participation; ch. 50 seller/server training, fees, exam and revocation)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tabc.texas.gov/static/sites/default/files/2020-07/tabc-administrative-rules.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Tex. Alco. Bev. Code Sec. 106.14 (Actions of Employee)\", \"url\": \"https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/AL/htm/AL.106.htm\"}, {\"label\": \"Tex. Alco. Bev. Code Sec. 109.57 (Application of Code; Other Jurisdictions)\", \"url\": \"https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/AL/htm/AL.109.htm\"}, {\"label\": \"Information for Trainers and Schools (how schools and trainers are approved; school, branch and trainer fees)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tabc.texas.gov/services/tabc-certification/information-for-trainers-schools/\"}, {\"label\": \"TABC Seller/Server Certificate Inquiry (official proof of certification)\", \"url\": \"https://www.tabc.texas.gov/services/tabc-certification/tabc-certificate-inquiry/\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/tx-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "ut-alcohol-server", "state": "Utah", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Required before first day of work; renew every 3 years; separate on-premise and off-premise (EASY) tracks", "who_must_get": "Every individual employed to sell or furnish alcoholic beverages for on-premise consumption — servers and bartenders, plus anyone who manages or supervises that service — must complete an approved on-premise alcohol server seminar before their first day of work and renew at least every 3 years. Off-premise beer stores (grocery, convenience) must have every employee who sells beer to-go, or who directly supervises those sales, complete the off-premise E.A.S.Y. training on the same before-work, every-3-years schedule. Managers must additionally complete a separate manager training — a DABS-provided program under Utah Code § 32B-1-704 (eff. Jan. 1, 2026) — within 30 days of hire (the statute allows until the later of 30 days after hire or the day the licensee obtains its retail license).", "exemptions": "None found. No statutory or rule exemption from Utah's alcohol server/seller training requirement was located in any of the sources checked: Utah Code Title 32B, Chapter 1, Part 7 (the complete Alcohol Training and Education Act, §§ 32B-1-701 through 32B-1-705 — the live Part 7 index confirms 705 is the last section), §§ 32B-1-702 (license consequences), 32B-1-703 (off-premise before-work rule), 32B-1-704 (department training programs), § 32B-5-201 (retail license application), the DABS training page (abs.utah.gov), and the DHHS Office of Substance Use and Mental Health page (sumh.utah.gov). The only limit is the mandate's own scope: it reaches individuals employed to sell or furnish alcoholic beverages for on-premise consumption and those who manage or supervise that service, plus off-premise store employees who sell beer or directly supervise beer sales — an employee whose job never includes serving, selling, or supervising alcohol service (for example kitchen-only staff) falls outside the statutory definitions of 'retail staff' and 'retail manager' in § 32B-1-701. That is a scope limit, not an exemption, and anyone near the line should assume the training applies.", "issuing_authority": "The Office of Substance Use and Mental Health (Division of Substance Abuse), Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), approves the training providers and maintains the statewide Alcohol Server Training System registry. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) enforces the requirement through retail alcohol licensing.", "approved_provider_rule": "The Division of Substance Abuse (Office of Substance Use and Mental Health, DHHS) evaluates and approves the alcohol training and education seminar programs, which are taught by private trainers who schedule their own classes and set their own fees. Servers take an approved on-premise class directly from a state-approved provider; off-premise beer sellers take the approved E.A.S.Y. (Eliminate Alcohol Sales to Youth) course. The provider records the person in the state Alcohol Server Training System, from which the certificate can be verified and printed. DABS itself does not offer or sell the server or E.A.S.Y. seminars — those come only from the state-approved private providers. The separate retail-manager training is different: effective January 1, 2026, Utah Code § 32B-1-704 makes manager training a department program — DABS develops and provides it, in person or online, and sets a participation fee by rule — so managers take that course from DABS, not from a private seminar provider.", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "3", "county_exceptions": "None create a separate card. The individual training requirement is uniform statewide. Off-premise beer retailer licenses are issued by local authorities, but the seller-training standard they enforce is the statewide E.A.S.Y. requirement set by state law.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Utah Code § 32B-1-701 to -705 (Chapter 1, Part 7, Alcohol Training and Education Act) — requires on-premise retail staff and retail managers, and off-premise beer staff and managers, to complete an alcohol training and education seminar\", \"url\": \"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title32B/Chapter1/32B-1-P7.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Utah Code § 32B-1-703 — off-premise beer retailer staff must complete the seminar before the day they begin work\", \"url\": \"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title32B/Chapter1/32B-1-S703.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Utah Code § 32B-5-201 — retail (on-premise) license application must include evidence that each individual hired as a retail manager (as defined in § 32B-1-701) completed the alcohol training and education seminar required under Chapter 1, Part 7, Alcohol Training and Education Act\", \"url\": \"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title32B/Chapter5/32B-5-S201.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Utah Code § 32B-1-704 — Department training programs (new version eff. Jan. 1, 2026) — DABS shall develop the retail-manager and off-premise-retail-manager training programs, provided in-person or online, with a participation fee set by rule (subsec. (4)(e)); each retail manager must complete manager training by the later of 30 days after hire or the day the licensee obtains its retail license (subsec. (5)(a))\", \"url\": \"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title32B/Chapter1/32B-1-S704.html\"}, {\"citation\": \"Utah Admin. Code R523-12 (DHHS, Office of Substance Use and Mental Health) — standards for the on-premise alcohol server training program\", \"url\": \"https://sumh.utah.gov/education/certification/alcohol-server-easy-training/\"}, {\"citation\": \"Utah Admin. Code R523-13 — off-premise (EASY) retail training standards (the 'EASY rules' per the administering agency's own page, which governs the E.A.S.Y. track's before-work timing and 3-year renewal)\", \"url\": \"https://sumh.utah.gov/education/certification/alcohol-server-easy-training/\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Utah DABS — Training (alcohol server training, 3-year renewal, before-work requirement, EASY off-premise, registry)\", \"url\": \"https://abs.utah.gov/licenses-permits/training/\"}, {\"label\": \"Utah DHHS/SUMH — Alcohol Server & EASY Training (administering division, R523-12 reference, before-work + every-3-years rule)\", \"url\": \"https://sumh.utah.gov/education/certification/alcohol-server-easy-training/\"}, {\"label\": \"Utah Code § 32B-1-702 — license consequences if retail managers/staff fail to complete the alcohol training and education seminar\", \"url\": \"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title32B/Chapter1/32B-1-S702.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Utah Code § 32B-1-703 — off-premise beer retailer staff must have a valid seminar record before beginning work\", \"url\": \"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title32B/Chapter1/32B-1-S703.