RSA Alcohol Laws & Server Responsibilities 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the 21st Amendment, who has primary authority to regulate alcohol sales within their borders?
- The federal government
- Individual states (Correct answer)
- County governments
- The ATF exclusively
Correct answer: Individual states
The 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, granted individual states primary authority to regulate the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcohol.
Question 2: A customer orders a round of shots and appears to already be intoxicated. What is the server's FIRST responsibility?
- Serve the shots but monitor closely
- Refuse service and notify management (Correct answer)
- Ask the customer to show ID
- Serve only one shot instead of the full round
Correct answer: Refuse service and notify management
A server must refuse alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person and notify a manager, as serving them creates legal liability under dram shop laws.
Question 3: What does 'hours of operation' mean in the context of alcohol licensing?
- The hours the establishment must be open
- The specific hours during which alcohol may legally be sold (Correct answer)
- The hours the license is valid each year
- The number of hours staff must be trained per year
Correct answer: The specific hours during which alcohol may legally be sold
Hours of operation for an alcohol license define the legally permitted window during which a licensee may sell or serve alcoholic beverages.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes a 'dram shop' law?
- A law requiring bartenders to measure exact pour sizes
- A law holding servers and establishments liable for harm caused by intoxicated patrons they served (Correct answer)
- A law limiting the number of drinks served per hour
- A federal law governing alcohol taxation
Correct answer: A law holding servers and establishments liable for harm caused by intoxicated patrons they served
Dram shop laws impose civil liability on alcohol servers and establishments when a patron they served causes injury or death while intoxicated.
Question 5: A valid military ID showing the bearer is 20 years old is presented for alcohol purchase. What should the server do?
- Accept it — military personnel can drink at 18
- Refuse service because the customer is under 21 (Correct answer)
- Serve only beer and wine, not spirits
- Ask for a second form of ID to confirm age
Correct answer: Refuse service because the customer is under 21
The federal minimum drinking age is 21 regardless of military service, so a 20-year-old military member must be refused alcohol.
Question 6: If a licensee is found selling alcohol to minors repeatedly, the most severe administrative penalty is:
- A written warning filed with the state
- Mandatory server retraining for all staff
- Suspension or permanent revocation of the liquor license (Correct answer)
- A fine not to exceed $500
Correct answer: Suspension or permanent revocation of the liquor license
Repeated violations involving minors can result in the state permanently revoking a liquor license, ending the establishment's ability to sell alcohol.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a 'last call' announcement in a licensed establishment?
- To increase sales before closing
- To comply with licensing hours by notifying patrons that alcohol service is ending (Correct answer)
- To give intoxicated customers one more chance to sober up
- To signal kitchen staff to stop food service
Correct answer: To comply with licensing hours by notifying patrons that alcohol service is ending
A last call announcement is a standard practice to notify guests that the establishment is approaching the legal end of its licensed alcohol service hours.
RSA Alcohol Laws & Server Responsibilities 2
Under the 21st Amendment, who has primary authority to regulate alcohol sales within their borders?