Delaware Alcohol Server Training Study Guide 2026

Who must be trained

Delaware's server training law is Title 4, chapter 12 of the Delaware Code. The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement (DATE) set up the mandatory program, and DATE and the Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner (OABCC) approve the courses.

• Anyone who serves or sells alcohol, or manages employees who do, must complete state-approved training.
• For the law, an employee is someone who has worked for the licensee at least 30 days and works at least 10 hours a week in the licensed business. Plan to train as soon as you start.
• It covers bars and restaurants (on-premises) and stores (off-premises).
• A licensee who directly manages the business must also be trained.

Licensees certify that they comply when they apply for or renew a license, and must show proof when asked. The Commissioner may grant or renew a license on the condition that certification arrives within 30 days. If you trained at an approved course in the last two years at another job, you do not need to retake it until renewal is due.

The course and your server card

DATE lists approved online courses, including the Delaware Restaurant Association's Delaware Alcoholic Beverage Server Training and Delaware TIPS through eTIPS.

What the law says every course must teach

• Alcohol as a drug and its effects, especially on driving
• The effects of alcohol with prescription, nonprescription and illegal drugs
• How to recognize problem drinkers and find community treatment resources
• Delaware alcohol laws and the Commissioner's rules
• Delaware drinking and driving laws
• Intervention techniques for problem customers
• Responsible advertising and promotion, and standard customer service procedures

Getting trained

1. Ask your employer which approved course to take, or choose one from DATE's list.
2. Complete and pass the approved course. The law requires you to take and pass it, not just attend.
3. Get your card from the provider and check that your name and date of birth are correct.
4. Give your employer proof of training so the licensee can show compliance.

Your card

When you pass, you get a server training card showing your full name, date of birth, expiration date and the instructor's signature. You must carry it on your person while serving.

• To renew, complete the full training again before the expiration date. DATE no longer offers short recertification classes.
• If you lose a card from an online course, ask the vendor that trained you for a replacement. DATE replaces only cards it issued.

Delaware laws for servers

Notice the words "appears to be intoxicated." You do not need proof. If a customer looks intoxicated, the law expects you to refuse, and it protects you when you do.

Sanctions

• If a certified server breaks the law or the Commissioner's rules, the Commissioner can require retraining, public service speaking engagements, or a suspension of the server's certification.
• A server with a suspended certification may not work as a server, and the employer can be sanctioned.
• Licensees may not encourage or knowingly allow staff to sell or serve illegally.
• The Commissioner can bar untrained employees from working in licensed businesses and fine licensees who break the training law on purpose.

Responsible service skills

Delaware sets its own rules, but every responsible service course teaches the same core skills. The other practice sets on this page test them.

Standard drinks and BAC

A U.S. standard drink holds about 14 grams of pure alcohol: 12 oz of regular beer, 5 oz of table wine or 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits. Large pours and strong cocktails can hold two or three standard drinks in one glass.

• Fast drinking and an empty stomach raise blood alcohol concentration (BAC) quickly. Food slows it down.
• Smaller people and most women reach a higher BAC from the same drinks.
• Only time lowers BAC. Coffee, cold showers and water do not.
• BAC can keep rising after the last drink.

Signs of intoxication

Watch for changes in behavior: louder talk and lowered inhibitions first, then poor judgment, slowed reactions such as slurred speech, and finally loss of coordination such as stumbling or spilling drinks. Keep track of how much each customer drinks.

Refusing service

1. Tell your manager and co-workers.
2. Speak privately, calmly and firmly. Point to the law or house policy, not the person.
3. Offer water, food or a non-alcoholic drink.
4. Help arrange a safe ride. Call police if an impaired person insists on driving.
5. Write the incident in the log.

Emergencies

Signs of alcohol overdose include confusion, vomiting, slow or irregular breathing, pale or bluish skin and being hard to wake. Call 911, stay with the person and keep them on their side. Never leave them to "sleep it off."

Exam tips

• Know who must train: servers, sellers and their managers, including licensees who manage directly.
• Remember the 30-day and 10-hours-a-week employee definition.
• Learn what the card shows and that you carry it while serving.
• Learn the phrase "intoxicated or appears to be intoxicated" and the age of 21.