State regulators have made it crystal clear – the laws and regulations around the service and sale of alcohol are a very serious matter.
Over the years, primarily due to the concerns over underage drinking, drunk driving, and the wide-ranging possible consequences stemming from the irresponsible service of alcohol, states have slowly started to enforce strict rules and regulations for sellers and servers of alcohol.
Consequently, upon employment, bartenders across the country often must undergo some form of education about the safe and responsible practices of serving alcohol.
Whether a bartending license is mandatory or voluntary depends mainly on the state where bartenders work. There is no common, nationally recognized law regarding bartending licenses. Instead, each state has the authority to regulate the service and sale of alcohol.
In some cases, state-wide laws around bartending are nonexistent, as the state gives local municipalities the power to authorize their regulations around businesses licensed to sell alcohol.
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To add to the complexity, employers sometimes require bartending licenses regardless of state or local laws.
Across the nation, bar owners are experiencing a rising tide in liquor liability insurance costs. To offset potential penalties upon establishment violations or, in some cases, receive a discounted insurance plan, employers are often incentivized to require bartenders (or servers) to obtain proper serving alcohol training.
When it comes to bartending licenses, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. As we briefly covered above, every state is different.
For example, some states, like Florida, New York, and Maryland, don’t have any requirements to start serving alcohol. Other states, like California, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, require every individual who wishes to serve alcohol to become officially certified with a bartending license by a state-approved provider.
Moreover, each state has a different licensure approval process. That means getting a license in Washington will differ from getting one in Vermont. States have different alcohol-related regulatory bodies, license/certificate naming conventions (i.e., bartending license, bar card, server permit), state-approved third-party training providers, age requirements, deadlines, and more.
Luckily, you don’t have to go at it alone, as we are here to help you along the way.
Choose your state to see the requirements and steps involved in becoming a bartender. You can also use the data table below to quickly search for and look up your state’s bartending license process.
All 50 U.S. states are listed above. To access detailed information about the specific bartending laws and the process of becoming a bartender in your state, simply choose your state. The following data is a brief overview for your convenience. 🙂