How Old Do You Have to be to Serve Alcohol?

Violating alcohol-related laws carries stiff penalties—especially for owners of bars and restaurants. Consequently, it’s in the best interest of both you and your business to know and diligently follow all laws related to the consumption and distribution of alcohol. This article will answer the all-important question, “How old do you have to be to serve alcohol?”

Unlike the national minimum drinking age, there is no widespread age requirement for serving alcohol. The minimum age depends on what state you’re in and can even differ within the same state. Here is the minimum legal age one needs to be to serve alcohol in each of the respective 50 U.S. states:

So in the majority of states, the minimum serving age for alcohol is 18. Utah, Nevada, and Alaska require servers to be 21 years of age, while Maine allows 17-year-olds to serve alcoholic beverages. While these age minimums seem cut and dry, they're not quite so simple. Each state has specific quirks when it comes to selling alcohol.

For instance, 18-year-olds in Texas are allowed to serve alcohol only if they’ve completed an alcohol server/seller training course. Due to a local ordinance in the city of Chicago, one must be 21 years of age to serve alcohol. This is despite Illinois' state law requiring servers to only be 18. Other states require someone over 21 to be supervising 18-year-olds who serve alcohol.

To stay on the safe side, always research your own city’s laws before allowing someone under 21 to serve alcohol in your establishment. 

Can I serve alcohol at 18?

You can legally sell alcohol in most states if you're at least 18 years old. However, this could be affected by local and state laws.

For instance, the legal drinking age in Illinois is 18, but in Chicago, it's 21. If you want to know what the rules are, you should look them up on the city's website.

Is 21 Old Enough to be a bartender?

Perhaps, though it will vary from state to state. In 18 states, bartenders need to be at least 21 years old, and local ordinances may impose further age limits.

The legal drinking age is 18 in 26 states. However, this is often affected by licensing constraints and other local regulations. Some states allow the serving age for wine to be under 21, but no state allows anybody under 21 to purchase liquor from a bartender.

Is 18 Old Enough to be a bartender?

You can legally serve alcohol if you're at least 18 years old in 26 states. A bartender license or certification to serve alcohol may be necessary in your state. The establishment itself must be aware of the rules and regulations or risk having its liquor license canceled.

Can minors sell alcohol?

Off-premises sales of alcoholic beverages in their original, unopened containers are legal in some places at the age of sixteen.

Employees between the ages of 16 and 19 can complete a sale of beer, wine, or spirits as long as they do not handle or serve the alcoholic beverages themselves.

Licensing Requirements

In addition to minimum age restrictions, licensing laws vary per state.

It is not necessary to get a bartending license in order to serve alcohol, so not all bartenders have one.

However, depending on the laws in your area, you might need to take a bartending course if you are at or below the minimum age. If you want to know this info before applying for a job, just check out their website.

Bartending Tips

To be a successful bartender, you need both savvy and charisma, along with extensive knowledge of drinks. It's one of those jobs where your success depends on your personal skills as much as your bartending ability.

If you are aspiring to be the best, professional bartender in town, or maybe you want to upgrade your bartending skills then these are tips that you should know: Bartending Tips, Tricks & Techniques That You Should Know

Check out our full line of Ice Machines and Wine Coolers at Culinary Depot.