Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: This course is only offered in English
- How secure is your website? Our website features a secure SSL Certificate which ensures secure transactions between our web server and your browser. This allows for private information to be securely transmitted.
- Do I need to take the entire Montana alcohol certification course in one sitting? No, you do not need to take the entire course at one time. You may take as many breaks as you would like throughout the course. Note: Your progress is saved every time you complete a module quiz, so please make sure you have completed the module you are on before you log out or your progress will not be saved.
- Which forms of payment do you accept? We accept the following credit cards: Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. We also accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards as well as pre-paid cards which can be found at many grocery stores.
- Do I need audio to take this course? Yes, our program mainly consists of videos. It will be necessary for you to hear these videos so you can learn the course material.
- What should I do if I begin to experience technical difficulties while taking the Montana alcohol permit online program? If you experience any technical difficulties while taking our course please call us at (888) 865-1900 OR (425) 335-3672. We are open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PST.
- I don’t have a printer so I will be unable to print out my Alcohol Seller/Server Certificate directly after I pass the final exam. What should I do? You may log back onto your account any time after you pass the final exam to print out your Certificate.
- Which browser should I use while taking your program? Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, and Opera are all compatible with our online program.
- I just got hired for a new job. How long do I have to get my training? Any new employee hired after October 1, 2011 needs to receive training within 60 days of their hire date.
- Who needs to take the Montana alcohol certification course? It is mandatory that anyone who sells or serves alcoholic beverages, their immediate supervisor, and the licensee take a responsible alcohol sales and service training course.
- How long does the online course take? The Online Montana Alcohol Seller/Server training course is a mandatory 3 hours long.
- What happens if I don’t pass the Final Exam? You are required to pass a final exam with a score of at least 80% upon completing the course content. The Final exam consists of 30 multiple choice questions. Please know that if you do not achieve a score of 80% or higher on your Final Exam you will be required to re-take the entire course before you may re-take the final exam.
- How long is the alcohol seller/server training certification valid? The Montana Seller/Server Training certification is valid for three years from the date it is issued. You must attend the full seller/server training course every three years in order to maintain certification.
- What are the legal ages to serve and sell alcoholic beverages in Montana? A person must be at least 18 years old to serve alcohol in an open container. There is no age limit for a person to sell or to receive shipments of alcohol in a closed container other than following the Fair Labors Standards Act, which sets a minimum age of 14 for most non-agricultural work.
- What signs must I display if my establishment sells alcohol? You must display a placard that fully states the consequences of violations of the provisions of this code by persons under 21 years of age. You may obtain a hard copy of these signs free of charge by calling (406) 444-4307 or print them out from the publication section (16-3-301(6) MCA).
- What signs must I display if my establishment sells tobacco? You must display a sign that states "Montana law prohibits the sale of tobacco products to persons under 18 years of age." You may obtain a hard copy of these signs free of charge by calling 444-4307 or print them out from the publication section (16-11-304 MCA).
- What is drink equivalency? This refers to a 1.5 fluid ounce drink of distilled spirits, 5 fluid ounces of wine, and 12 fluid ounces of beer or wine cooler as having the same amount of ethyl alcohol.
- Who is responsible for checking identification to determine legal age of a customer? It is the person who serves the alcohol. An establishment that employs a bouncer who checks identification at the door does not lessen the burden of the server to verify age before serving a drink.
- What can happen to a seller or server who sells an alcoholic beverage to an underage person? You can face a fine up to $500 and possible jail time up to 6 months depending on the individual circumstances.
- What are the penalties for an establishment that sells alcohol to a minor?
First offense: $250 fine
Second offense: $1,000 fine
Third offense: $1,500 fine and up to a 20 day suspension
Fourth offense: license revoked
See (ARM 42.13.101). - Can an underage person legally purchase an alcoholic beverage that is less than 0.5% of alcohol by volume? Yes. The legal definition of an “alcoholic beverage” in Montana is "a compound produced and sold for human consumption as a drink that contains more than 0.5% of alcohol by volume.” So anything under 0.5% alcohol by volume is not considered an alcoholic beverage in the state of Montana (16-1-106(4), MCA).
- Can a server or seller of alcohol provide an alcoholic beverage to someone who is intoxicated? No. It is illegal to deliver, give away or sell alcohol to anyone who is actually, apparently, or obviously intoxicated (16-3-301(4) (b) MCA and 16-6-304, MCA).
- Can a law enforcement official inspect any licensed establishment at any time? Yes. A peace officer may enter at any time to examine the premises (16-6-103 MCA and ARM 42.13.103).
- Can an alcoholic beverage be opened or consumed on the premises of an agency liquor store? No. Alcoholic beverage containers may not be opened or consumed on the premises by an agent, employee or any other person (16-2-107, MCA).
- What hours and days can an agency liquor store be open for business? Stores may remain open during the period between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m. The stores must be closed on legal holidays and between the close of business Saturday afternoon up to the opening of business on Tuesday morning unless they have filed an exemption for Mondays (16-2-104, MCA).
- What hours are licensed establishments allowed to be open for the sale of alcohol? Establishments where alcoholic beverages are sold, offered for sale, given away, or consumed must be closed between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. (16-3-304, MCA). However, businesses such as hotels, restaurants, bus depots, railway terminals, grocery stores, pharmacies, or other lawful businesses may remain open. For these businesses, no alcohol can be sold, offered for sale, given away, or consumed between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. (16-3-305, MCA)
- Is there any law that limits the amount of drinks an establishment can serve at one time to each individual customer? No, but the Department of Revenue highly recommends that establishments do not stack drinks or offer 'two for one' specials which promote binge drinking. An average person needs about 60 minutes to metabolize approximately 1-ounce of alcohol.
- What types of identification should I accept as proof-of-age?
The following are statutorily recognized forms of identification in Montana:
A current driver’s license or identification card from a U.S. state
A current driver’s license or identification card from a Canadian province or territory
A current armed service identification card
A valid passport
An immigration card
A tribal identification card