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What license do I need to be a bartender?
In Washington, California and Illinois, a bartender's license is state-required server training. Your clock starts when you are hired. You get 60 days, or 120 days in Illinois. A few jobs in California are exempt. We haven't confirmed other states, so check yours.
By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.Published
The steps, in order
Check your state
The proof and its name differ
Check your job
Serving, selling or checking ID
Count your days
60 or 120 days from hire, by state
Use your state's list
Pick a class before you pay
Keep the class date
Five steps in order: check your state, check that your job is covered, count the days from your hire date, pick a class from your state's list, then keep the date you took it. The proof and the deadline differ from state to state.
What the rule says
What is a bartender license in these states?
In each of these states, a bartender's credential is the state's alcohol server training. Washington requires a MAST permit within 60 days of hire for servers, bartenders and managers.
Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board · MAST FAQs · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Who needs it in Washington?
People who serve, mix, sell and supervise the sale of alcohol that is drunk on site. Washington calls the proof a MAST permit. Our Washington MAST permit page has the rest.
Does Washington ask more people than servers?
Yes. People who run alcohol tastings at off-premises licensed businesses need it too. So do people who fill growlers at grocery stores.
Do tasting staff get the 60 days in Washington?
No. Washington says there is no 60-day grace period for people who run alcohol tastings.
Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board · MAST FAQs · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Who teaches the class in Washington?
Private companies that the Liquor and Cannabis Board has certified. The class is online or in a classroom. The board keeps a list of the providers.
Which Washington permit do I get?
A Class 12 permit if you are 21 or older, and a Class 13 permit if you are 18 to 20.
Who do I ask in Washington?
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. It takes questions about MAST and about training.
What does it cost in Washington?
The Liquor and Cannabis Board does not set the price of the training, and prices vary.
Who needs it in California?
People who serve alcohol on site, and their managers. California calls the proof RBS certification. Our California RBS certification page has the rest.
Which California places count?
Generally, places where people drink on site, such as bars, restaurants, tasting rooms, clubs, stadiums, movie theaters, hotels and caterers.
How long do I have to get it in California?
Servers and managers have 60 days from their date of employment.
How do you get it in California?
You register in the state's RBS Portal, take training from a provider on the state's list, and pass the exam within 30 days of your confirmed training.
Where is the California provider list?
In the RBS Portal. You can view the list of approved training providers there.
What does it cost in California?
Registration costs $3 and you can't get it back. Training providers set their own price.
Does my city's rule replace the California certification?
No. California says you still need to be RBS certified if your city or county has its own training rule.
Is anyone exempt in California?
Yes. California says certification is not required in some cases. Examples are academic instructors who teach a college or university course where beer or wine is tasted, and employees of a licensed plane or boat. California still recommends it for everyone who serves alcohol.
Who needs it in Illinois?
Illinois law covers people who sell or serve open drinks, people who check ID for those sales or for entry, and people who deliver mixed drinks. Illinois calls the proof a BASSET card. Our Illinois BASSET certification page has the rest.
Illinois law · 235 ILCS 5/6-27.1 (archived copy) · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)
Does security staff need it in Illinois?
The Illinois Liquor Control Commission says servers, sellers, bartenders and security must be BASSET certified to work in any place that sells or serves alcohol. The state law lists people who check ID for those sales or for entry.
How long do I have to get it in Illinois?
The state law gives you 120 days after you start work.
Illinois law · 235 ILCS 5/6-27.1 (archived copy) · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)
When does the Illinois Liquor Control Commission start the 120 days?
From your hire date. If your hire date and your first day of work differ, count from the earlier one to be safe.
Is there a trainer list in Illinois?
Yes. Illinois publishes a BASSET Trainer Directory on its website.
Can a local rule ask for more in Illinois?
Yes. Illinois says you renew every three years, or sooner if a local ordinance requires it. A local ordinance may already require certification. Ask your city or county.
Check your state's page
Where people go wrong
- Don't wait: your time starts when you are hired. Servers and bartenders get 60 days in Washington and California, and 120 in Illinois.
- Tasting staff in Washington get no 60-day grace period.
- In California, a class from a provider that was not on the state's approved list when you took it does not let you take the exam.
- A city or county rule does not replace the California certification. In Illinois, a local rule can ask you to renew sooner.
- One reviewer in Louisiana wrote in a review that the course asked a question about Vermont. Check that the class is for the state where you work.
Questions
Can I take the class online?
Washington says classes are offered online or in a classroom. California says online training is computer-based and self-paced, and can be taken at any time. Illinois says its training programs teach in person, online and in private classes.
How long does it last?
Washington's permit is good for five years and is not renewable, so Washington advises taking a new course 45 days before it expires. California says its certification is valid for three years. Illinois says its card is good for three years from the day you took the class. A local rule in Illinois can ask you to renew sooner.
Does it follow me to a new job?
In Washington, yes. The permit is yours, and it can be used at more than one place of employment. California says its certification applies to the person, not a specific employer. Illinois law says a certificate of training belongs to the server, and a server may transfer it to a different employer, but not to another server.
Your next step
If your state is linked on this page, read its page before you pay for a class. Then pick a provider from the list your state posts. If your state is not linked, ask the state agency that regulates alcohol where you work.
Sources we read
- lcb.wa.gov › mandatory alcohol server training · read Nov 12, 2026
- lcb.wa.gov › mast faqs · read Nov 12, 2026
- www.abc.ca.gov › frequently asked questions · read Nov 12, 2026
- ilcc.illinois.gov › Q2 2024 Newsletter Final 9.4.24 op · read Nov 13, 2026
- ilcc.illinois.gov › BASSET Bulletin 2.28.2025 · read Nov 13, 2026
- ilcc.illinois.gov › survey · read Nov 13, 2026
- ilcc.illinois.gov › basset trainer directory · read Nov 13, 2026
- web.archive.org › 023500050K6 27.1 · read Nov 13, 2026
Who publishes this guide
State Cert Guide is an independent guide to what each state requires. If a fact on this page is wrong, tell us and we fix it.