HB176 Alabama 2022 Session

Updated Feb 22, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Kyle South
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2022
Title: Alcoholic beverages, 18 to 20 year olds authorized to serve alcoholic beverages as employees, Secs. 28-1-5, 28-3A-25 am'd.
Summary: HB176 allows 18- to 20-year-olds employed by Alabama ABC-licensed restaurants to serve alcohol under strict conditions, updates penalties for underage handling violations, and updates code language.
What This Bill Does
It lets 18- to 20-year-old restaurant employees serve alcoholic beverages if they stay within the duties of a server or busser, do not pour or dispense, and there is an adult supervisor, with the restaurant required to be certified as a responsible vendor. It also permits 19-year-olds and older to serve during normal dining hours in certain restaurant settings. Additionally, it allows individuals under 21 working for wholesale or off-premises licensees to handle, transport, or sell alcohol within the scope of their job, and it strengthens penalties for licensees who require under-21 workers to handle alcohol, including escalating civil penalties and possible license suspension or revocation; it also includes standard penalties for other violations and specifies an effective date.

Who It Affects
Young workers aged 18-20 who are employed by ABC-licensed restaurants and may serve alcoholic beverages under restricted conditions (supervision required, no bartending, within job scope, and subject to responsible vendor certification).
Alcohol licensees and their employers (restaurants, wholesalers, and off-premises licensees) who must ensure compliance with the new rules and may face penalties, including civil fines and possible license suspension or revocation, if under-21 workers are improperly used to handle alcohol.

Key Provisions
18-20 year olds employed by an ABC-licensed restaurant may serve alcoholic beverages, within the scope of their employment (servers/bussers), but may not bartend or pour, and a responsible vendor certification is required for the restaurant.
19 year olds and older employed as servers may serve during normal dining hours in restaurants with an ABC restaurant retail license.
18-21 year olds may handle, transport, or sell alcoholic beverages if employed by wholesale or off-premises licensees and acting within the scope of employment.
Licensees who require employees under 21 to handle, transport, or dispense alcohol may face civil penalties of $250 (first offense), $500 (second), and $1,000 (third or subsequent), plus potential license suspension or revocation.
General violations related to underage drinking carry fines and possible county jail time; certain offenses can also lead to suspension of the offender’s driver’s license.
The act includes nonsubstantive, technical updates to modernize the language and becomes effective on the first day of the third month after the Governor signs it.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Alcoholic Beverages