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If you want to become a bartender in Virginia, you may be wondering whether the state requires a bartending license or alcohol server certification.
The good news is that Virginia does not require bartenders or servers to hold a state-issued bartending license in order to sell or serve alcohol. However, many employers still prefer or require alcohol safety training before hiring bartenders, servers, or other front-of-house staff.
Virginia Training Providers and Information
Although the state does not require those who sell/serve alcoholic beverages to be certified, Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority does recommend training through Virginia’s Responsible Sellers & Servers (RSVP) program.
About The RSVP Program
For starters, Virginia’s Responsible Sellers & Servers (RSVP) program is free of charge and is provided by Virginia’s ABC authority. The course is offered both online and through in-person classroom courses held throughout the state. This means that one can take the RSVP course from the convenience of their own home.
The purpose of Virginia’s RSVP program is to educate servers and sellers of alcohol at licensed establishments about the laws, rules, and regulations that govern alcohol sales and consumption in Virginia.
Upon taking the program, bartenders will learn:
- How to prevent intoxicated customers
- How to refuse sales to underage and over-the-limit customers
- How to examine IDs
- And how to document alcohol-related incidents
The program is most useful for aspiring bartenders and servers at an establishment that serves alcohol to consumers on-premises. However, it can also be helpful for clerks, cashiers, wait staff, bussers, and other “front-of-house” employees.
How To Get Started
To register for RSVP training, visit Virginia ABC’s official training portal and create an account to access online or classroom courses.
To access the RSVP course online, one must first sign up via the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority Learning Center. Through the registration process, you’ll create a login ID and password that you’ll use each time to access the site.
For further instructions, use this helpful guide.
Virginia Approved Bartender Certification Programs
In addition to Virginia ABC’s free RSVP training, the state also recognizes approved third-party seller/server training providers through its Seller/Server Training Approval Program (STAP).
Many employers accept these certifications when hiring bartenders and alcohol servers. You can see the entire list of approved trainers here.
We’ve partnered with Serving Alcohol, one of Virginia’s STAP-approved providers, to give our readers access to their comprehensive Virginia alcohol seller/server training at a special discounted price. You can explore their Virginia-specific course here.
Additional Educational Material
The ABC has provided state-wide alcohol education and prevention programs
- Follow this link to view all the programs.
- Follow this link to view publications and guides surrounding alcohol awareness, prevention, and education.
Minimum Age To Serve Alcoholic Beverages In Virginia
To work as a bartender in Virginia, you must generally be at least 21 years old if your job involves preparing or mixing alcoholic beverages.
Employees who are 18 years old or older may still legally serve or sell alcohol in certain settings.
For example:
- Employees 18+ may serve alcohol at tables
- Employees 18+ may sell beer at counters in beer-only establishments
Virginia law does not allow employees under 18 to sell, serve, or dispense alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption.
