Certified Barstaff and Waitstaff

February 26,2010  TABC waitstaff and bar staff regulations

Dallas bartender staff and services

There are an increasing number of laws and regulatory constraints in Dallas Fort Worth and Texas that regulate bartenders, bar staff, waitstaff and bar and beverage services that both sell and serve alcohol.  The regulation most called for and pervasive for bar staff and waitstaff are their TABC seller-server  certifications.  Restaurants, bars and caterers that are selling and serving alcohol in a bar, at an events venue or a private party are closely-regulated in Texas.  To serve alcohol, bartender staff and waitstaff are licensed by the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission by undergoing a 4 hour seller server course.  In comparison, Oklahoma only requires bar staff to register and pay a fee.  Certification records are public and can be accessed via the TABC records portal on the TABC website.

A tangible benefit of businesses having their bartenders and waitstaff certified is a reduction in liquor liability insurance premiums paid by companies selling alcoholic beverages.  To sell alcohol, a bar, venue, caterer, or staffing company must possess the proper TABC alcohol seller licensing.  In the events industry, a catering liquor license is most often utilized to offer bar and beverage services to clients in places other than permanent restaurant and bar establishments.  Although not regulated by the TABC, liquor liability insurance is a form of protection for those companies who carry and operate with a TABC liquor license.

Altogether, working closely with the TABC office, possessing trained TABC bartenders and waitstaff, having the proper the alcohol buyer and seller permits and carrying liquor liability insurance coverage helps to reduce a company’s risk  and/or completely indemnify them against exposure to litigation.  This is both from TABC agency actions and civil actions arising from the dram shop laws, which cover alcohol-related deaths and damages.