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Utah Code § 32B-5-201 — retail (on-premise) license application must include evidence that each individual hired as a retail manager (defined in § 32B-1-701) completed the alcohol training and education seminar\", \"url\": \"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title32B/Chapter5/32B-5-S201.html\"}, {\"label\": \"Utah Code § 32B-1-704 — Department training programs (eff. Jan. 1, 2026): DABS develops and provides the retail-manager training in-person or online, with a participation fee set by rule\", \"url\": \"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title32B/Chapter1/32B-1-S704.html\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/ut-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "va-alcohol-server", "state": "Virginia", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "voluntary", "mandate_detail": "safe-harbor: reduced licensee suspension/penalty when its servers hold ABC-certified training", "who_must_get": "No individual seller or server is legally required to hold the certificate. Responsibility rests with the licensed establishment, which must hold the Virginia ABC license and may not sell or serve alcohol to underage or intoxicated persons regardless of staff training. The legal incentive is a safe harbor: under 3VAC5-70-210, a retail licensee facing a first-offense charge for selling to a person 18-20 or to an intoxicated person receives a shorter suspension and a lower civil charge if it can show the responsible employee completed Virginia ABC-certified seller/server training within the 12 months before the violation. Because of that safe harbor (and insurer and employer policies), many Virginia bars, restaurants, and stores require the training as a condition of employment. Managers may take the separate Managers' Alcohol Responsibility Training (MART) and delivery drivers the Responsible Alcohol Delivery Driver (RADD) course, both also voluntary.", "exemptions": "No individual seller or server is required to hold the certificate, so there is no exemption question at the individual level — Virginia's seller/server training exists as a safe-harbor incentive, not a mandate with carve-outs. The safe harbor itself has boundaries worth knowing: under 3VAC5-70-210 it attaches only to a retail licensee's first-offense charge for selling to a person aged 18-20 or to an intoxicated person, and only when the responsible employee completed Virginia ABC-certified seller/server training within the 12 months before the violation — outside those conditions the licensee gets no mitigation. The MART (managers) and RADD (delivery drivers) courses are likewise voluntary. Source: 3VAC5-70-210.", "issuing_authority": "Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (Virginia ABC), Community Health & Engagement division. Virginia ABC runs its own free seller/server course, Responsible Sellers & Servers: Virginia's Program (RSVP), and, through the Seller/Server Training Approval Program (STAP), certifies external training providers whose certificates carry the same legal effect. The certificate of completion is issued by the ABC-certified training provider, not by any local government. Because Virginia has no single named individual credential, this page uses the generic 'Alcohol Server Card' label.", "approved_provider_rule": "Providers are approved through Virginia ABC's Seller/Server Training Approval Program (STAP), authorized by Code of Virginia § 4.1-227(E) and implemented at 3VAC5-70-210(B). A provider submits its full curriculum to Virginia ABC (Community Health & Engagement, P.O. Box 3250, Mechanicsville, VA 23116) for review against the Seller-Server Training Evaluation criteria; applications are accepted annually (September 1 through October 1, decision notification December 15, annual report due July 15), and, per Virginia ABC's STAP Application Guide, every approved program must be re-submitted for approval every three years. A certified course must include a Department of Criminal Justice Services module on recognizing and reporting suspected human trafficking (§ 4.1-227(E)(3)). A server can get certified free directly from Virginia ABC (the RSVP course, online through the ABC Learning Center or in person with ABC special agents) or from a STAP-certified provider such as Learn2Serve/360training, Certs University, Rserving, StateFoodSafety, SureSellNow (Diversys Learning), Techniques of Alcohol Management, Ready Training Online, or Virginia Health and Safety Institute.", "cost_range": "Virginia ABC's own RSVP seller/server course is free (offered online and in person by ABC special agents). STAP-approved private providers set their own course fees, which vary by provider. Virginia sets no statutory cap on training cost (the dollar figures in the statute are civil-penalty caps, not training fees).", "validity_years": "No fixed statewide certificate expiration is published. The only state-defined time window is the safe harbor at 3VAC5-70-210, under which the responsible server's ABC-certified training must have been completed within the 12 months immediately preceding a violation for the licensee to claim the reduced suspension/penalty. Approved training programs (not individual certificates) must be re-submitted to Virginia ABC for approval every three years, per Virginia ABC's STAP Application Guide.", "county_exceptions": "None. Alcohol licensing and seller/server-training certification in Virginia are administered exclusively statewide by Virginia ABC under Title 4.1 of the Code of Virginia; no Virginia county or city issues its own alcohol-server card or imposes a separate local server-training mandate.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Code of Virginia § 4.1-227(E)(3) — the Board shall provide for a reduction in the length of any suspension and in the amount of any civil penalty for a retail licensee that can demonstrate it provided its employees alcohol seller/server training certified in advance by the Board (which must include a DCJS human-trafficking module); establishes the safe harbor and there is no individual mandate\", \"url\": \"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title4.1/chapter2/section4.1-227/\"}, {\"citation\": \"3VAC5-70-210(A)-(B) — first-offense penalty schedule with the reduced 'suspension/civil charge with certified training' tier, available only where the responsible employee's ABC-certified training was completed within the 12 months immediately preceding the violation; also sets out how Virginia ABC certifies seller/server training courses\", \"url\": \"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title3/agency5/chapter70/section210/\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Virginia ABC — Licensee Training (free RSVP seller/server, MART manager, and RADD delivery courses; 'The Advantages of Training' safe-harbor section citing COV § 4.1-227)\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.virginia.gov/licenses/training\"}, {\"label\": \"Virginia ABC — Seller/Server Training Approval Program (STAP): how external providers get certified, the annual application cycle, and the current list of ABC-certified providers\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.virginia.gov/licenses/training/training-approval\"}, {\"label\": \"Code of Virginia § 4.1-227 (subsection E(3) — statutory safe harbor: reduced suspension/civil penalty for licensees whose employees hold ABC-certified seller/server training)\", \"url\": \"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title4.1/chapter2/section4.1-227/\"}, {\"label\": \"3VAC5-70-210 — Schedule of penalties for first-offense violations (reduced 'with certified training' tier; 12-month training-recency window; course-certification procedure and Seller-Server Training Evaluation form)\", \"url\": \"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title3/agency5/chapter70/section210/\"}, {\"label\": \"Virginia ABC — FY2026 Seller/Server Training Approval Program (STAP) Application Guide (source for the annual application cycle and the every-three-years program re-approval requirement; verbatim 'All programs must be re-submitted for approval every three years')\", \"url\": \"https://www.abc.virginia.gov/library/licenses/pdfs/alcohol-seller-server-training-approval-application_fy26.