Arizona Title 4 Training Study Guide 2026

What Title 4 training is

Arizona's liquor laws are in Title 4 of the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.), so the state's liquor law course is called Title 4 training. The Department of Liquor Licenses and Control approves every course before it is offered. Course standards are in Arizona Administrative Code R19-1-103.

Under A.R.S. 4-112, the Department may require license applicants, licensees, managers, managing agents and employees who sell, serve or furnish liquor to take approved training. Staff at on-sale businesses (bars, restaurants) take on-sale courses, staff at off-sale businesses (stores) take off-sale courses, and management courses cover management duties after the matching basic course. Your employer or the Department can tell you which course your job needs.

The courses

Course	Minimum length	Main topics
Basic On-sale (bars, restaurants)	3 hours	General liquor law, licensed premises, age, intoxication, second-party sales, employee drinking, legal hours, disorderly conduct, problem situations
Management On-sale	2 hours, after Basic On-sale	License changes, enforcement, premises, posting licenses and signs, management duties, marketing, business practices
Basic Off-sale (stores)	2 hours	General liquor law, age, broken packages, limits on drinking at the store
Management Off-sale	2 hours, after Basic Off-sale	Management topics and drive-through purchases
Off-sale with On-sale Privileges	Basic and management versions	Combined on-sale and off-sale topics

The exam and your certificate

Sign the roster with your identification details.
Attend the entire course.
Pass the objective exam that measures what you learned.
Complete the course evaluation form.
Receive your Certificate of Completion.

The certificate expires three years from the date it is issued. Providers keep certificates, exam results, evaluations and rosters for two years, send the Department updated materials by August 1 each year, and can lose course approval if they do not follow the rules.

Arizona rules you will be tested on

Rule	Arizona (A.R.S. 4-244)
No sales or deliveries by retailers	2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
No drinking or possession on bar and restaurant premises	2:30 a.m. to 6 a.m.
Minimum age to handle liquor at an on-sale business	18 (younger staff may bus tables and clean)
Off-sale stores mainly selling other goods	Staff 16 and older may check out, bag or carry sealed containers if a supervisor 18 or older is present
Obviously intoxicated guest	Do not serve; may stay up to 30 minutes so a sober person can take them home

Obviously intoxicated means a person's physical faculties are substantially impaired, shown by clearly uncoordinated action or physical dysfunction that a reasonable person would notice. Licensees may not drink while serving, and staff may not be intoxicated on duty.

Selling or giving liquor to anyone under 21 is unlawful, and staff may not knowingly let anyone pass a drink to a minor on the premises.

Security duties in on-sale training

A.R.S. 4-112 requires on-sale basic and management training rules to include security procedures for security staff:

Monitoring who is admitted
Dealing with patrons
Calling law enforcement
Use of force and de-escalation strategies

If a retailer uses a registered security guard, it must try to verify that the guard's registration certificate is valid and current.

Responsible service skills

Arizona law sets the rules above. The skills below are taught in every responsible alcohol service class in the U.S., and practice tests 2 and up cover them.

Standard drinks

One U.S. standard drink holds about 14 grams (0.6 fluid ounces) of pure alcohol. That is about 12 oz of regular beer, 5 oz of table wine, or 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits. A large pour or a mixed drink with several shots can hold two or three standard drinks.

How alcohol affects people

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rises faster when people drink quickly or on an empty stomach.
Smaller people, and most women, reach a higher BAC from the same number of drinks.
The liver clears about one standard drink an hour. Coffee, cold showers and fresh air do not speed this up.
BAC can keep rising for a while after the last drink.

Spotting intoxication

Watch for changes in a guest: talking louder, becoming overly friendly, rude or careless, slurring words, slow answers, glassy eyes, stumbling or spilling drinks. Count drinks and talk with co-workers about guests who worry you. If someone seems far more impaired than their drinks explain, think of drink spiking or drugs and get help.

Refusing service

Tell a manager and your co-workers.
Speak to the guest privately, calmly and without judging.
Explain that the law or house policy does not let you serve more alcohol.
Offer water, food or a non-alcoholic drink.
Help the guest get a safe ride home. Call police if an impaired person insists on driving.
Write what happened in the incident log.

Checking ID

The legal age to buy or drink alcohol is 21 in every state. Accept only valid, government-issued photo ID. Compare the photo and description with the person, check the birth date and expiration date, and feel the card for cuts, bumps or peeling. Watch for borrowed, altered and fake IDs. If you are unsure, do not serve.

Emergencies

Confusion, vomiting, seizures, slow or uneven breathing, pale or bluish skin and being hard to wake are signs of alcohol overdose. Call 911, stay with the person, and turn them on their side. Never leave them alone to sleep it off.

Exam tips

Know which course fits which business: on-sale for bars and restaurants, off-sale for stores.
Know the numbers: 3 hours for Basic On-sale, 2 hours for the others, 3 years for the certificate.
Remember that management courses come after the matching basic course.

Key terms

The 16 words and rules to know for this test. Read the list or study them as flashcards: flip each card, then mark it "Know it" or "Still learning".

Title 4: The part of the Arizona Revised Statutes containing the state's liquor laws, which gives Title 4 training its name.
Department of Liquor Licenses and Control: The Arizona agency that approves every Title 4 course and may require staff who serve liquor to take training.
A.R.S. 4-112: The law letting the Department require training for applicants, licensees, managers and staff, and requiring security procedures in on-sale training.
On-sale: Liquor sold for drinking on the premises, such as in bars and restaurants. Basic On-sale training lasts at least 3 hours.
Off-sale: Liquor sold for drinking elsewhere, such as from stores. Basic Off-sale training lasts at least 2 hours.
Management course: A course of at least 2 hours on management duties, taken after the matching basic on-sale or off-sale course.
Certificate of Completion: Given after attending the whole course, passing the exam and completing the evaluation. It expires three years from issue.
Legal hours: Retailers may not sell or deliver liquor from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., and no drinking on bar premises from 2:30 a.m. to 6 a.m.
Obviously intoxicated: A person whose physical faculties are substantially impaired, shown by uncoordinated action a reasonable person would notice. Do not serve them.
30-minute rule: An obviously intoxicated guest may stay up to 30 minutes so that a sober person can take them home.
Minimum age to handle liquor: Staff must be 18 to handle liquor at an on-sale business. Younger workers may bus tables and clean.
Second-party sales: Passing liquor to a minor through another person. Staff may not knowingly let a drink be passed to a minor on the premises.
Registered security guard: If a retailer uses one, it must try to verify that the guard's registration certificate is valid and current.
Standard drink: About 14 grams of pure alcohol: 12 oz of regular beer, 5 oz of table wine or 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits.
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC): The level of alcohol in the blood. The liver clears about one standard drink an hour, and nothing speeds it up.
Alcohol overdose signs: Confusion, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing, bluish skin or being hard to wake. Call 911 and turn the person on their side.