Who needs server education
Alaska's law on server training is AS 04.21.025, and the details are in 3 AAC 305.700. The Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board approves courses, and the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office (AMCO) runs the program day to day.
An approved course is required for licensees and permittees who sell or serve alcohol, and for their agents and employees who sell, serve or check patron ID. AMCO also names supervisors and people who provide security in licensed businesses.
- Bartenders, servers and store clerks who sell alcohol
- Managers and supervisors of alcohol service
- Door staff who check ID, and security staff
- Staff at events held under caterer, festival, auction and other event permits
Some licenses are exempt, such as general wholesale and most manufacturer licenses. A manufacturer with a sampling endorsement is still covered, because its staff serve the public.
The course, the test and your card
| Rule | Alaska |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Within 30 days of being hired, licensed or permitted |
| Permitted events | Valid card needed before the event |
| Test | Written test on the course subjects |
| Card valid for | 3 years from the issue date |
| Renewal | Another approved course, or a written test, before the card expires |
| Format | Online or in person |
Approved courses
AMCO lists three approved courses: TAP (Training for Alcohol Professionals) from Alaska CHARR; TIPS; and Alaska Responsible Serving of Alcohol from Rserving, which is online only. Webinar courses must have a live instructor, and the test for them may be online.
What the card shows
Your card must show your name, date of birth, the course name and the expiration date. If it has no photo, carry valid ID with it.
Cards on the job
- Proof of training must be kept on the licensed premises during working hours.
- Show your card when a peace officer or board representative asks.
- If you were hired more than 30 days ago and cannot show a current card (or a copy on file), you must stop selling, serving and checking ID immediately.
- Failing to follow the server education rules is an offense called failure to comply with alcohol server education requirements. It is classed as a violation.
What approved courses teach
3 AAC 305.700 lists the subjects every approved Alaska course must cover. Expect test questions from each area.
- The ABC Board, licensing and license types, endorsements and permits
- Your duties to your employer, your guests and the law
- Criminal, administrative and civil liability, including the criminal negligence standard
- Effects of alcohol: food, blood alcohol levels, spotting intoxication, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
- Intoxicated persons and how to step in
- Underage persons: checking ID, spotting valid ID and getting a statement of proof
- State and local hours of service and cutting off service
- Local option rules, since some communities limit or ban alcohol
- Pricing and marketing limits, warning signs, adulteration, and gambling, drugs and prostitution on premises
- Penalties for licensees, agents and employees
Responsible service skills
Alaska 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
- Remember who is covered: sellers, servers, ID checkers, supervisors and security staff.
- Know the numbers: 30 days to train, 3 years of validity.
- Local rules can be stricter than state law, especially in local option communities.
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".
- AS 04.21.025
- The Alaska statute that makes alcohol server education mandatory. The detailed rules are in 3 AAC 305.700.
- ABC Board
- The Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which approves server education courses.
- AMCO
- The Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, which runs Alaska's server education program day to day.
- Who must train
- Licensees, permittees and staff who sell, serve or check ID, plus supervisors and security staff in licensed businesses.
- 30-day rule
- Alaska servers must complete an approved course within 30 days of being hired, licensed or permitted.
- Server education card
- Proof of training, valid for 3 years. It shows your name, date of birth, course name and expiration date.
- Card renewal
- Before your card expires, take another approved course or a written test to stay current.
- Approved courses
- AMCO lists three: TAP from Alaska CHARR, TIPS, and Alaska Responsible Serving of Alcohol from Rserving, which is online only.
- Permitted events
- Staff at events held under caterer, festival, auction or other permits need a valid card before the event.
- Failure to comply
- Not following the server education rules is an offense classed as a violation. Staff without a valid card must stop serving at once.
- Local option
- Some Alaska communities limit or ban alcohol, so local rules can be stricter than state law.
- Standard drink
- About 14 grams of pure alcohol: roughly 12 oz of regular beer, 5 oz of table wine, or 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits.
- Blood alcohol concentration
- BAC rises faster with quick drinking or an empty stomach. The liver clears about one standard drink an hour.
- Signs of intoxication
- Changes such as louder talk, rudeness, slurred words, slow answers, glassy eyes, stumbling or spilling drinks.
- Proof on premises
- Proof of training must be kept at the licensed business during working hours and shown when a peace officer or board representative asks.
- Alcohol overdose
- Signs include confusion, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing and being hard to wake. Call 911 and turn the person on their side.