ARIZONA TITLE 4 ALCOHOL SERVER CERTIFICATION

Arizona does not have an official bartender license. However, many employers require bartenders and alcohol servers to complete Basic Title 4 Training before working in licensed establishments.

All managers, liquor license owners, and agents are required to complete both Basic and Management Training, as Basic Title 4 Training is the prerequisite for the Title 4 Manager Training.

Earning an alcohol service training certificate in Arizona is straightforward. Simply complete a state-approved training program and pass the final exam. You'll get a certificate of completion right away that you can share with your employer for their records.  

Enroll in our Arizona-approved alcohol server training course today to get started!

Arizona's liquor laws are outlined in Title 4 of Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS). Training that covers Arizona liquor laws and meets the training requirements created by the Arizona Department of Liquor License & Control (AZ DLLC) is therefore referred to as Title 4 training.

There are two levels of Title 4 training: Basic and Management. For each level, there is a course intended for on-premises and off-premises establishments. So altogether, there are four distinct courses.

Make sure you select the level and establishment type that's right for you.

A Title 4 alcohol server certification in Arizona, also referred to as Arizona Alcohol Server training, teaches people about responsible alcohol sales and service, encouraging safe behaviors, and guaranteeing adherence to state regulations. Title 4 makes sure that owners, managers, and employees of eateries, bars, nightclubs, liquor stores, grocery stores, and other retail facilities that sell or serve alcohol are responsible and compliant in all alcohol service and sales. This includes avoiding alcohol-related incidents, such as overserving an intoxicated person or selling to a minor.

Yes, but not for everyone.

Under ARS § 4-112(G)(2), training is required for all managers (as well as liquor license owners, agents, partners, stockholders, and officers actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the business).

According to the DLLC's administrative rules, managers and hands-on owners have to earn a Management Title 4 certificate from an approved training provider. However, a Basic Title 4 certificate of completion is a pre-requisite for the management course. Essentially, managers need both.

At the server level, training isn't required by state law, but many employers in Arizona will require or prefer job candidates who have taken DLLC-approved Basic Title 4 training. They want you to be familiar with Arizona law so you can avoid breaking it.

All Title 4 training certifications expire 3 years after their issue date.

Many employers in Arizona will require alcohol server training because if their employees know the law, it lowers the risk that they'll break it.  That's also why employers will consider you a stronger job candidate if you have Basic Title 4 training on your resume. They'll know you can hit the ground running with safe and legal alcohol service.

That's important because criminal penalties can be steep for selling alcohol to a minor in Arizona. Penalties can be as harsh as a $2,500 fine and/or six months in jail.  It can also result in the suspension of your employer's liquor license.

Arizona also has a Dram Shop law (ARS § 4-311 to 312), which means your employer can be held liable if you sell alcohol to a minor or someone who is obviously intoxicated and then they go on to injure someone else.

That's important because Arizona has a higher rate of drunk driving fatalities than the national average. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a total of 2,912 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver in Arizona from 2003 to 2012.

Program certification doesn't just reduce your employer's consequences for breaking ABC laws. Taking alcohol server education reduces the likelihood that you'll break the law in the first place.

Even if your employer doesn't require it, you might consider Arizona-approved alcohol server training to reduce your criminal and civil liability.

It depends on what kind of Title 4 certificate you have. If you take Basic Title 4 On-premises training, you'll learn how to follow the law while bartending and waiting tables. If you take the Off-premises version instead, you'll learn the law for working at a liquor store, grocery store, or convenience store.

If you’re curious about how much money you can expect to make, here is some basic wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for bartenders and barbacks in Arizona.

However, if you are in the top 90th percentile of bartenders, you can make much more money: $26.80 an hour.

You can find more information about alcohol sales on the AZ DLLC’s website.

If you are looking for more course-specific information from us check out our Arizona-approved alcohol server training.