According to Montana state law, anyone who sells or serves alcohol MUST receive training from a state-approved company.
Liquor license holders are required to ensure that ALL employees who serve or sell alcohol as well as their immediate supervisors are trained.
- Renewal training is required every 3 years
- Training must occur within 60 days of hire every three years
Training Providers for State of Montana:
To receive a seller/server license in Montana, you have the choice between receiving training either online or in-person. We highly suggest doing the online training as it is easy to do from the comfort of your home.
- Montana’s Fan Favorite Course Provider (Online):Â Our suggestion for online training is the course from ServingAlcohol.
- Individuals looking for alcohol server/seller training can also choose a company from the list HERE
- For further assistance, contact a state certified trainer directly in your county to inquire about training HERE
Alcohol Training Content:
- Alcohol Server Training includes ways to identify and prevent sales and service to underage persons by covering multiple ways to identify fake or altered identification.
- Training will also cover how to refuse a sale or service and how to handle difficult situations. Additionally, training will include learning signs of intoxication, standard drink units, behavior cues and evaluation models to help determine intoxication.
Cost of Mandatory Training:
- According to Montana.gov, the official state website, the law is silent as to whether the licensee or the employee is responsible for the cost of training. Costs are to be determined by agreement between the employer (licensee) and employee.
Minimum Age Required to Serve/ Sell Alcohol in the State of Montana:
- Bartenders, waiters, or waitresses must be at least 18 years of age in order sell or serve alcohol in Montana
Other Requirements That May Be Helpful:
- Driver’s License or Passport
- Good Communication Skills
- Be able to stand long periods of time
- Knowledge of basic drink recipes
Additional Resources
- To find out an individual’s alcohol server/seller training record, click HERE
- Education Calendar for State Classes – search by city, county, or date. If a state training cannot be located, click the above “state certified trainer”
- Additional liquor educational material can be found HERE – download or order materials online.
- Get certified for $10 here.
For more information, we strongly recommend visiting the Montana Department of Revenue.
- The National Center for Alcohol Policy has recently awarded their third annual “Leadership in Alcohol Regulation” to Montana’s Liquor Education Unit of the Department of Revenue. Their site is very well organized and helpful!
Cheers!