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/va-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "vt-alcohol-server", "state": "Vermont", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Training before the first shift is compulsory statewide: 7 V.S.A. sec. 213(c)(1) requires that every employee who is involved in the delivery, sale, or serving of alcoholic beverages complete a Division of Liquor Control-approved training program before the employee begins delivering, serving, or selling alcoholic beverages, and again at least once every 24 months thereafter -- the state's own education pages say categorically that all sellers and servers of alcohol 'must be trained before they start working.' What Vermont does not issue is a standalone plastic server card: the statute routes the duty through the establishment (each licensee, permittee, or common carrier certificate holder 'shall ensure' its employees are trained), the noncompliance penalty (license suspension of not less than one day or a fine of not more than $100.00) falls on the licensee rather than the individual, and completion is documented by certificate and signed licensee records rather than a government-issued card. In-house training with Division-approved materials is permitted.", "who_must_get": "Vermont's requirement runs through the licensee, not the individual. First, under 7 V.S.A. sec. 213(c), each licensee must ensure that every employee involved in the delivery, sale, or serving of alcoholic beverages completes a Division of Liquor Control-approved training program before the employee begins delivering, serving, or selling and at least once every 24 months thereafter, and must keep written documentation signed by each trained employee. Second, the license holder itself -- or, for a corporation, partnership, or association, a designated director, partner, or manager -- must attend a Division in-person seminar or complete the appropriate online program before a new first-, second-, third-, fourth-class, manufacturer's/rectifier's license or common-carrier certificate is granted, and again at least once every two years; a license is not renewed unless the Division's records show compliance. Neither duty makes the individual server personally liable to hold a card.", "exemptions": "No express exemption clause was found in any of the sources checked: 7 V.S.A. sec. 213 (the training statute -- its subsec. (c)(1) reaches every employee who is involved in the delivery, sale, or serving of alcoholic beverages, without a carve-out), 7 V.S.A. sec. 259 (tasting events), the DLC Education page (liquorcontrol.vermont.gov/education), and the DLL Education Storefront (dllseminars.vermont.gov). The duty's own scope is the only limit: it attaches to employees 'involved in the delivery, sale, or serving of alcoholic beverages,' so staff whose work does not involve delivering, selling, or serving alcohol (for example kitchen-only staff) fall outside sec. 213(c) by its terms. Two enforcement-side clarifications, not exemptions: no statute makes the individual server personally liable to hold a card (the duty and the penalty sit on the licensee under sec. 213(c)), and the one directly individual-level duty -- no person under 18 or without Division-required training may serve at a tasting event (sec. 259) -- is limited to tasting events.", "issuing_authority": "The Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery, Division of Liquor Control (Office of Education), sets and approves all alcohol training. The Division delivers its own in-person and online licensee seminars, furnishes and approves the training materials used for employee and in-house training, and approves third-party training programs. There is no separate government-issued plastic server card; completion is documented by the Division's certificate for its own seminars, by the approved third-party provider, or by the licensee, which must keep signed written records of each employee trained.", "approved_provider_rule": "The Division of Liquor Control furnishes or approves all training content. For a business's own licensing requirement, only a Division in-person or online seminar counts (booked through the DLL Education Storefront at dllseminars.vermont.gov). For employees, acceptable training is a Division in-person or online seminar, a Division-approved third-party program, or in-house training conducted on the licensee's premises using materials furnished or approved by the Division and delivered by a staff member holding a Train-the-Trainer certification. On-premise staff (first- and third-class licensees) take the 1st Class Server Training Program; off-premise staff (second-class stores) take the 2nd Class Seller Training Program.", "cost_range": "The Division of Liquor Control's own seminars carry statutory fees under 7 V.S.A. sec. 213(d): $25.00 per person for the first-class (or combined first/third-class) on-premise server seminar and for the second-class off-premise seller seminar, and $10.00 per person for manufacturer's/rectifier's, fourth-class, common-carrier, and special-event/venue seminars. There is no separate card fee; Division-approved third-party providers set their own course price. A licensee that fails to train employees is subject to a fine of not more than $100.00 and/or license suspension of at least one day.", "validity_years": "2 years (retrain at least once every 24 months)", "county_exceptions": "None. Alcohol licensing, server/seller training approval, and enforcement in Vermont are administered solely by the state Department of Liquor and Lottery. Vermont towns vote under the local-option system on whether alcohol may be sold at all, but no county, town, or city issues its own alcohol server card or imposes a separate server-certification requirement.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"7 V.S.A. sec. 213 -- Licensee education (subsec. (c)(1): each licensee, permittee, or common carrier certificate holder shall ensure that every employee involved in the delivery, sale, or serving of alcohol completes a Division of Liquor Control-approved training program before the employee begins and at least once every 24 months -- the binding subject is the licensee, not the individual; subsec. (c)(2): in-house training with Division-approved materials allowed; noncompliance = license suspension of not less than one day or a fine of not more than $100.00 imposed on the licensee; subsec. (d): seminar fee schedule)\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/07/009/00213\"}, {\"citation\": \"7 V.S.A. sec. 259 -- Tasting events; age and training of servers (no individual under 18 or without Division-required training may serve alcoholic beverages at a tasting event; this is the only individual-level training duty and it is limited to tasting events)\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/07/009/00259\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery, Division of Liquor Control -- Education (hub; states 'The Office of Education brings training and seminars to businesspersons, employees, bartenders, store owners'; trained before they start working and re-trained every 2 years)\", \"url\": \"https://liquorcontrol.vermont.gov/education\"}, {\"label\": \"Vermont DLL -- Education Storefront / Online Trainings (seminar list and $25.00 / $10.00 fees; approved 3rd-party and in-house options; states 'The State of Vermont statutes require that all who sell or serve alcohol or tobacco must attend training and be certified by the Department of Liquor and Lottery')\", \"url\": \"https://dllseminars.vermont.gov/\"}, {\"label\": \"Vermont DLL -- 1st Class Server Training Program 2026 (on-premise 1st/3rd class, $25.00)\", \"url\": \"https://dllseminars.vermont.gov/program/1st-class-server-training-program-2026\"}, {\"label\": \"7 V.S.A. sec. 213 -- Licensee education\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/07/009/00213\"}, {\"label\": \"7 V.S.A. sec. 259 -- Tasting events; age and training of servers\", \"url\": \"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/07/009/00259\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/vt-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "wa-alcohol-server", "state": "Washington", "certification": "MAST Permit", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "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", "who_must_get": "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.", "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. Sources checked: RCW 66.20.300-.350, WAC chapter 314-17 (full text), and the LCB MAST page and FAQ.", "issuing_authority": "Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB); permits are issued by LCB-certified private course providers and the completion is recorded by the board.", "approved_provider_rule": "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.", "cost_range": "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.", "validity_years": "5", "county_exceptions": "None. The MAST permit requirement applies uniformly statewide under state law; no Washington county or city issues a separate alcohol server card.