TABC Alcohol Seller-Server — All Questions

In Texas, a 'minor' for purposes of buying, possessing, or consuming alcohol is any person under the age of:

• a.21✓
• b.25
• c.18
• d.19

In Texas a minor is anyone under 21 for alcohol purposes. Selling, serving, or making alcohol available to someone under 21 is illegal except in narrow statutory exceptions. Age 21 is the bright line every seller-server must apply.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

A customer who looks young hands you a driver license. The BEST practice for a seller-server is to:

• a.Trust the customer's word about their age
• b.Only check if the customer seems nervous
• c.Glance at the photo only
• d.Physically examine the ID, confirm it is valid and unaltered, and calculate the age from the date of birth✓

Good ID practice means handling the card, confirming it is a valid unaltered government ID, and doing the math on the birth date to confirm the person is 21. A quick glance or trusting the customer's word is not enough. Careful checks protect the server from liability.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

It is January 15, 2026. A customer's ID shows a date of birth of March 10, 2005. Are they 21 or older?

• a.It cannot be determined from a birth date
• b.No, they will not turn 21 until March 10, 2026✓
• c.Yes, because 2026 minus 2005 is 21
• d.Yes, they are already 21

Subtracting the years gives 21, but the birthday (March 10) has not yet occurred by January 15, 2026, so the customer is still 20. Age is only reached on the birthday itself, not at the start of the birth year. This customer must be refused alcohol.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

It is July 29, 2026. A customer presents an ID with a date of birth of July 29, 2005. What is their status?

• a.Exactly 21 today and may be served if not intoxicated✓
• b.Still 20 until tomorrow
• c.Cannot be served because same-day birthdays don't count
• d.Only 20 years old

On July 29, 2026, a person born July 29, 2005 turns exactly 21 that day and meets the legal age. As long as they are not intoxicated and the ID is valid, they may be served. The 21st birthday itself is the first day service is legal.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

It is June 1, 2026. An ID shows a date of birth of June 2, 2005. May this person be sold alcohol?

• a.No, they are still 20 until June 2, 2026✓
• b.Yes, they are 21
• c.Yes, close enough
• d.It depends on the state that issued the ID

On June 1, 2026, someone born June 2, 2005 is still 20 because their 21st birthday is the next day. Being one day short still means they are a minor and must be refused. Servers must check the exact birth date, not just the year.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

Which of the following is generally an ACCEPTABLE form of identification to verify a customer is 21?

• a.A photocopy of a friend's license
• b.A handwritten note from a parent
• c.A school library card
• d.A valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID such as a driver license, state ID, passport, or military ID✓

Acceptable IDs are valid, unexpired, government-issued documents with a photo, such as a driver license, state ID card, passport, or military ID. Photocopies, non-photo cards, and notes are not acceptable proof of age. When in doubt about the document, the server should refuse.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

While checking an ID, you notice the photo looks like someone else and the birth date numbers appear slightly raised and re-glued. What should you do?

• a.Ask the customer to guess their own zodiac sign and serve if correct
• b.Accept it since it has a photo
• c.Refuse the sale and, per policy, involve management about the possible fake or altered ID✓
• d.Serve a smaller drink instead

Signs like a mismatched photo and tampered birth date indicate a possibly fake or altered ID, so the sale must be refused. Following house policy, the server should notify management. Accepting a questionable ID exposes the server and business to liability.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

Which of the following can be a warning sign that an ID may be fake or altered?

• a.The card feels tampered, with peeling edges or uneven text
• b.The height, weight, or description clearly does not match the customer
• c.The photo does not match the person presenting it
• d.Any of the above✓

A mismatched photo, physical tampering, or a description that does not match the customer are all red flags for a fake or altered ID. Any one of them justifies refusing the sale and involving management. Careful inspection of the whole card, not just the photo, catches most fakes.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

A confident 20-year-old presents a real-looking ID belonging to their 24-year-old sibling. What is the seller-server's best defense against this?

• a.Assuming siblings never share IDs
• b.Serving quickly to avoid a scene
• c.Comparing the photo and physical description to the person, and asking questions if something doesn't match✓
• d.Only checking IDs after 10 p.m.

When someone uses another person's real ID, the server's protection is to compare the photo and the printed description to the actual customer and ask verifying questions. Discrepancies in appearance, height, or details can reveal the borrowed card. Refuse if the person cannot convincingly match the ID.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

Selling or serving alcohol to a minor in Texas is illegal. Which of the following is a recognized statutory exception in limited circumstances?

