To serve liquor in BC you need Serving It Right: a free online course of about 4 hours and a $40 + GST exam, valid 5 years.
At a glance
| Certificate | Serving It Right (SIR) |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Province of BC (Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch) through Responsible Service BC |
| Mandatory to work? | Yes for licensees, managers and servers in most licensed venues, depending on licence type (who needs SIR) |
| Minimum age to serve | 19 in liquor-primary venues; 16+ in food-primary venues under adult supervision, without opening, pouring or mixing (LCRB handbook; SIR FAQ) |
| Time | About 4 hours, self-paced online |
| Cost | $40 + GST exam (3 attempts) |
| Renewal | Expires 5 years after issue |
Serving It Right is BC’s mandatory responsible beverage service program, run by the Province through Responsible Service BC (gov.bc.ca). It teaches you how to check ID, recognize intoxication and refuse service, and covers your legal liability. A valid responsible-service certificate from another province exempts you until it expires.
No BC regulator requires a bartending school course. SIR is the only mandatory credential; private bartending courses are optional extras (gov.bc.ca).
Minors (under 19) may not sell or serve liquor in a liquor-primary establishment such as a bar or pub (LCRB Liquor-Primary Terms and Conditions handbook). In food-primary establishments such as restaurants, minors 16 and older may serve liquor under adult supervision, but may not open bottles, pour or mix drinks (Serving It Right FAQ).
Genuine single provider: Responsible Service BC delivers the only Serving It Right course and exam (online) (source)
How it’s offered: online; PDF print version available (source)
| Course | Format | Length | Cost | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serving It Right | Online, self-paced; PDF manual available | about 4 hours, self-paced | $40 + GST exam (3 attempts); $40 to retake after 3 fails | Responsible Service BC |
| Special Event Server | Online | about 2 hours | Course free; exam $25 + tax (3 attempts) | Responsible Service BC |
The SIR exam has 35 multiple-choice questions, untimed, with an 80% pass mark (28 of 35). You can download your certificate as soon as you pass (Responsible Service BC).
All servers at Special Event Permit events; permittees/managers at events under 500 people (500+ need SIR). A valid SIR covers SES. The SES exam has 25 questions with an 80% pass mark and costs $25 + tax; the course itself is free (SES FAQ).
| Occupation (NOC) | Hourly low / median / high | Annual median | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bartenders (64301) | $17.85 / $20.00 / $30.59 | $26,131 | WorkBC |
| Food and beverage servers (65200) | $18.25 / $20.00 / $30.00 | $24,295 | WorkBC |
2025 Job Bank wage data via WorkBC.
Watch out for: paying a third party for “SIR certification”. The course is
CourseAbout 4 hours online
Exam35 questions; 80% to pass
CertificateValid for 5 years
In a liquor-primary venue, such as a pub or bar, you must be 19 or older to sell or serve liquor. In a food-primary venue, such as a restaurant, 16- to 18-year-olds can serve liquor under adult supervision, but cannot open bottles, pour or mix drinks.
The course material is free. The exam costs $40 plus GST and includes 3 attempts.
About 4 hours, self-paced online. The exam has 35 questions and needs 80% to pass.
Yes. It expires 5 years after it is issued, so retake it to renew.
For one-off events, Special Event Server is a separate, shorter certificate. See the Special Event Server section above.
This page relies on the official pages below. Rules, fees and processes change, so check the authority before you apply or spend money.
Links checked November 1, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.