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"RCW 66.20.310 — Alcohol server permits (class 12 and class 13; every on-premises alcohol server must be issued a permit; subsection (2)(f): alcohol-delivery employees need a class 12 permit before engaging in delivery; subsection (7): qualifying grocery stores and their employees are exempt except tasting-activity servers)\", \"url\": \"https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=66.20.310\"}, {\"citation\": \"WAC Chapter 314-17 — Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (permit types, validity, carry/replacement, employer duties)\", \"url\": \"https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=314-17\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"WSLCB — Get an Alcohol Server Permit (MAST)\", \"url\": \"https://lcb.wa.gov/mastrvp/mandatory_alcohol_server_training\"}, {\"label\": \"WSLCB — FAQs for Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (MAST)\", \"url\": \"https://lcb.wa.gov/mastrvp/mast_faqs\"}, {\"label\": \"RCW 66.20.310 — Alcohol server permits\", \"url\": \"https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=66.20.310\"}, {\"label\": \"WAC Chapter 314-17 — Mandatory Alcohol Server Training\", \"url\": \"https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=314-17\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/wa-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "wi-alcohol-server", "state": "Wisconsin", "certification": "Operator's License", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "state-mandated", "mandate_detail": "Municipal operator's (bartender's) license; RBS training required first; supervised helpers exempt; temporary operator's license (1-14 days) for nonprofit events", "who_must_get": "Anyone 18 or older who sells or serves alcohol beverages on a licensed retail premises without immediate supervision must hold a valid operator's license (the \"bartender's license\"), a provisional operator's license, or the statewide operator's permit. For nonprofit events there is a fourth, lighter credential: under Wis. Stat. 125.17(4) a municipal governing body or designated municipal official may issue a temporary operator's license, but only to operators employed by, or donating their services to, nonprofit corporations; it is valid for any period from one day to 14 days (the period must be stated on the license) and no person may hold more than 2 such licenses per year -- the right-sized credential for a volunteer bartending a church festival or nonprofit fundraiser. No card is needed to help serve while a qualifying person is present and immediately supervising: the licensee, the appointed agent of a corporate or LLC licensee, or a holder of an operator's, provisional operator's, or manager's license. Adult immediate family of the licensee also qualify, but the two official sources state that class differently and both readings are given here: the statutes say 'any member of the licensee's or permittee's immediate family who has attained the age of 18 shall be considered the holder of an operator's license,' with no residency condition and no individual-licensee restriction (Wis. Stat. 125.32(2) and 125.68(2)), while the Department of Revenue's Fact Sheet 3104 (last updated February 24, 2026) phrases the class, where the licensee or permittee is an individual, as 'an adult member of the licensee's or permittee's immediate family who resides in the household.' A family member living outside the household satisfies the statute's text but not the regulator's published reading -- confirm with the municipal clerk or DOR before relying on the family provision. Wisconsin does not require every server to be licensed -- only enough licensed or permitted people to adequately supervise the premises -- and while open for business every retail premises must have one of those qualifying persons present (a Class \"A\" off-sale premises is exempt between midnight and 6 a.m.). To be licensed, a first-time applicant must be at least 18, pass the character review under Wisconsin's Fair Employment Law, and have completed an approved responsible beverage server training course before the license is issued; the license is obtained by applying in writing to the clerk of the municipality where the premises is located. The training course is not required for someone renewing an operator's license, who completed the course within the last two years, or who held a retail, manager's, or operator's license or permit anywhere in Wisconsin within the last two years.", "exemptions": "Who does not need an operator's license: (1) a person at least 18 years old who sells or serves under the immediate supervision of a qualifying person present on the premises -- the licensee, the appointed agent of a corporate or LLC licensee, or the holder of an operator's, provisional operator's, or manager's license (Wis. Stat. 125.32(2) and 125.68(2)); (2) the licensee personally; (3) adult immediate family of the licensee or permittee -- with an attributed conflict between the two official sources: the statutes provide that 'any member of the licensee's or permittee's immediate family who has attained the age of 18 shall be considered the holder of an operator's license,' with no residency condition (125.32(2)/125.68(2)), while DOR Fact Sheet 3104 states the class, for individual licensees and permittees, as an adult immediate-family member 'who resides in the household' -- outside the household, the statute's text covers you but DOR's published reading does not; (4) most servers on a staffed shift: a municipality may not require every seller or server to hold a license -- only enough licensed or permitted persons to adequately supervise the premises (Wis. Stat. 125.17(1); DOR Fact Sheet 3104); and (5) the premises-presence rule itself does not apply to Class \"A\" off-sale premises between midnight and 6 a.m. (125.32(3)(b)). Separately, the training prerequisite (not the license) is waived for a person renewing an operator's license, a person who completed an approved responsible beverage server course within the past 2 years, and a person who within the past 2 years held a Class \"A\", \"Class A\", \"Class C\", Class \"B\" or \"Class B\" license or permit or a manager's or operator's license (125.17(6)(a)1.