The Florida Responsible Vendor Act is a voluntary program established for Florida licensees in an effort to reduce instances of alcohol sales and service to intoxicated individuals and underage persons. By following the guidelines set by the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (see below), a licensee is taking important steps to protect themselves from liability in the case of a violation. Penalties may be mitigated for licensees complying with the Responsible Vendors Act.

Florida Responsible Vendor Managers Course

Florida Responsible Vendor Managers Course

This course meets the Responsible Vendor training requirements set by the Florida Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation.

The Florida Responsible Vendor Act is a voluntary program established for Florida licensees in an effort to reduce instances of alcohol sales and service to intoxicated individuals and underage persons.

By following the guidelines set by the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (see below), a licensee is taking important steps to protect themselves from liability in the case of a violation. Penalties may be mitigated for licensees complying with the Responsible Vendors Act.

- This course and website are fully functional on any smart phone, tablet or computer -

• Certification is valid for a period of 2 years.
• 90-day Course Access

The following guidelines must be met:

• Employees take Alcohol Server/Seller Online Training here (keep copy of certification in employee file)
• Managers take Florida Responsible Vendor Managers Course (keep copy of certification in employee file)
• Write in employees hire date on all employee and manager certifications
• Employees must be completed within 30 days of start of employment. Maintain records of employee supervisors if employees work prior to completing certification.
• Managers must be completed within 15 days of start of employment.
• Managers must have compliance meetings quarterly and document meetings on certifications. (keep sign-in sheet as records as well).

To qualify as a responsible vendor, the vendor must:

Provide a course of instruction for its employees that must include subjects dealing with alcoholic beverages and may also include subjects dealing with controlled substances as follows (this course):

• Laws covering the service of alcoholic beverages and the operation of establishments serving alcoholic beverages.
• Alcohol or controlled substances or both as a drug and its effects on the body and behavior, including its effects on a person operating a motor vehicle.
• Effects of alcohol in combination with commonly used drugs, both legal and illegal.
• Methods of recognizing and dealing with underaged customers.
• Methods for dealing with customers, and for dealing with employees, who use or traffic in illegal drugs.

Require each nonmanagerial employee who is employed to serve alcoholic beverages to complete the employee training course specified in subsection (1) within 30 days after commencing employment. The vendor must provide for the supervision of such an employee in the service of alcoholic beverages until the employee has received such training.

Require each managerial employee to complete the managerial training course specified in subsection (2) within 15 days after commencing employment.

Require all employees to attend one meeting every 4 months. Each meeting must include the dissemination of information covering the applicable subjects specified in this section and an explanation of the vendor’s policies and procedures relating to those subjects.

Require each employee, as a condition of her or his initial employment, to complete a written questionnaire providing the vendor the same information as is required by the division from persons who apply for alcoholic beverage licenses and to determine therefrom whether the employee is precluded by law from serving or selling alcoholic beverages; however, employees of vendors licensed under s. 563.02(1)(a) or s. 564.02(1)(a) shall not be subject to the requirements of this subsection.

Establish a written policy under which any employee who engages in the illegal use of controlled substances on the licensed premises will be immediately dismissed from employment and require each employee to acknowledge the policy in writing.

Maintain employment records of the applications, acknowledgments, and training of its employees required by this section and records of the vendor’s enforcement of the policies requiring dismissal specified in subsection (7).

Post signs on the vendor’s premises informing customers of the vendor’s policy against serving alcoholic beverages to underaged persons and informing customers that the purchase of alcoholic beverages by an underaged person or the illegal use of or trafficking in controlled substances will result in ejection from the premises and prosecution.

STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY

Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco 
1940 North Monroe Street 
Tallahassee, FL 32399  
Phone: 850.487.1395 
Fax: 850.922.5175

http://www.myfloridalicense.com/Dbpr/abt/index.html

STATE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Florida’s Responsible Vendor Program

• To qualify as a Responsible Vendor in the state of Florida, licensees must meet the following conditions:
• Provide comprehensive training for all servers and sellers of alcohol that specifically covers topics having to do with alcoholic beverages and possibly controlled substances.
• Provide comprehensive training for all managers that specifically covers topics having to do with alcoholic beverages and possibly controlled substances.
• Require all new hires that aren’t managers to complete the required training within 30 days from their date of hire. Until the required training is received, those employees must be supervised at all times.
• Require all new managers to complete the required manager training within 15 days from their date of hire.
• Require all employees to participate in an informational meeting every 4 months. These meetings should cover the licensee’s policies and topics having to do with the sale and service of alcoholic beverages.
• Require all employees to fill out a form that will help to determine whether or not that employee is prohibited under the law from the service and sale of alcohol. This form must be filled out as a condition of the person’s employment.
• Set a house policy that states that any employee who unlawfully uses a controlled substance on the licensed premises will immediately be fired. This house policy must be written down and acknowledged in writing by all employees.
• Must maintain all written records such as: applications, training records, acknowledgements and any other records that document the licensee’s enforcement of policies that require dismissal from employment.
• Must post warning signs visible to customers that state the licensee’s policy on not serving minors. The consequences must be included in the warning sign.
• Must post warning signs visible to customers that state the use and/or sale of controlled substances is not permitted on the licensed premises. The consequences for doing so must be included in the warning sign.