According to Louisiana serving alcohol laws, all bartenders and servers MUST attend a Responsible Vendor (RV) class within 45 days of being hired. After successful completion of the RV course, students will receive an RV Bar Card. This is commonly known as the Louisiana bartenders license.
While most states in the U.S. don’t have any bartending license requirements, Louisiana serving alcohol laws are a little more more strict.
All Louisiana server permits are administered by the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC).
This post was updated on September 25, 2023.
Louisiana Responsible Vendor Program Details
RV Classes are held regularly throughout the state as well as online and cost $25 per person. The classes average 2 ½ – 3 hours and include a test, which must be passed in order to receive your Responsible Vendor Bar Card.
- Your RV Bar Card will be good for 4 years, at which point you will need to renew it
- ATC no longer mails a permit to your residence
Louisiana’s ATC website provides prospective bartenders and servers with a batch of helpful resources – all of which are provided below. This makes the registration process a lot easier!
Step 1: Take a Responsible Vendor Course
You can either take a Responsible Vendor Course in-person, in a classroom environment… or online, from the comfort of your own home. Either option is absolutely recognized, but we suggest the online option as it is easier and quicker.
To see the entire list of companies that provide RV training in Louisiana, click here.
Step 2: Receive Your Temporary Permit
After completing a RV course, you will receive a temporary permit that will allow you to start working. From this date, your training provider will have 10 days to send your information to ATC proving that you completed training.
Step 3: Collect Your Louisiana Bar Card
Once ATC receives your information from your training provider, they will approve your permit. To download/print your permit, navigate to the Alcohol Tobacco Control System and sign in by either registering a new account, or clicking “Search for Responsible Vendor Licenses”.
After filling out the required information (Last name, SSN, date of birth), you will be able to print out your official Bar Card.
Congratulations, you can now officially sell and serve alcohol in Louisiana.
Minimum age to sell or serve alcohol in Louisiana:
- 18
The minimum age to sell or serve alcoholic beverages in Louisiana is 18 years old.
If you are under 18 years old and want to work in a “package store” – where the sale of alcohol is not the main business of the establishment – you are allowed to work as long as your employer has filled out an “Application to Employ Minors Under 18” form and submitted it to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. If you are looking to work in a bar or restaurant though, this will not pertain to you.
State of Louisiana Bartender Qualifications
The Louisiana law restricts convicted felons from working in a bar in any capacity unless it has been 10 years since the completion of his/her sentence and his/her was not a crime of violence.
What to do if you have lost your Bar Card
If you have lost or misplaced your Louisiana Bar Card you can print a new one on the ATC website by going here. Please note that if you are printing a Bar Card that you received prior to May 12, 2021 you will have to print from the old ATC website here.
For more information on bartending requirements, please contact your Local City Clerk’s office.