-3.). Sources: Wis. Stat. 125.17, 125.32, 125.68 (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov); DOR Fact Sheet 3104 (revenue.wi.gov).", "issuing_authority": "The municipal governing body -- the city, village, or town where the premises is located -- issues the operator's license; under Wis. Stat. 125.17(1) every municipality must issue one to any qualified applicant, and the license is valid only within that municipality. Since the 2023 reorganization that created the Division of Alcohol Beverages (DAB) within the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, an individual may instead obtain a statewide operator's permit issued by DAB under Wis. Stat. 125.175, valid at any licensed premises in Wisconsin. The prerequisite responsible beverage server training course is offered by Wisconsin technical college districts under curriculum guidelines set by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board, or is a comparable course approved by the Division of Alcohol Beverages or the Department of Safety and Professional Services; the Department of Revenue publishes the list of approved courses.", "approved_provider_rule": "Wisconsin does not run a single state course. Under Wis. Stat. 125.04(5)(a)5, an approved responsible beverage server training course is one offered by a technical college district that conforms to the curriculum guidelines set by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board, or a comparable course approved by the Division of Alcohol Beverages or the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Approved courses must cover the responsibilities of alcohol sellers, the effects of alcohol and levels of intoxication, techniques for controlling consumption and checking IDs, and the key provisions of Wisconsin Statutes Chapters 125 and 139. The Department of Revenue posts the current list of approved classroom providers (Wisconsin Technical Colleges, plus vendors such as ServSafe Alcohol, TIPS, and Serving Alcohol Inc.) and online providers (for example Learn2Serve, RServing.com, and LIQUORexam.com); the Department does not endorse or administer any private program. After completing an approved course, the person applies for the operator's license at the municipal clerk's office, or for the statewide operator's permit through the DAB online application system, and presents proof of course completion.", "cost_range": "Wisconsin sets no single statewide operator's license fee; each municipality establishes its own fee for the one- or two-year operator's license. The only dollar amount fixed by statute for operator licensing is the provisional-license cap: the municipality sets the provisional operator's license fee, but it may not exceed $15 (Wis. Stat. 125.17(5)(c)). The statewide operator's permit fee is set by the Division of Alcohol Beverages under Wis. Stat. 125.175. Responsible beverage server course fees are set by each approved provider or technical college, not by the state.", "validity_years": "An operator's license may be issued for one or two years, at the option of the issuing municipality. It expires June 30 in most municipalities and December 31 in first-class cities (the City of Milwaukee). A provisional operator's license, available to a person who has applied for a full operator's license, expires 60 days after issuance or when the operator's license is granted, whichever comes first. A temporary operator's license, issuable only to operators employed by or donating their services to nonprofit corporations, is valid for any period from one day to 14 days, and the period for which it is valid must be stated on the license (Wis. Stat. 125.17(4)(c)).", "county_exceptions": "Wisconsin credentials servers at the municipal level, not the county level. An operator's license is issued by the city, village, or town and is valid only in that municipality, though it may be used at any premises there and on a permitted vessel. Each municipality sets its own operator's license fee and decides whether to issue for one or two years, so cost and term vary locally; first-class cities (the City of Milwaukee) use a December 31 expiration while all other municipalities use June 30. No Wisconsin county imposes a separate server-card requirement -- the operator's license is a statewide statutory credential administered by the municipalities, and the statewide operator's permit issued by the Division of Alcohol Beverages is valid in every municipality.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.17(1) -- operator's (bartender's) license; the municipal governing body must issue one to any qualified applicant, and operators' licenses 'may not be required other than for the purpose of complying with ss. 125.32(2) and 125.68(2) or s. 125.06(3g)' -- the premises presence/supervision duty itself sits in ss. 125.32(2) and 125.68(2), which this subsection cross-references\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.17(1)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.32(2) and 125.68(2) -- the seat of the presence/supervision requirement (fermented malt beverages and intoxicating liquor respectively): an unlicensed person may sell or serve only if 18 or older and under the immediate supervision of the licensee, agent, or an operator/provisional/manager license holder present on the premises; 'any member of the licensee's or permittee's immediate family who has attained the age of 18 shall be considered the holder of an operator's license' (no residency qualifier in the statutory text -- contrast DOR Fact Sheet 3104's 'resides in the household' reading); Class \\\"A\\\" premises exempt from the presence rule between midnight and 6 a.m. per 125.32(3)(b)\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.32(2)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.68(2) -- presence/supervision requirement for intoxicating-liquor premises (companion to 125.32(2))\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.68(2)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.17(4) -- temporary operator's license: a municipality may issue one under the terms of subs. (1) to (3), except that it may be issued only to operators employed by, or donating their services to, nonprofit corporations; no person may hold more than 2 such licenses per year; valid for any period from one day to 14 days, stated on the license\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.17(4)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.17(5) -- provisional operator's license; the municipality sets the fee but it may not exceed $15, and the license expires 60 days after issuance or when the operator's license is issued, whichever is sooner\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.17(5)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.17(6) -- responsible beverage server training course requirement tied to the operator's license\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.17(6)\"}, {\"citation\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.04(5)(a)5 -- applicant must have completed within the prior 2 years a responsible beverage server training course offered by a technical college district and conforming to curriculum guidelines specified by the technical college system board, or a comparable course approved by the division or the Department of Safety and Professional Services\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.04(5)(a)5.\"}, {\"citation\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.175 -- statewide operator's permit issued by the Division of Alcohol Beverages, valid at any licensed premises in Wisconsin, with qualifications the same as the municipal operator's license\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.175\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Wisconsin DOR -- Fact Sheet 3104: Operators' Licenses and Permits (last updated Feb 24 2026)\", \"url\": \"https://www.revenue.wi.gov/DOR%20Publications/3104OperatorsLicensesAndPermits.