Whether or not you — or your staff — require a Serving It Right certificate generally depends on the type of liquor licence you have. There are four types of licences issued to establishments or individuals serving food and beverages:
Food-primary licence (restaurants)
This type of licence is issued to restaurants or food outlets where the service of food, not liquor, is the primary focus. Licensees, managers and all those who may be left in charge need to have a SIR certificate. If you have a restaurant lounge endorsement, the SIR program must be completed by all servers, not just those working in the lounge.
Liquor-primary licence (bars, pubs, nightclubs, casinos, stadiums)
This licence is issued to establishments whose primary business is hospitality, entertainment or beverage service, including bars, pubs, nightclubs and stadiums. Licensees, managers, servers and bartenders in these establishments must all have SIR certificates.
Licensee retail store licence (private liquor stores)
Licensee retail stores, commonly known as private liquor stores, may sell all types of liquor. All licensees, managers and sales staff at BC retail liquor stores must have SIR certificates.
Special Occasion Licence
A Special Occasion Licence (SOL) is required for not-for-profit special occasions such as weddings and community festivals where alcoholic drinks will be served or sold. With permission, funds can also be raised for a bona fide charity. If you or your organization plan to serve alcoholic drinks in a public place, other than a private residence, or sell alcoholic drinks at an event held anywhere including a private residence, you need a SOL. Whether or not staff need SIR certificates depends on a number of factors. Consult your local police or the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch. You can also contact:
Licensing Administrator
Special Occasion Licences
Liquor Control and Licensing Branch
2nd Floor, 1019 Wharf Street
Victoria, BC V8W 2Y9
Phone: 1-866-209-2111
Web: www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb
Or contact any regional office of the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch. A list of offices is available on the LCLB website listed above. You can also visit any government liquor store in person or check out www.bcliquorstores.com for more information and a list of stores.
Exemptions
Servers relocating to British Columbia from other Canadian jurisdictions who have current certification from one of the following responsible beverage service programs are exempted from the SIR training requirement in British Columbia: ProServe Program (Alberta), Serve it Right (Saskatchewan), It’s Good Business/Serving It Safe (Manitoba), Smart Serve (Ontario), Service in Action (Quebec), It’s Good Business: Responsible Service of Alcohol (New Brunswick), It’s Good Business (Nova Scotia), It’s Our Business (Prince Edward Island), It’s Good Business: Responsible Service of Alcohol (Newfoundland and Labrador), Be a Responsible Server (B.A.R.S) (Yukon). More...