Oklahoma

This is a supplement to the training materials presented in the Affordable Alcohol Training Responsible Beverage Service Education Program and must be reviewed.

Governing Liquor Authority:

State of Oklahoma

Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission (ABLE)

4545 North Lincoln Blvd., Suite 270

Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Phone: 405-521-3484

Fax: 405-521-6578

Website: www.ok.gov/able

Legal Age to Serve Alcohol:

18 years of age

Legal Age to Pour Alcohol:

21 years of age

Legal Age to Consume Alcohol:

21 years of age

Legal Age to Sell Packaged Alcohol

21 years of age

Entry for Minors into a Liquor Establishment:

Minors are allowed on the premises of a licensed establishment when 50% or more of a licensee’s gross revenue comes from the sale of food. Although minors are allowed in the establishment, they are not allowed in the designated bar area. Minors may not enter those establishments whose food sales account for less than 50% of gross revenue.

Minors are not allowed in retail stores under any circumstances. An exception to this is if a local ordinance allows a minor to enter a package liquor store when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Local ordinances should be consulted.

Legal Age for Employment:

18 years of age for servers

Additional Notes Regarding Age:

Consent Laws (Parents Serving Minors):

Alcohol Service Hours:

On-Premise Establishments have their alcohol service hours set by local ordinances. Generally the hours for Sunday sales, holidays and election days are from 10am to 2am.

Off-Premise licensees and retail stores may sell alcohol Monday – Saturday from 10am to 9pm. Sunday sales are prohibited. State law requires that licensees remain closed until 7pm on election days and some holidays.

Local ordinances should always be consulted.

Acceptable ID’s:

The following IDs are allowed if they are valid:

· Drivers License

· ID Card

· Passport

· Military ID

BAC for Operation of a Motor Vehicle:

.08

Dram Shop Laws:

No formal state statues establish dram shop liability, rather it is established by case law.

Confiscating False ID’s:

Licensees and their employees are authorized to hold any ID that they believe to be false until local law enforcement in contacted and the ID can be handed over to authorities.

Alcohol Service Restrictions on Time and Quantity:

· Happy hours are considered illegal and reduced drink prices are not allowed.

· If drink specials are offered then the special must be offered for an entire calendar week. (Example Sunday through Saturday.)

· Drink promotions are permitted but must follow the same calendar week schedule.

· Licensees are prohibited from offering a combination of food and drink for a special price.

Penalty for Serving and/or Selling Alcohol to a Minor:

For selling low-point beer: It is a misdemeanor that is punishable by a fine up to $550.00 and/or up to 12 months in jail.

For selling any other alcoholic beverage: It is classified as a felony that is punishable by a fine in the range of $2,500.00 to $5,000.00 and/or up to 5 years in jail.

Program State Approval Status:

State Certification Fees:

Required Training:

Training of employees is voluntary.

Re-certification Requirement:

Mitigation Benefit:

Having servers participate in a responsible alcohol service-training course may be considered a mitigating benefit.

Oklahoma’s Liquor Authority

Oklahoma’s Governing Liquor Authority:

The State of Oklahoma’s governing liquor authority is the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission, referred to as the ABLE Commission.
The phone number for the ABLE Commission is: 405-521-3484.
The website for the ABLE Commission is: www.ok.gov/able.
Oklahoma’s Legislature is the body responsible for enacting the state’s alcohol laws.
The ABLE Commission enforces the Oklahoma Beverage Control Act, Charity Games Act, and Youth Access to Tobacco Act. The Commission is made up of seven commissioners each appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma and approved by the State Senate. To facilitate enforcement, Oklahoma is divided into four geographic divisions:

o Northwest District

o Northeast District

o Southwest District

o McAlester District.

Responsible alcohol service training is voluntary.
Posting of alcohol warning signs is not a state requirement.

Liquor License and Alcohol Beverage Laws for the State of Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s ABLE Commission requires:

Licensees to uphold all the liquor laws for the state of Oklahoma.

Licensees to also be knowledgeable of and abide by any local ordinances as well.

Under Oklahoma’s Alcohol Laws:

A distinction is made between the terms “happy hour,” “drink specials” and “drink promotions.”
Happy hours are considered illegal and reduced drink prices are not allowed.
If drink specials are offered then the special must be offered for an entire calendar week. (Example Sunday through Saturday.)
Drink promotions are permitted but must follow the same calendar week schedule.
Licensees are prohibited from offering a combination of food and drink for a special price.

The following are the general service hours for alcoholic beverages in the state of Oklahoma (local ordinances should always be consulted):

On-Premise Establishments have their alcohol service hours set by local ordinances. Generally the hours for Sunday sales, holidays and election days are from 10am to 2am.
Off-Premise licensees and retail stores may sell alcohol Monday – Saturday from 10am to 9pm. Sunday sales are prohibited. State law requires that licensees remain closed until 7pm on election days and some holidays.
Off-Premise licensees may not sell alcohol on election days such as:

o General Elections.

o Primary Elections.

o Run-off Primary.

o Special Election.

o State, County or City Elections.

o Franchise Elections.

Retail stores may remain open during School Board Elections.

Identification

In order to be an acceptable form of identification in Oklahoma, the ID being presented must be valid. The following forms of identification may be accepted:

Drivers license
State ID card
Passport
Military ID

Oklahoma’s Laws Regarding Age

Under Oklahoma law:

A person must be at least 21 years old to purchase and consume alcohol.

It is illegal to sell or serve alcohol to a minor.
Minors are never permitted to consume alcohol under any circumstances whether or not they are in the presence of their parents or legal guardians. This includes either on or off the premises of a licensed establishment.
Minors are allowed on the premises of a licensed establishment when 50% or more of a licensee’s gross revenue comes from the sale of food. Although minors are allowed in the establishment, they are not allowed in the designated bar area.
Minors may not enter those establishments whose food sales account for less than 50% of gross revenue.
Minors are not allowed in retail stores under any circumstances. An exception to this is if a local ordinance allows a minor to enter a package liquor store when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Dram Shop Laws for the State of Oklahoma

Dram Shop Liability:

There is no formal Dram Shop Act for the state of Oklahoma. Instead liability has been established and imposed through case law. Court decisions uphold the standards regarding liability.