6 Things You’ll Learn During Your TABC Certification Course in Fort Worth, Texas

A TABC certificate is a certification issued by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for people who have completed a course about selling and serving alcohol in Texas. 

While not a legal requirement, the TABC certificate can help employees sell and serve alcohol responsibly, keeping their patrons and customers safe. If you’re about to complete the TABC certificate course in Fort Worth, Texas, or require your employees to complete it, here are just some of the many things you’ll learn: 

TABC Laws and Regulations

Understanding the laws and regulations put in place by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission can be helpful when you’re trying to abide by them. The TABC certificate course outlines a range of laws and regulations to become familiar with, including: 

• Texas alcohol laws
• Who can buy, sell, and serve alcohol
• Alcohol sales legal hours
• Rules surrounding serving minors and intoxicated persons
• Penalties for breaking alcohol laws – such as fines, license suspension, and jail time 

Identifying and Refusing Service to Intoxicated Persons

Working in the alcohol sales and service business means you will likely encounter intoxicated people. Learning how to identify them so you know when to refuse service can be crucial. 

When you enroll in the TABC certificate course, you learn more about the signs of intoxication, including poor coordination and slurred speech. You will also learn how to intervene safely and the techniques you can use to refuse service without escalating a situation.  

Checking IDs and Preventing Underage Drinking

The legal drinking age in Fort Worth and the rest of Texas is 21. Anyone under that age can’t consume alcohol in drinking establishments. Your job as someone selling or serving alcohol is to ensure no one under the legal drinking age can access it on your premises. In the TABC certificate course, you learn how to check IDs and recognize fake or altered IDs. You also learn about the legal consequences of serving minors. 

Responsible Alcohol Service  

Responsible and safe alcohol service is integral to your role in the alcohol service and sales industry. While you can learn all about being a responsible alcohol-selling employee on the job, the TABC certificate course also provides additional helpful tips, advice, and requirements.

Liability and Legal Responsibilities

Serving alcohol is about more than quenching your customers’ thirst. It involves keeping them safe and understanding the liabilities that come with making mistakes in alcohol service. Liability and legal responsibility are crucial components of the TABC certificate. 

You learn about what liability can mean for you and your employer and situations that can lead to civil or criminal charges. You also learn about Dram Shop Law, which is a law that holds servers liable for damages caused by intoxicated patrons. 

Certificate Information

Alongside learning all about how to be a responsible alcohol seller/server, you will also become more familiar with how the TABC certificate works, such as: 

• You can immediately download your certificate after passing the course
• Your course data will be given to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
• The certificate is valid for two years 
• To renew an expired certificate, you must complete the course again
• Having a TABC certificate and meeting other criteria prevent the TABC from taking administrative action against your employer if you break an alcohol law 

Enroll in TABC Certification with TABC Pronto

The more you know about the TABC certificate, the more confident and knowledgeable you can be in alcohol sales and service. If the time has come to enroll in the TABC certificate for the first time or renew an expired one, TABC Pronto is here to help. We offer a 100% online, self-paced course that provides comprehensive training on safe alcohol service in Texas. You can also bundle it with the Texas Food Handlers Card for $16.98.