Alcohol sellers and servers in Illinois must complete ILCC-approved BASSET training to satisfy state or employer requirements for alcohol safety training. A BASSET card is issued upon completion of your training and certifies that you understand state alcohol laws and can serve responsibly.
BASSET stands for Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training, a state-approved training program regulated by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission.
According to the ILCC, the goals and objectives of the BASSET program are:
Earning your BASSET certification online is a simple way to demonstrate that you are a safe and responsible alcohol employee who can serve customers in accordance with state laws.
State law requires BASSET certification for all bartenders, servers and employees who check ID for on-premise alcohol service. In addition, employers and local governments often require BASSET certification for off-premise alcohol sellers, including employees of liquor stores, gas stations, grocery stores and more.
The course you need will depend on the type of alcohol establishment you work at. If your business serves alcohol that customers can drink on-site and sells sealed alcohol that they can take to-go, you should take on- and off-premise BASSET training to get certified to sell any type of alcohol.
If you are a bartender, a server, or you check ID for on-premise alcohol consumption, the state requires you to complete on-premise BASSET training. If you work for a liquor store, grocery store or any other location that only sells to-go alcohol to be consumed off-site, you should take off-premise BASSET training.
Yes, our BASSET courses are approved by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission and provide an official BASSET certification card. Our courses cover all state-required topics and meet minimum requirements for training length.
To comply with Illinois training requirements, our on-premise BASSET certification training includes four hours of education. The off-premise BASSET certification course takes at least three hours to complete. Because you can take these courses entirely online, you can train at your own pace and take breaks anytime.
Immediately after you complete your training, you can download and print a temporary certificate of completion and training card. Your temporary certificate and card are valid for 30 days, and you can provide them to your employer as proof that you completed your training. Before your temporary card expires, visit https://mytax.illinois.gov/?Link=Basset to download and print your official BASSET card.
Your official state-issued BASSET card will remain valid for three years. Before your certification expires, you must retake the BASSET training program to maintain your certification.
Alcohol sellers and servers should be familiar with newly designed Illinois driver’s licenses and ID cards. Starting in 2016, the state began issuing redesigned identification cards with more robust security features, including visible and invisible features that help prevent counterfeiting.
The new design complies with federal REAL ID requirements and makes it more difficult for criminals to print fake identification cards. To ensure all your customers provide legal ID, it’s important to learn about the new security features and updated card designs.
Fast, easy. I had to get a certificate to start my job ASAP, and I couldn't have found a more sufficient website. Thanks!
— Andrea M.
