New York ATAP Study Guide 2026

How ATAP works

The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) runs ATAP, the Alcohol Training Awareness Program. It teaches the legal duties of selling alcohol and practical skills for avoiding violations, especially sales to people under 21.

• ATAP is voluntary. State law does not require it, but the SLA recommends it for all licensees and employees who serve or sell alcohol. Many employers make it a job requirement.
• If the SLA charges a violation, proof that staff were trained may reduce the penalty.
• Courses are given by SLA-certified ATAP schools. The SLA publishes the list, and some schools teach online only.
• There are separate programs for on-premises businesses (bars, restaurants) and off-premises businesses (stores).

Taking the course

1. Check the SLA list of certified ATAP schools and choose the on-premises or off-premises program that matches your job.
2. Attend the whole classroom session, or finish every online lesson and quiz.
3. Pass the final exam if you take the course online.
4. Give your employer a copy of your certificate so it can show training if the SLA ever asks.

Your certificate

• The certificate of completion expires three years from the date of the program session.
• Online students must complete all lessons, quizzes and the final exam, and certify that they did.
• A false certification can be treated as filing a false instrument, gets the certificate revoked and can lead to SLA discipline against the employer.
• The certificate lists your school, its certificate of approval number and your current employer.

Minors and ID in New York

Section 65 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Law forbids selling to any person actually or apparently under 21. The SLA calls a sale to a minor one of the most serious violations of the law.

• Ask for ID every time, even from returning customers.
• Check the date of birth, look for tampering, and compare the description with the person.
• Liability applies even if the customer lied or looked 21 or older.
• Licensees are also liable for indirect deliveries, when someone passes a drink to a minor.
• The licensee is responsible whether the sale was made by the owner or an employee.

In an SLA case about a sale to a minor, it is an affirmative defense that the customer showed a photo ID card that appeared to be issued by a government, and that the seller reasonably relied on it.

Intoxicated customers and drink specials

• It is a crime to sell, deliver or give away alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person, in bars and in stores.
• Section 65 also bars sales to a habitual drunkard known to be one by the person serving.
• Unlimited drinks for a fixed price are prohibited (apart from narrow exceptions such as private functions), and so are deals designed to get around that ban.
• A 2-for-1 special is allowed only if each drink costs at least half its regular price.

Penalties

For violations, the SLA can fine a retailer and can suspend, cancel or revoke the license, and it can make a claim against the licensee's surety bond. Serving responsibly protects your job and your employer's license.

Responsible service skills

New York 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

• Remember that ATAP is voluntary but recommended, and that training may reduce a penalty.
• Know the three-year life of the certificate.
• Learn the accepted ID list and that college IDs only back up a real ID.
• Use the law's words: "actually or apparently under 21" and "visibly intoxicated."