ServSafe Alcohol law & your Responsibility Study Guide and Quiz with multiple choice questions and answers for ServSafe Alcohol Course. Serving alcohol can be a great source of revenue for many businesses, but it comes with a significant amount of responsibility.
As a server or bartender, it is crucial to be aware of alcohol laws and regulations to ensure that you are serving alcohol safely and responsibly. This article will provide a guide to alcohol laws and your responsibility when serving alcohol, according to ServSafe® Alcohol Training.
Alcohol Laws and Regulations
Alcohol laws and regulations vary from state to state, but some common laws and regulations include:
- Age Requirements: It is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 in the United States. Some states have exceptions for individuals who are 18 or older and working in a restaurant that serves alcohol, but it is essential to check your state’s laws to ensure compliance.
- Hours of Service: Many states have laws that limit the hours of service for alcohol. In some states, alcohol cannot be served before a certain time in the morning, while others have laws that prohibit the sale of alcohol after a certain time at night.
- Dram Shop Laws: Dram shop laws hold businesses liable for serving alcohol to individuals who are visibly intoxicated and subsequently cause harm to themselves or others. It is essential to monitor customers’ alcohol consumption and ensure that they are not visibly intoxicated before serving them.
- Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Limits: It is illegal for individuals to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher in the United States. As a server or bartender, it is crucial to monitor customers’ alcohol consumption and prevent them from driving under the influence.
Your Responsibility When Serving Alcohol
As a server or bartender, it is your responsibility to ensure that alcohol is served safely and responsibly. Some tips for serving alcohol responsibly include:
- Checking Identification: Always check the identification of anyone who orders alcohol to ensure that they are over the legal drinking age.
- Monitoring Alcohol Consumption: Keep track of how much alcohol your customers have consumed and monitor their behavior to ensure that they are not visibly intoxicated.
- Refusing Service: It is important to refuse service to anyone who is visibly intoxicated or under the legal drinking age. Be polite but firm when refusing service and offer non-alcoholic alternatives.
- Preventing Over-Service: Do not serve more alcohol to customers who are already visibly intoxicated. Offer water or food instead, and encourage them to take a break from drinking.
- Offering Non-Alcoholic Alternatives: Always offer non-alcoholic alternatives to customers who are not drinking alcohol or who have had enough alcohol for the night.
Serving alcohol is a significant responsibility that should not be taken lightly. As a server or bartender, it is essential to be aware of alcohol laws and regulations and to serve alcohol responsibly. By checking identification, monitoring alcohol consumption, refusing service to visibly intoxicated or underage customers, preventing over-service, and offering non-alcoholic alternatives, you can help ensure that your customers have a safe and enjoyable experience.
ServSafe Alcohol law & your Responsibility Quiz
Q1. What is the legal drinking age in the United States?
- A) 18
- B) 19
- C) 20
- D) 21
Answer: D) 21
Q2. What are dram shop laws?
- A) Laws that prohibit the sale of alcohol before a certain time
- B) Laws that limit the number of drinks a person can have in a night
- C) Laws that hold businesses liable for serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated individuals who cause harm to themselves or others
- D) Laws that require businesses to offer non-alcoholic alternatives to customers
Answer: C) Laws that hold businesses liable for serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated individuals who cause harm to themselves or others
Q3. What is the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving in the United States?
- A) 0.02%
- B) 0.05%
- C) 0.08%
- D) 0.10%
Answer: C) 0.08%
Q4. As a server or bartender, what is your responsibility when serving alcohol?
- A) To ensure that alcohol is served safely and responsibly
- B) To maximize revenue by encouraging customers to drink more
- C) To sell alcohol to anyone who orders it, regardless of age or behavior
- D) To ignore customers who are visibly intoxicated
Answer: A) To ensure that alcohol is served safely and responsibly
Q5. What should you do if a customer is visibly intoxicated?
- A) Continue to serve them alcohol as long as they are ordering it
- B) Offer them a non-alcoholic alternative
- C) Encourage them to drink more water
- D) Refuse to serve them any more alcohol
Answer: D) Refuse to serve them any more alcohol
Q6. What are some common alcohol laws and regulations that vary from state to state in the United States?
- A) Age requirements, hours of service, dram shop laws, and BAC limits
- B) Maximum number of drinks per customer, closing time, and smoking restrictions
- C) Minimum number of security personnel, maximum noise level, and dress codes
- D) Requirement to offer food, minimum prices, and tax rates
Answer: A) Age requirements, hours of service, dram shop laws, and BAC limits
Q7. What should you do if a customer tries to order alcohol without showing identification?
- A) Serve them alcohol anyway
- B) Ask another customer for their identification
- C) Ask the customer to come back with proper identification
- D) Guess the customer’s age based on their appearance
Answer: C) Ask the customer to come back with proper identification
Q8. How can you monitor a customer’s alcohol consumption and behavior?
- A) Keep track of how many drinks they have had and whether they are acting normally
- B) Ask them directly how much alcohol they have consumed
- C) Look for physical signs of intoxication, such as slurred speech and unsteady movements
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Q9. What should you do if you suspect that a customer is planning to drive under the influence of alcohol?
- A) Offer them a ride home
- B) Call a taxi or ride-sharing service for them
- C) Take their car keys and call the police
- D) Encourage them to drive carefully and slowly
Answer: B) Call a taxi or ride-sharing service for them
Q10. What is the best way to prevent over-service of alcohol?
- A) Serve as much alcohol as the customer requests
- B) Encourage the customer to order more alcohol
- C) Offer food and non-alcoholic alternatives
- D) Ignore signs of visible intoxication
Answer: C) Offer food and non-alcoholic alternatives
As a reminder, these questions and answers are for reference only and are not intended to be used for any official or certification exams. ServSafe® is a registered trademark of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.