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Wisconsin DOR, Division of Alcohol Beverages -- home\", \"url\": \"https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/AlcoholBeverage/home.aspx\"}, {\"label\": \"Wisconsin DOR -- Alcohol Seller/Server Training (approved course providers list)\", \"url\": \"https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/Training/alcSellerServer.aspx\"}, {\"label\": \"Wisconsin DOR -- Providing/Approving a Responsible Beverage Server Course (FAQ; cites sec. 125.04(5)(a)5)\", \"url\": \"https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/rbs-courses.aspx\"}, {\"label\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.17 -- Operators' licenses, temporary operators' licenses, and provisional operators' licenses\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.17\"}, {\"label\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.32 -- general restrictions for fermented malt beverages (sub. (2): the presence/supervision rule and the immediate-family provision; sub. (3)(b): Class \\\"A\\\" midnight-6 a.m. exemption)\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.32\"}, {\"label\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.68 -- general restrictions for intoxicating liquor (sub. (2): the presence/supervision rule and the immediate-family provision)\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.68\"}, {\"label\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.04(5) -- license/permit qualifications, including the responsible beverage server training requirement\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.04(5)\"}, {\"label\": \"Wis. Stat. 125.175 -- statewide operator's permit (Division of Alcohol Beverages)\", \"url\": \"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/125.175\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/wi-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "wv-alcohol-server", "state": "West Virginia", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "none", "mandate_detail": "No state server card or certification; the licensed establishment bears responsibility for lawful service.", "who_must_get": "No individual is required by West Virginia law to hold an alcohol server card or certification. Responsibility rests with the licensed establishment: under W. Va. Code Section 60-7-12, a licensee and its agents or employees may not sell or serve alcohol to anyone under 21 or to a person who is legally incompetent or physically incapacitated by alcohol or drugs. Employment-age rules exist, and they are scoped by license type rather than being one statewide rule. At private clubs -- the bars and restaurants licensed under W. Va. Code Chapter 60, Article 7 -- no person younger than 16 may be employed in a position whose primary responsibility is to sell, furnish, tender, serve, or give nonintoxicating beer, wine, or alcoholic liquors, and a person between 16 and younger than 21 may hold such a position only when directly supervised by a person aged 21 or over (W. Va. Code Section 60-7-12(a)(10)). For nonintoxicating-beer licensees the default employment floor is 18: W. Va. Code Section 11-16-18(d) provides that nothing in that article prohibits a licensee from employing any person who is at least 18 years of age in the licensee's lawful employ, including the sale or distribution of nonintoxicating beer; only with the prior approval of the commissioner may a licensee whose principal business is the sale of food or consumer goods, or the providing of recreational activities, employ 16- and 17-year-olds -- their duties may include the sale of nonintoxicating beer or alcoholic liquors only when directly supervised by a person 21 years of age or older, and the authorization to employ persons under 18 must be clearly indicated on the licensee's license. A statewide alcohol server permit (a proposed three-year, $25 credential due within 60 days of hire) appeared in a 2011 bill that was never enacted and is not law.", "exemptions": "West Virginia requires no individual alcohol server card of anyone, so there is no credential to be exempt from: no server, bartender, or clerk needs a state card, permit, or certification. Sources checked for any such requirement (none imposes one): W. Va. Code Chapter 60, Article 7 (Licenses to Private Clubs -- the article index contains no server-permit or server-training section), W. Va. Code Section 11-16-18 (nonintoxicating beer -- imposes none), and the WVABCA's licensing and forms-and-applications pages (establishment licenses and business filings only; no server-permit application exists). What does limit who may serve are employment-age rules binding the licensee, and they are scoped by license type: private clubs may not employ under-16s in positions whose primary responsibility is selling or serving alcohol and must directly supervise 16-to-under-21 staff in such positions (Section 60-7-12(a)(10)); nonintoxicating-beer licensees may employ anyone at least 18, and 16-17-year-olds only at food/consumer-goods/recreation businesses with prior commissioner approval clearly indicated on the license, under direct 21+ supervision (Section 11-16-18(d)).", "issuing_authority": "West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration (WVABCA), the state's alcohol regulator. It licenses establishments (private clubs, retail and off-premises dealers) and offers voluntary educational materials, but it does not issue or require an individual alcohol server card or certification.", "approved_provider_rule": "The state neither issues an individual server credential nor maintains an approved-provider list for one. WVABCA provides free voluntary educational resources (such as proper-carding-procedure videos). Private courses such as TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol, and Learn2Serve are available and are frequently required by employers or liability insurers, but no course is state-mandated or state-approved for a required card.", "cost_range": "", "validity_years": "", "county_exceptions": "None known. West Virginia is a control state; local option elections determine whether alcohol may be sold in a jurisdiction, not server training. No West Virginia county or municipality is known to require an individual alcohol server card.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"W. Va. Code Section 60-7-12 (Certain acts of PRIVATE CLUB licensees prohibited; criminal penalties: no sale/service to persons under 21 or incapacitated; subsec. (a)(10): private-club employment ages -- under-16 ban for primarily alcohol-serving positions, 16-to-under-21 only under direct supervision of a person 21 or over)\", \"url\": \"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/60-7-12/\"}, {\"citation\": \"W. Va. Code Section 11-16-18(d) (nonintoxicating beer -- employment ages for beer licensees: any person at least 18 may be employed, including for the sale or distribution of nonintoxicating beer; 16- and 17-year-olds only with prior commissioner approval, at businesses whose principal business is food, consumer goods, or recreational activities, under direct 21+ supervision, with the authorization clearly indicated on the licensee's license)\", \"url\": \"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/11-16-18/\"}, {\"citation\": \"W. Va. Code Chapter 60, Article 7 (Licenses to Private Clubs: licenses the establishment; the current article index contains no individual server-permit or server-training section)\", \"url\": \"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/60-7/\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"WVABCA — Licensing (establishment license classes; no individual server credential)\", \"url\": \"https://abca.wv.gov/page/licensing\"}, {\"label\": \"WVABCA — Forms and Applications (no alcohol server permit application exists; only establishment/business filings)\", \"url\": \"https://abca.wv.gov/about/forms-and-applications\"}, {\"label\": \"W. Va. Code Section 60-7-12 — private-club licensee prohibited acts (under-21/intoxicated service; private-club employment ages)\", \"url\": \"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/60-7-12/\"}, {\"label\": \"W. Va. Code Section 11-16-18 — nonintoxicating beer: unlawful acts of licensees (subsec. (d): employment of persons at least 18; 16-17 only with prior commissioner approval, supervised, noted on the license)\", \"url\": \"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/11-16-18/\"}, {\"label\": \"WVABCA — Education (voluntary responsible-service resources)\", \"url\": \"https://abca.wv.gov/education\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/wv-alcohol-server/" }, { "page_id": "wy-alcohol-server", "state": "Wyoming", "certification": "Alcohol Server Card", "cluster": "alcohol-server", "mandate_level": "county-mandated", "mandate_detail": "No statewide individual requirement. Wyoming law (W.S. 12-2-401 and 12-2-402) directs the Department of Revenue's Liquor Division to run an alcohol server training program and certify providers, but it places no completion duty on individual servers, and