What is a Texas TABC Certification?

Learn2Serve TABC Seller Server Training

Learn2Serve Texas Food Handler & Food Safety Manager Certification

WHAT IS A TEXAS TABC CERTIFICATION?

The Texas TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) was created in 1935 and regulates the alcoholic beverage industry in Texas. The TABC’s sets the curriculum for seller-server training, once you complete a training course, you are Texas TABC Certified. TABC Certification - $8.99

Who needs a Texas TABC License?

Typically when you’re looking for information on who needs a TABC license, it’s a business that needs to get a permit so they can operate legally. Different types of liquor permits include brewers, caterers, package stores, brewpubs, wineries, and many more. The TABC licensing division processes applications for getting a permit and investigates any potential violations from licensees.

Who needs to get certified for Alcohol Seller Server Training in Texas?

A Texas TABC license allows employers/owners to serve and sell alcohol for their business, but it’s the employees who need to earn a TABC certification. So if your job involves selling, serving, dispensing, or delivering alcoholic beverages, getting your TABC certification ensures that you’ve completed training and understand the state laws relevant to your job. TABC doesn’t administer the course itself but does approve private institutions to offer training and certification programs. You can complete a short online alcohol seller-server training course from an approved provider. The TABC Certification course offered by BeverageTraining.com is powered by Learn2Serve (#454-508). Once you are TABC Certified, your employer can confirm your certification on the TABC’s website. Enroll Now - Become TABC Certified!

Why are Texas TABC alcohol server certifications important?

Even though it isn’t mandated by the State itself, most employers do ask bartenders, seller servers, door staff, and cashiers employed in the food, restaurant, or beverage industry to be “Seller-Server Certified.” This means an employee in Texas must pass an alcohol safety awareness program with TABC Certification.

Where can a business/employers get information about valid certification status for potential and current alcohol serving and handling employees?

For a responsible employee, a certified employee is a level up to ensuring that you are doing your part to keep Texans safe from DUI accidents and fatalities, and other alcohol-induced issues. Having certified employees also inadvertently provides protection to your business and employees too because they train servers on how to identify and refuse sales when necessary.

What does the bartender certification encompass and how does it help employees and businesses?

The bartender certification teaches employees about state laws on alcoholic beverage sales. They also learn intervention techniques to make sure that minors or intoxicated customers are not allowed to purchase alcohol.

How does TABC certification help provide a safety net for businesses?

The state does not take administrative action against a license/permit holder if an employee sells or serves an alcoholic beverage to a minor or intoxicated customer, as long as they meet all the following criteria:

• The employer does not directly or indirectly encourage employees to violate the law.
• The person selling alcohol is not the owner or an employee of the business/company.
• The person selling alcohol holds a current seller/server training certificate from a TABC-approved school.
• The employer has written policies for responsible alcohol service and ensures that each employee has read and understands these policies.
• All employees – as well as their immediate managers – engaged in the sale, service, or delivery of alcoholic beverages, are certified within 30 days of their hire date.
• There are not three or more of these types of violations in a 12-month period.

This compensation is commonly referred to as a safe harbor. If an illegal sale is made, the seller/server will probably be arrested, but the retailer’s permit/license will have protection from administrative action by the TABC. For store owners, it is important to clearly know that by definition any employee “who sells, serves, dispenses, or delivers alcoholic beverages under the authority of a license or permit, including persons who immediately manage, direct, supervise, or control the sale or service of alcoholic beverages” must be certified to comply with state seller/server laws. Employers are encouraged to check on the status of current employees’ alcohol seller server certification on TABC’s website. This is the official proof of certification. Texas TABC license and permit holders regularly use it to confirm if a person’s certification is current and valid. TABC License - $8.99

TABC Alcohol Laws

Sale of alcohol

Beer and wine can be sold from 7:00 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. till 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, and from noon to midnight on Sunday (grocers and gas stations inclusive). Bars/restaurants can allow purchased till 2 AM. Liquor sales are stringently regulated. Liquor sales are prohibited 1) on Sundays, 2) on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day (and when Christmas and New Year’s fall on a Sunday, the prohibition is carried over to the following Monday), and 3) before 10 AM and after 9 PM on any other day Furthermore, only package stores – retail liquor stores, specifically ones in which sealed containers are sold for off-premises consumption – are allowed to sell liquor, and must be closed whenever liquor sales are prohibited (even for sales of otherwise allowable products). These must be further physically separated from any other business. Moreover, an owner cannot own more than five package stores, and no publicly-traded company can own such a store.

Legitimate age

People must be at least 21 years of age to legally consume alcoholic beverages in Texas with certain exceptions, as in any other state in the United States. However, people seeking employment at a company serving alcoholic beverages can be accepted at age 18 provided they get certified by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. No specific training is required to serve alcohol; however, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code states that the actions of an employee (such as serving alcohol to a clearly intoxicated patron) will not be imputed to the employer if 1) the employer requires the employee to complete training approved by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, 2) the employee actually completes the training, and 3) the employer has not directly encouraged the employee to violate the law.

Open container laws

All previously opened containers of alcoholic beverages must be stored and transported in a vehicle’s trunk (or behind the last row of seats in the case a vehicle does not have a partitioned trunk) or other storage to which the driver and or any passengers do not have access.

