Why get TABC Certified?

Chances are, you’re getting TABC certified online or in an on-site class because your boss told you to. Why are they making you do it? There are quite a few good reasons, actually.

First of all, it’s awesome training. The TABC certification course has a lot of awesome information that you probably do not already know. And this information can keep you out of jail and prevent you from getting sued. I’ve talked to many servers and bartenders who are new to the industry and people who have never sold alcohol before, and they’re always surprised to learn they can end up in jail for making a mistake on the job. It’s absolutely true, and you need to know how to make informed decisions and follow the law when selling or serving alcohol. TABC certification teaches you that. You will learn how to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, intoxicated people, and non-members of a private club. You will learn how to correctly ID customers, how to not over-serve patrons to the point of intoxication, and how and when to tell people no.

Another reason why your boss wants you to be TABC certified is something called Safe Harbor. If you are charged with selling alcohol to a minor or to an intoxicated person, your employer could lose their license to sell alcohol. The good news is the TABC offers employers protection under what they call Safe Harbor, but the employer has to meet certain conditions. In order for your employer’s license to be protected:

• The person selling/serving is not the owner or an officer of the company;
• The person selling/serving holds a current seller-server training certificate from a TABC approved school;
• All employees engaged in the sale, service, or delivery of alcoholic beverages, as well as their immediate managers, are certified within 30 days of their hire date;
• The employer has written policies for responsible alcohol service and consumption and ensures that each employee has read and understands these policies;
• The employer does not directly or indirectly encourage the employee to violate the law.

Meeting the above criteria is commonly referred to as “Safe Harbor.” If an illegal sale is made, the seller-server might be arrested, but the company’s permit or license to sell alcohol may be protected. If any elements are missing, the company is not protected.

Safe Harbor is essentially the TABC’s way of letting establishments protect themselves from employees who break the law. Anyone involved can still be arrested. They can still be fined. They can still be sued in civil court by anyone who is injured or suffers property damage, but the establishment’s license or permit to sell alcohol may be protected.

TABC On The Fly is a top provider of online TABC certification in the state of Texas. We are also approved to teach the TABC certification class on-site. To schedule an on-site TABC certification class for your staff, contact us today!

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