To serve alcohol in the United States, you generally have to be 18 years old. However, depending on the state you live in, the legal age to serve alcohol is between 18 and 21.
In some cases, there are exceptions to the rule, or some states even have tricky alcohol legislation.
For instance, in West Virginia, you can serve alcohol if you’re 16. In Michigan and Maine, you can serve alcohol if you’re 17 years old. However, you’ll need to be supervised by a manager or supervisor who’s 21 or older in all three states.
That being said, we’ve gathered all the information you’ll need to know whether you qualify as a Bartender or Server across all 50 States and Washington D.C.
Age Requirements for Serving Alcohol
As already mentioned, the age requirements to serve alcoholic beverages varies from state to state. We gathered all the data and created this neat table that reflects the minimum legal age to bartend and legally serve alcohol.
| Jurisdiction | Policies as of | Minimum Age To Serve | Minimum Age To Bartend | Needs Supervision? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | Yes |
| Alaska | 1/1/2023 | 21 | 21 | |
| Arizona | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Arkansas | 1/1/2023 | 19 | 21 | |
| California | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | |
| Colorado | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | Yes |
| Connecticut | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Delaware | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | |
| District of Columbia | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | |
| Florida | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Georgia | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Hawaii | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | Yes |
| Idaho | 1/1/2023 | 19 | 19 | |
| Illinois | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | Yes |
| Indiana | 1/1/2023 | 19 | 21 | |
| Iowa | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Kansas | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | Yes |
| Kentucky | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 20 | Yes |
| Louisiana | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Maine | 1/1/2023 | 17 | 17 | Yes |
| Maryland | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Massachusetts | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Michigan | 1/1/2023 | 17 | 17 | Yes |
| Minnesota | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Mississippi | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | |
| Missouri | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | |
| Montana | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Nebraska | 1/1/2023 | 19 | 19 | |
| Nevada | 1/1/2023 | 21 | 21 | |
| New Hampshire | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| New Jersey | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| New Mexico | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | |
| New York | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| North Carolina | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| North Dakota | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | Yes |
| Ohio | 1/1/2023 | 19 | 19 | |
| Oklahoma | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | |
| Oregon | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Pennsylvania | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Rhode Island | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| South Carolina | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | |
| South Dakota | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Tennessee | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Texas | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Utah | 1/1/2023 | 21 | 21 | |
| Vermont | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Virginia | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | |
| Washington | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 | Yes |
| West Virginia | 1/1/2023 | 16 | 16 | Yes |
| Wisconsin | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 18 | |
| Wyoming | 1/1/2023 | 18 | 21 |
Can you serve alcohol if you are 18?
You can serve alcohol at 18 in 26 states. Still, it’s important to check local laws and regulations, as there may be exceptions to the rule.
One state that has such exceptions is Chicago. While you can serve alcohol at 18 in Illinois, you need to be 21 to serve in Chicago. That being said, check the city’s website to know for certain.
Five states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire and West Virginia have no exceptions to the federal law.
Minimum age to serve alcohol
To serve alcohol in on-premises establishments, you need to be at least 18 years with the exceptions being Maine and Michigan, in which case you need to be 17 but have direct supervision.
The guidelines regarding alcohol service are provided by the Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS). APIS provides detailed information at both Federal and State levels.
Is 21 the required age to be a bartender?
21 is the required age to be a Bartender in 17 states. Moreover, some municipalities within those states have different rules. In some cases, you’ll also need to have a bartending license or an alcohol server certification.
Can you work as a bartender at 18?
You can legally bartend and serve liquor at 18 in 26 states. However, each state and even each municipality can set its own age restrictions and limits.
Furthermore, establishments can set their own hiring qualifications and require Bartenders to be of legal drinking age. This is to mitigate the risk of alcohol abuse and having their liquor license revoked.
Are minors allowed to sell alcohol?
In some states, such as Arizona, minors are allowed to sell alcohol in off-site stores. They need to be of legal working age (16), and they’ll need to be supervised by someone at least 19 years old. Moreover, the store they work in must primarily sell products other than alcohol beverages.
Responsible Service and Bartending Licenses
These licenses are often required by employers in many states. Alcohol service laws are regulated by federal, state and local agencies.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is responsible for enforcing federal alcohol laws. Specific state and local agencies are responsible for enforcing laws within different states and even counties.
To bartend, you need a license in 18 out of 50 states, including: Alaska, California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
7 out of 50 states have varied licensing requirements, leaving it up to counties to set their own rules. These states are: Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota and Wyoming.
In Alabama, South Carolina and South Dakota, whether you need a license will depend on your age and your job role.
The cost for these licenses varies greatly. In some states, the license will need to be renewed every few years. In others, it’s valid indefinitely.
To obtain a license, you can expect to pay anywhere between $10 and $50, depending on the state.