• a.A minor may drink if a friend over 21 vouches for them
• b.A minor may be furnished alcohol by, and in the visible presence of, their adult parent, guardian, or spouse✓
• c.A minor may drink on their 20th birthday
• d.A minor may drink if they promise not to drive

Texas law allows a narrow exception where a minor is furnished alcohol by their adult parent, legal guardian, or spouse and is in that adult's visible presence. Promises, birthdays, or a friend vouching are not exceptions. A seller-server should apply these exceptions cautiously and follow house policy.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

TABC and law enforcement sometimes run 'minor sting' or decoy operations. In these operations:

• a.The minor is required to lie about their age
• b.Servers are told in advance which customer is the decoy
• c.An underage person attempts to buy alcohol to test whether staff properly check ID and refuse✓
• d.Only the manager can be cited, never the server

In a minor sting, an underage decoy tries to buy alcohol, usually presenting their real ID or none, to test whether staff check and refuse properly. Servers are not warned, and the individual who makes the illegal sale can be cited. Consistent ID checks are the only reliable protection.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

During a suspected sting, an underage-looking customer truthfully says they are 19 and asks for a beer. The correct response is to:

• a.Refuse the alcohol sale because the customer is a minor✓
• b.Serve it since they were honest
• c.Serve it if they leave a good tip
• d.Serve a non-alcoholic beer without telling them

A customer who is under 21, even if honest about it, cannot legally be sold alcohol. The server must refuse regardless of a sting. Honesty about being underage does not create any exception to the law.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

Which of these is TRUE about minors and alcohol in Texas?

• a.All of the above✓
• b.It is illegal for a minor to purchase alcohol
• c.It is illegal for a minor to consume alcohol except in narrow legal exceptions
• d.It is generally illegal for a minor to possess alcohol in public

Texas law makes it illegal for minors to purchase, publicly possess, or consume alcohol, subject only to narrow exceptions. Each of these can be a separate offense. Seller-servers help enforce these rules by refusing sales and monitoring who is drinking.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

A patron who is clearly 21+ buys two beers, then immediately hands one to a visibly teenage companion at the table. What should the server do?

• a.Do nothing, since the buyer was of age
• b.Bring the minor a menu
• c.Offer the minor a wine instead of beer
• d.Intervene, because providing alcohol to a minor is illegal, and stop serving that table if needed✓

A legal-age buyer who passes alcohol to a minor creates an illegal furnishing situation the server must address. The server should intervene, retrieve or refuse the drink, and may stop service to the table. Adults cannot lawfully hand bar-purchased alcohol to minors who are not their own child, ward, or spouse in their presence.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

An out-of-state passport is presented that you cannot fully read, and you are unsure it is genuine. Best practice is to:

• a.Guess and serve if the photo looks right
• b.Serve because passports are always valid
• c.Refuse the sale if you cannot confirm the ID is valid and the person is 21✓
• d.Ask another customer to translate and decide

If you cannot verify that an ID is genuine and that the person is 21, the correct choice is to refuse the sale. It is better to refuse a legitimate customer than to make an illegal sale to a minor. Following house policy and involving management is appropriate when documents are unclear.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

It is December 20, 2026. A customer's ID shows a date of birth of December 21, 2005. Can they be served alcohol today?

• a.Only after 5 p.m.
• b.Yes, they are 21
• c.No, they turn 21 tomorrow and are still a minor today✓
• d.Yes, one day early is fine

On December 20, 2026, a person born December 21, 2005 is still 20 because their 21st birthday is the following day. Even a single day short of 21 means they must be refused. The exact birth date, not just the year, governs eligibility.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

Which practice best reduces a seller-server's risk when checking IDs?

• a.Physically handling and inspecting the card
• b.Calculating age from the date of birth every time
• c.All of the above✓
• d.Checking ID for anyone who appears under a set age such as 30 or 40

Carding everyone who looks under a generous age threshold, handling the card to inspect it, and calculating age from the birth date together form strong ID-check practice. Using all of these habits catches more fakes and underage attempts. Consistency across every customer is the key.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

A group of four young adults arrives and only two have IDs; the other two say they 'left theirs in the car' but want drinks now. The seller-server should:

• a.Serve everyone one drink while they go get the IDs
• b.Serve all four since two showed ID
• c.Serve the two without ID if their friends vouch
• d.Only serve alcohol to those who present valid proof they are 21✓

Each person consuming alcohol must individually show valid proof of being 21, so those without ID cannot be served. Friends vouching or promising to retrieve an ID is not acceptable proof. The server may serve only the patrons who present valid identification.Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code