the Liquor Division's licensing guide states that server training is not mandatory statewide while several municipalities do require it. At least two municipalities impose an individual completion mandate: Douglas (Municipal Code 5.16.050, as amended by Ordinance No. 1010) requires all licensees, managers and supervisory personnel, and staff who serve alcoholic beverages to participate in and complete a Wyoming Liquor Division-approved program within two (2) months of accepting employment -- the same two-month clock also runs from obtaining a new or transfer liquor license or upon application for renewal of an annual liquor license, and required trainings through state-certified programs must be kept current for as long as such persons are employed at the licensed premises -- and Thayne (Town Code 3-2-11) requires all licensees, managers and supervisory personnel to complete the approved program within three months, with nonsupervisory employees trained in-house by certified staff. Cheyenne reaches a similar end through a duty on the business rather than the individual: Municipal Code 5.12.090 (\"Annual review compliance criteria\") requires licensees and permittees to ensure that persons who physically sell, serve or deliver alcohol -- plus on-site managers and any persons providing on-site security services -- complete a Wyoming Liquor Division-approved training program within ninety (90) days of employment or the initial date of providing services, to provide orientation training (materials approved by the chief of police) before any alcohol-related duties are performed, and to maintain on the premises a current list of bona fide employees, volunteers, on-site managers, and persons providing on-site security services. A statewide, state-recognized certification (state-set curriculum, certified providers, minimum three-year validity) exists and is commonly required by employers even where no ordinance applies.", "who_must_get": "No Wyoming statute or Liquor Division rule requires an individual server or seller to hold the certificate statewide. State law (W.S. 12-2-401 and 12-2-402) directs the Department of Revenue to run an alcohol server training program and to certify providers, but it does not order servers, bartenders, or clerks to complete the training. At the statewide level, responsibility for lawful sales sits with the licensed establishment, and the legal defense to an underage-sale charge or a license action rests on the licensee, employee, or agent having demanded and reasonably relied on valid identification (W.S. 12-6-101), not on server training. The certification is state-recognized, highly recommended, and commonly required by employers. Several municipalities make training legally mandatory within their jurisdictions: Douglas (Municipal Code 5.16.050) requires the individuals who serve alcoholic beverages -- along with licensees, managers, and supervisory personnel -- to complete the approved program within two (2) months of accepting employment; Thayne (Town Code 3-2-11) requires managers and supervisory personnel to complete it within three months; and Cheyenne (Municipal Code 5.12.090) requires the licensee or permittee to ensure that persons who physically sell, serve or deliver alcohol, on-site managers, and any persons providing on-site security services complete it within ninety (90) days, with a separate police-approved orientation training before any alcohol-related duties are performed.", "exemptions": "Statewide, there is no requirement to be exempt from: no Wyoming statute or Liquor Division rule orders any individual server, bartender, or clerk to complete training or hold the certificate. Sources checked (none imposes such a duty): W.S. 12-2-401 and 12-2-402 (the program statute places duties on the department and providers only), W.S. 12-6-101 (the affirmative defense is ID-reliance, not training), Liquor Division Rules Chapter 20 Section 12 (course, provider, and trainer standards -- no completion duty on servers), and the Liquor Division's own licensing guide ('server training is not currently mandatory in Wyoming'). Inside the mandate towns, the ordinances carry their own carve-outs: in Thayne, nonsupervisory employees need not complete the state-certified program -- unless otherwise trained through it, they receive alcohol server training in-house, at the time of employment and at least annually, from staff already certified (Town Code 3-2-11); in Douglas, the duty reaches licensees, managers and supervisory personnel, and staff who serve alcoholic beverages, so employees who do not serve alcohol are outside it (Municipal Code 5.16.050); in Cheyenne, the duty sits on the licensee or permittee rather than the individual, and covers persons who physically sell, serve or deliver alcohol plus on-site managers and on-site security staff (Municipal Code 5.12.090).", "issuing_authority": "The Wyoming Department of Revenue, Liquor Division, administers the statewide alcohol server training program: it develops the curriculum standards, certifies the training providers and their courses, and certifies trainers. The individual server's certificate is issued by a Division-certified provider (a school, company, or trainer that meets the state standards), not by a government office. The Wyoming State Liquor Association delivers TIPS training in the state with Liquor Division support and funding.", "approved_provider_rule": "The Wyoming Liquor Division certifies providers rather than issuing cards itself. A provider (an individual, independent contractor, partnership, corporation, or public or private school) applies to the Division on the Division's form with a copy of the course curriculum, instructor qualifications, and testing procedures, and must meet or exceed the Division's minimum curriculum standards (the effects of alcohol, absorption and blood-alcohol content, the laws affecting servers and sellers, handling problem situations, and how to check identification and spot false IDs). Each course runs a minimum of four hours and ends in a written examination the server must pass with a score of at least 70 percent; trainers must complete a minimum 12-hour trainer workshop and pass a 70-percent trainer exam. Course certifications are annual and expire August 31 each year, with renewals due 45 days before expiration. A server obtains the certificate directly from a certified provider, for example TIPS classes offered through the Wyoming State Liquor Association or approved online courses such as Learn2Serve by 360training and StateFoodSafety, and the certification is valid for at least three years.", "cost_range": "Wyoming sets no state fee and no statutory price cap for the individual server certificate; the Division-certified provider sets the course price. The Wyoming State Liquor Association, with Wyoming Liquor Division funding, offers TIPS server-training materials free to trainers who provide the class free to students; commercial online providers set their own fees.", "validity_years": "at least 3 years -- the state rule sets a minimum ('not less than three (3) years'); check the expiration printed on your certificate", "county_exceptions": "Wyoming imposes no statewide individual mandate, but several municipalities require alcohol server training by ordinance -- these are all city and town ordinances; no Wyoming county-level server-training ordinance was found. Douglas Municipal Code 5.16.050 (\"Alcohol Server Certification - Required,\" as amended by Ordinance No. 1010, adopted 10-25-2021) states in its codified text that all licensees, managers and supervisory personnel, and staff who serve alcoholic beverages, employed at any licensed building and/or premises, shall participate in and complete a Wyoming Liquor Division-approved alcohol server training program as established in W.S. 12-2-401 and 12-2-402 -- within two (2) months of obtaining any new or transfer liquor license or upon application for renewal of an annual liquor license, or within two (2) months of accepting employment as a manager, supervisor, or staff member who serves alcoholic beverages -- and required trainings through state-certified programs shall be