Licensees and Server Education

Licensees

Licensees who are granted a liquor license in their individual name do not need a service permit to mix, sell, serve, or manage at their place of business.  Their liquor license is also their service permit. However, licensees, like service permittees, must pass a server education course before they are issued a liquor license.

Liquor licensees must take server education if they hold a license that allows the sale and service of alcohol for on-premises consumption.  This includes the following licenses:

• Full On-Premises Sales
• Limited On-Premises Sales
• Brewery-Public House
• Winery*
• Brewery*

*     Licensees holding these licenses may be exempted from server education if their business does not serve alcohol for on-premises consumption.

If a corporation or other legal entity (such as a limited liability company or a limited partnership) is the licensee, a designated person must take server education on behalf of the liquor license.  Any member of the corporation or other legal entity who participates in the mixing, serving, or selling of alcohol for consumption on the premises or who manages employees who do, must have a service permit. Licensees are responsible for verifying that their alcohol servers either have a service permit or have applied for one before allowing them to mix, sell, or serve alcohol.

Licensees must also verify the age and identity of the person who shows the permit or pending application.  If the person does not have a permit or pending application, the licensee must have the person complete an application and verify the person's age and identity before allowing them to mix, sell, or serve alcohol.  Licensees are then responsible for mailing the application to the OLCC by the end of the next business day.

Responsible Vendor Program

Responsible Vendor Program   OAR 845-009-0135

Retail licensees who acheive and maintain "responsible vendor" status are eligible for reduced sanctions if their employees sell to a minor.

Applying for Responsible Vendor Status: Licensees must complete an OLCC provided application for Responsible Vendor Status, and send it to the OLCC.

To qualify for Responsible Vendor Status, a licensee must:

• Require new off-premises employees, and all new on-premises employees who do not have a service permit, to read and sign the OLCC brochure What Every Store Clerk Needs to Know About Selling Alcohol before selling alcohol. Licensees have the option of using other educational program or materials for new employees- see OAR 845-009-0130 for details.
• Require employees who sell alcohol for on-premises consumption to take and pass an approved alcohol server education class within 45 days of selling alcohol.
• Train new employees who sell alcohol about responsible alcohol sales, within three days of the employee beginning to sell alcohol. (There is one exception to this requirement. Employees who already have a valid service permit and sell alcohol for on-premises consumption don't have to go through the training.)
• Post their house policies on alcohol sales and checking identification, and have each employee read and sign these policies.
• Permanently post signs reminding patrons and employees of the legal requirements for selling alcohol.
• Provide at least four employee trainings on responsible alcohol sales each year .

Licensees do not qualify for the program if they:

• have personally sold alcohol to minors more than once in the last two years, if any of the sales occurred within the last year.
• were personally involved in selling alcohol to a minor during the past year, where there were significant aggravating circumstances. Examples include intentionally selling to a minor, a sale to a minor involving multiple employees or patrons, selling alcohol to a person less than 18 years old, or any sale that resulted in death or injury.
• personally committed a Category I or II violation within the past five years. Felony convictions, operating while suspended, making false statements, interfering with an investigation, and being visibly intoxicated while on duty are examples of Category I or II violations.