Utah Alcohol Certification Frequently Asked Questions

Utah alcohol certification provides individuals in the state of Utah with the knowledge and skills needed to responsibly serve and sell alcohol. This training promotes the safety of patrons and compliance with state laws, reducing the risks associated with alcohol service.

Yes. Our on- and off-premises alcohol certification courses are approved by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS). Upon completing your course, you can instantly download your state-accepted certificate and certification card.

The Utah alcohol certification course you need will depend on the type of business you work for. The deciding factor is whether or not your customers are permitted to consume alcohol on-site.

On-premises training is for establishments where alcohol is served and consumed on-site, such as bars and restaurants. It focuses on responsible service, ID checks, handling intoxicated patrons and more.

Off-premises training is designed for businesses that sell sealed beer that cannot be consumed on-site, such as grocery stores and convenience stores. It emphasizes preventing sales to minors, recognizing fake IDs, understanding licensing laws, refusing sales and more.

Utah Alcohol Training is mandatory for anyone involved in the sale or service of alcoholic beverages. This includes bartenders, servers and a variety of on- and off-premises employees.

If you are an on-premises employee, such as a bartender or server, you are legally required to complete on-premises certification training within 30 days of starting employment. If you sell beer to-go at a grocery or convenience store, you must take off-premises certification training before you can sell alcohol.

Managers and supervisors of employees who sell alcohol are also required to complete on- and off-premises certification training, but they must take a separate program offered by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services. Liquor store employees must also take a separate program that covers topics that aren’t included in our off-premises alcohol certification course.

No, our on- and off-premises alcohol certification programs are designed for employees who do not have supervisor responsibilities. If you require manager training, visit the DABS website to learn more.

We do not currently provide off-premises alcohol certification for liquor store employees. Our Off-Premises E.A.S.Y. Alcohol Certification course is designed for employees who sell sealed beer to-go at grocery stores, convenience stores and similar establishments.

Both courses include five learning modules that end with a quiz. You must score at least 70% on each quiz to pass the course. You are also required to pass a final exam with a score of 70% or higher. You have unlimited attempts to pass each quiz and the final exam, so you are guaranteed to pass.

On-premises and off-premises Utah alcohol certifications are both valid for three years from the issue date. You need to retake your course every three years to renew your certification.

During Utah alcohol certification training, you will learn:

• The effects of alcohol
• Responsible alcohol service
• Identifying signs of intoxication
• Verification of IDs to prevent underage drinking
• Handling difficult situations and customers
• Utah alcohol laws and regulations
• And more

The state of Utah requires on-premises employees such as bartenders and servers to complete alcohol training within 30 days of employment. If you are an off-premises employee who sells alcohol to-go, you must complete your training before you start selling alcohol.

These courses are self-paced, so you can log in and out as many times as you want. Complete your training in one sitting or spread it across multiple days.

The Eliminate Alcohol Sales to Youth (E.A.S.Y.) law aims to prevent illegal alcohol sales to minors. This law limits youth access to alcohol in grocery and convenience stores, authorizes law enforcement to conduct random alcohol sales compliance checks, requires mandatory training for store employees who sell beer and funds a statewide media and education campaign to alert youth, parents and communities about the dangers of alcohol to the developing teen.

Utah off-premises alcohol certification training is also known as E.A.S.Y. training because it covers key requirements of the E.A.S.Y. law. This includes enforcing strict ID checks, navigating law enforcement compliance checks and understanding the effects of alcohol on teens.

Yes. Selling alcohol without a valid certification or breaking other Utah alcohol laws can result in fines, suspensions or license revocations. These penalties can be applied to the alcohol employee as well as the business that holds the alcohol license.

DABS provides an overview of alcohol violations and their penalties. If a violation is minor and it’s your first offense, you may receive a verbal or written warning. But if you commit a severe violation or repeat violations, you could be required to pay hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars in fines.

It's important for Utah alcohol servers to understand and follow the state’s alcohol rules to maintain a safe work environment and avoid violations and fines.