Alcohol Server · Checking Identification

Why should a server be cautious even when a group includes both adults and possible minors?

Correct answer

An adult may buy alcohol and pass it to a minor in the group, which is illegal

  1. A Minors cannot enter establishments
  2. B Groups get a discount
  3. C Groups are always fine
  4. D An adult may buy alcohol and pass it to a minor in the group, which is illegal

Why this is the answer

A server should be cautious with mixed-age groups because an adult of legal age might purchase alcohol and then pass it to an underage member of the group — a practice that is illegal and that the server can be held responsible for if they reasonably should have known. Watching for this kind of 'second-party' or 'straw' purchase, and refusing service when it appears alcohol is being obtained for a minor, is part of responsible service. The seller's duty does not end once an of-age buyer is identified.
Source: Responsible Beverage Service — Second-Party Sales

Practice more questions

This question is from our Alcohol Server Practice Tests practice test. Take the full practice test to test your knowledge across all Checking Identification and other topics.

Take the Seller-Server practice test →

About this topic: Checking Identification

Checking identification is the single most tested skill: which IDs are acceptable, how to spot a fake, what to do when an ID is expired, and the birthdate arithmetic for today's date. Every answer here should be something you can do in under thirty seconds at the bar. This is one of 13 Seller-Server questions on checking identification, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our Alcohol Server exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

Related questions