kept current for as long as such persons are employed at the licensed building and/or premises: a direct requirement on the individual server. Thayne Town Code 3-2-11 (\"Alcohol Server Certification Required\") requires all licensees, managers and supervisory personnel to participate in and complete the approved program within three months, with nonsupervisory employees trained in-house by those already certified. Cheyenne Municipal Code 5.12.090 (\"Annual review compliance criteria\") places the duty on the business rather than the individual: licensees and permittees shall provide orientation training (materials approved by the chief of police) before any alcohol-related duties are performed, shall ensure that persons who physically sell, serve or deliver alcohol -- and on-site managers and any persons providing on-site security services -- complete a Wyoming Liquor Division-approved training program within ninety (90) days of employment or the initial date of providing services, and shall maintain on the premises a current list of bona fide employees, volunteers, on-site managers, and security personnel. Where a local ordinance applies, completion of the state-recognized program is mandatory within that jurisdiction.", "legal_basis": "[{\"citation\": \"W.S. 12-2-401 -- Alcohol Server Training Program: definitions ('program', 'provider', and 'server' = a person who physically serves or delivers alcoholic liquor at retail on or off a licensed premises)\", \"url\": \"https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title12.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"W.S. 12-2-402 -- Powers and duties of the department: the Department of Revenue shall establish an alcohol server training program and certify providers who use department-developed curricula; no completion mandate is placed on individual servers\", \"url\": \"https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title12.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"W.S. 12-6-101 -- Sale to minors; prima facie identification as a defense: reasonable reliance on valid ID is the licensee's/employee's defense (the state's affirmative defense is ID-based, not training-based)\", \"url\": \"https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title12.pdf\"}, {\"citation\": \"Wyoming Department of Revenue, Liquor Division Rules, Chapter 20, Section 12 -- Alcohol Server Training Program: course and provider certification, four-hour minimum, 70-percent written exam, minimum 12-hour trainer workshop, annual certification expiring August 31, and server certification valid for not less than three years\", \"url\": \"https://rules.wyo.gov/DownloadFile.aspx?source_id=24925&source_type_id=81&doc_type_id=110&include_meta_data=Y&file_type=pdf&filename=24925.pdf&token=237203250117089171161187195011150185108244089153\"}, {\"citation\": \"Douglas Municipal Code 5.16.050 -- 'Alcohol Server Certification - Required' (codified text; history: Ord. No. 991, sec. 6, 7-24-2017; Ord. No. 1010, sec. 1, 10-25-2021): all licensees, managers and supervisory personnel, and staff who serve alcoholic beverages, employed at any licensed building and/or premises, shall participate in and complete a Wyoming Liquor Division-approved program as established in W.S. 12-2-401 and 12-2-402 -- within two (2) months of obtaining any new or transfer liquor license or upon application for renewal of an annual liquor license, or within two (2) months of accepting employment as a manager, supervisor, or staff member who serves alcoholic beverages; required trainings shall be kept current (direct local mandate on staff who serve)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/wy/douglas/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT5BUTALIRE_CH5.16ALBE\"}, {\"citation\": \"Town of Thayne Code 3-2-11 -- 'Alcohol Server Certification Required': all licensees and all managers and supervisory personnel employed at any licensed premises shall participate in and complete a Wyoming Liquor Division-approved program within three months (nonsupervisory employees trained in-house) -- local individual mandate on managers/supervisory personnel\", \"url\": \"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/thaynewy/latest/thayne_wy/0-0-0-646\"}, {\"citation\": \"Cheyenne Municipal Code 5.12.090 -- 'Annual review compliance criteria' (the governing body's annual licensee/permittee review criteria): licensees and permittees shall (a) 'Provide training prior to any duties being performed' relating to alcohol sales and service, with orientation training materials approved by the chief of police; (b) 'Ensure that persons who physically sell, serve or deliver alcoholic liquor or malt beverages at retail on or off the premises ... and on-site managers and any persons providing on-site security services successfully complete an alcohol training program as approved by the Wyoming Liquor Division ... within ninety (90) days of employment or initial date of providing services,' and maintain on the premises a current list of bona fide employees, volunteers, on-site managers, and persons providing on-site security services. This is a duty on the business, not an individual server mandate.\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/wy/cheyenne/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT5BULIRE_CH5.12ALLIMABE_5.12.090ANRECOCR\"}]", "last_verified": "2026-07-22", "source_urls": "[{\"label\": \"Wyoming Statutes, Title 12 (Alcoholic Beverages) -- W.S. 12-2-401 & 12-2-402 (Alcohol Server Training Program) and W.S. 12-6-101 (ID defense)\", \"url\": \"https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title12.pdf\"}, {\"label\": \"Wyoming Department of Revenue, Liquor Division Rules, Ch. 20 Sec. 12 -- Alcohol Server Training Program (4-hr course, 70% exam, 12-hr trainer workshop, annual Aug 31 certification, 3-yr server certification)\", \"url\": \"https://rules.wyo.gov/DownloadFile.aspx?source_id=24925&source_type_id=81&doc_type_id=110&include_meta_data=Y&file_type=pdf&filename=24925.pdf&token=237203250117089171161187195011150185108244089153\"}, {\"label\": \"Wyoming Liquor Division (Department of Revenue) -- official agency site\", \"url\": \"https://liquor365.wyo.gov/\"}, {\"label\": \"Wyoming State Liquor Association -- Alcohol Server Training Program / TIPS (Division-funded coordinator)\", \"url\": \"https://wyoliquor.org/tips-training/1286-2/\"}, {\"label\": \"Douglas Municipal Code, Chapter 5.16 (Alcoholic Beverages) -- codified Section 5.16.050 'Alcohol Server Certification - Required' (local individual mandate on staff who serve; two-month deadline; incorporates Ord. No. 1010, adopted 10-25-2021)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/wy/douglas/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT5BUTALIRE_CH5.16ALBE\"}, {\"label\": \"City of Douglas Ordinance No. 1010 (2021 amendment to Section 5.16.050 -- historical adoption record; the operative text is the codified Municipal Code above)\", \"url\": \"https://www.cityofdouglas.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/4637?fileID=3906\"}, {\"label\": \"Cheyenne Municipal Code 5.12.090 'Annual review compliance criteria' -- licensee/permittee duty to ensure serving staff complete Wyoming Liquor Division-approved training within 90 days (not an individual mandate)\", \"url\": \"https://library.municode.com/wy/cheyenne/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT5BULIRE_CH5.12ALLIMABE_5.12.090ANRECOCR\"}, {\"label\": \"Town of Thayne Code 3-2-11 -- 'Alcohol Server Certification Required' (local mandate on licensees, managers and supervisory personnel)\", \"url\": \"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/thaynewy/latest/thayne_wy/0-0-0-646\"}, {\"label\": \"Wyoming Liquor Division -- Liquor Licensing Guide for Local Governments (official WLD guide): 'server training is not currently mandatory in Wyoming. Several municipalities do require server training.'\", \"url\": \"https://cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_14895975/Image/Government/City%20Clerk/Wyoming%20Liquor%20License%20Guide.pdf\"}]", "page_url": "https://licensingatlas.com/alcohol-server/wy-alcohol-server/" } ] }