Blood alcohol content limits

Any person operating a motor vehicle is considered under the influence of alcohol if a chemical screening test shows a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher. No other evidence (such as Field Sobriety tests) needs to be presented to the court to obtain a DUI (driving under the influence) conviction. A driver testing 0.15 percent or more over the legal limit of 0.08 percent faces severe penalties for enhanced BAC. If under the age of 21, a driver in Texas must not test positive for any blood-alcohol content (BAC). That means minors must be completely sober and may be charged with DUI even if the amount tested is under 0.08 percent.

Texas TABC Alcohol Licensing Laws

Failure of people serving alcohol in Texas to obtain a Texas Alcoholic Beverage License could result in serious legal charges for business owners. There are several qualifications that need to be met to obtain a license. How To Qualify To qualify, an applicant must be at least 21 years of age. In addition to this, these criteria must be met:

• The applicant must not have any felony convictions within the past five years.
• The applicant must not have state liquor laws violations within the past two years.
• The applicant must not have any moral turpitude violations of liquor laws within the past six months.

Business owners must provide verification from the city clerk that their business is in a zone where alcohol can be served and has late-hour operations in order to obtain on-premises alcohol permits. Beer or wine servers will have to provide verification of alcohol content for their beverages. Off-premise permits can be obtained if applicants get verification forms and a list of approved areas from the city clerk. In addition to this, public notice must be published in a local newspaper. There are other requirements for temporary permits for off-site events, which are often granted to business owners who hold existing liquor licenses. Some events may not require licenses if they provide free alcohol to adults.

How long is a TABC (Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission) Certification valid?

TABC certification is valid for two years from the date of course completion at which point they expire permanently. To remain TABC certified, you have to re-enroll in an Alcohol Server certification course and receive a new TABC certificate after passing the exam again.

How do I obtain a Texas TABC Permit?

Taking an online alcohol seller course is the most effective way to get your Texas TABC License. As soon as you complete the course and pass the final exam, you get a certificate of completion that can be printed right away. Enroll now in our Texas alcohol server training course to get your TABC Certification! TABC Permit - $8.99

What are the age requirements for a TABC Certification?

The law mandates that you cannot start serving alcohol in Texas until you’re 18. If you’re 16, it’s legal to sell beer or wine for consumption off-site (at a grocery store check-out, for example). However, the TABC Certification has no minimum age. That means if you want to get a seller-server job as soon as possible, you can take the course early and have your TABC Certification ready to go.

Can I get a TABC Certificate if I have a DWI or felony conviction?

Yes! There are no criminal history restrictions on certification. Please note, however, it doesn’t guarantee that an employer will hire you.

Why should I take the Texas TABC Alcohol Seller Server Training?

You’ll learn about your role in keeping the public and your customers safe. You will also be keeping yourself and your employer safe in case you make a mistake and accidentally violate a law. The TABC enforces stiff penalties for underage drinking.

• It’s a class A misdemeanor to make alcohol available to minors. You can face a $4,000 fine, plus up to a year in jail.
• If you’re convicted, your driver’s license will be suspended for 180 days.
• If you’re 21-years old or older and you knowingly give alcohol to a minor, you can personally be held liable for any damages they cause.

This is why most employers require TABC Certification even though it’s not required by law. Additionally, if you’re serving alcohol, you have a responsibility to ensure the people you serve are not intoxicated. You can help keep your customers safe and prevent drunk driving in Texas, which is a major concern. According to NHTSA – According to NHTSA, 10,511 people were killed in drunk-driving accidents in 2018, which amounts to 29 percent of all driving fatalities. In 2018, 19 percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes had a BAC of at least 0.08 and these drivers were often repeating offenders. In Texas, 40 percent of traffic deaths involve an impaired driver; nationally, that number is 29 percent. One of the important topics the TABC course covers in detail is how to recognize intoxicated customers and strategies to refuse a sale. Check out our Texas TABC Certification course to learn about additional topics the training covers.

What jobs can I get once I am TABC Certified?

In Texas, the restaurant and hospitality industries are growing rapidly, so if your areas of interest is to get a job at a bar, restaurant, or catering company in Texas, your TABC certification makes you an attractive candidate to potential employers. And if you’re curious about how much money you can expect to make, here is some basic wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for bartenders and barbacks in Texas.

However, if you are in the top 90th percentile of bartenders, you can make much more money: $23.13 an hour. And depending on your preference, skill level, and career goals, working as a bartender offers many different opportunities:

• Private events, such as weddings and parties, where you can make extra money on the side
• Craft breweries where you can learn more about the beer-making process
• Fine-dining restaurants that want master mixologists to develop their bar menu
• Neighborhood bars that want a friendly bartender to chat with customers

Besides bartending, you can also work as a cashier at any store that sells alcohol to consume off-premise, such as a grocery store or convenience store. Enroll Now - Become TABC Certified!

Where can I get more information about TABC Licenses and Certifications?

You can find more information on TABC’s website, including:

• The number of people certified in Texas
• What penalties apply to counterfeiting certifications
• Where to send a complaint about a training school
• Information about checking ID cards

For more course-specific information check out our Texas-specific alcohol seller training.

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