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What is Alcohol Server Training?
Alcohol server training teaches business owners, managers, bartenders and servers about responsible serving practices. At a minimum, it typically covers the following four areas of education:
- State liquor laws
- Identifying intoxicated persons
- Identifying minors
- Techniques for intervening
The History of Alcohol Server Training
Responsible alcohol servers can have an impact in reducing the number of intoxicated drivers and the incidences of underage drinking. It is this thinking that has led many states to vote for a mandatory alcohol server training program.
In 1987, Oregon became the first state to institute a mandatory alcohol server education program. Interestingly enough, the idea for the program did not come from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), but from the hospitality industry.
Soon thereafter, several other states followed suit and began implementing programs of their own. The most recent state to require training is also the largest by population. On July 1, 2022, California’s program took effect, requiring an estimated 1,000,000 alcohol servers at some 56,000 establishments to complete training within the first 60 days.
How States Appproach Alcohol Server Training - Voluntary vs. Mandatory
Each state approaches alcohol server training very differently. While some have gone so far as to make it mandatory for all individuals involved in the sale and service of alcohol, most have taken a more lenient approach by introducing a voluntary program. And a small handful have yet to implement any policies regarding alcohol server training.
When Alcohol Server Training is Voluntary:
In states where alcohol server training is voluntary, the liquor control board encourages program participation by creating incentives for licensees.
An example of one common perk is if an establishment is found in violation of a state liquor law, the board will take program participation into consideration as a mitigating factor when administering fines and other penalties. Some states have even published different penalty schedules for businesses with trained servers versus ones without.
In New York, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota and Nebraska, alcohol server training is voluntary, but “highly recommended” by the state, making program participation in these states almost equivalent to that of states where training is mandatory.
Lastly, when alcohol server training is voluntary by state law, liquor control boards often choose to mandate it for single businesses that have been cited for a liquor violation or even all businesses in targeted areas where liquor violations frequently occur.
When Alcohol Server Training is Mandatory:
In 17 states, alcohol server training is mandatory from the get-go.
States that require alcohol server training establish penalties for failure to complete training, usually within a specific number of days after hire. These penalties can be directed at servers or licensees.
While fewer states issue penalties directly at servers, the majority seek to hold the licensee responsible for ensuring their employees are current with training. Thus, licensees track their employees’ certification status to avoid fines or liquor license suspension if inspected by the liquor control board.
Some states require all alcohol servers to complete training, while others only require the liquor licensee and/or managers to complete training. For the purposes of the table below, the mandatory column represents states that require all alcohol servers to complete training.
