Quick Answer: STAR — Server Training in Alcohol Regulations — is Kentucky ABC's responsible-server program: required by local ordinance in Lexington-Fayette and Bowling Green, and voluntary but employer-expected everywhere else. How to complete it online is below.
Kentucky Alcohol Server Quick Facts
STAR stands for Server Training in Alcohol Regulations. It is Kentucky’s voluntary, state-recognized responsible-beverage-service program, overseen by the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). The program teaches servers, bartenders, and sellers how to check IDs, recognize intoxication, refuse service safely, and follow Kentucky alcohol law.
Statewide, STAR training is voluntary for most employees — but many Kentucky employers require it as a condition of hire, and completing an approved course can reduce an establishment’s liability exposure under Kentucky’s dram shop principles. Some local jurisdictions go further: Lexington–Fayette and Bowling Green require alcohol server training by local ordinance, and Bowling Green requires recertification every three years.
- Bartenders and servers at on-premise venues (bars, restaurants, hotels)
- Clerks at package stores and groceries selling alcohol
- Managers responsible for alcohol-service compliance
- Delivery drivers handling alcohol orders
Certification Experts offers a Kentucky alcohol server training course you can finish online in about two hours for $30, with an instant digital certificate on completion. The course covers Kentucky-specific rules: the 21 drinking age, acceptable IDs, hours of sale, and server liability.
Plan to refresh your training every three years, or sooner if your employer or local ABC office requires it. Renewal uses the same online flow.
