Alcohol over-service can lead to large fines to businesses and employees, and dangerous alcohol related incidents in communities
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – On June 19, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services teamed up with restaurant industry partners and Utah’s Department of Public Safety to launch a new training video for the thousands of alcohol servers and bartenders throughout the state. The message is clear: servers and bartenders play an important role in preventing the dangers that can come from customers’ drinking too much.
“Even one Utahn getting injured or killed due to impaired driving is one too many. Those working in Utah’s service industry play an important role by being alert and aware of when to cut someone off from ordering another drink,” said Tiffany Clason, Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services Executive Director. “That smart thinking can both save lives and prevent fines and penalties for businesses and employees.”
Clason says all owners, managers, and workers who serve alcohol are encouraged to watch the free, optional training video on preventing alcohol over-service. It can be found on the DABS website at abs.utah.gov/licenses-permits/training. The YouTube video reviews behaviors that servers and bartenders can watch for, tips for navigating the tricky moments with customers and the legal consequences for businesses and servers when alcohol over-service is proven.
The DABS has legal obligations to regulate those licensed to serve alcohol and ensure they are doing so safely and legally, says Clason. It is illegal to sell alcohol to an intoxicated customer, with penalties ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 and suspension or revocation of the business’s alcohol license. Additionally, penalties to the employee can add up with a $300 fine and suspension from work. In some cases, employers choose to terminate a staff member responsible for over-service. Since December 2024, the DABS has issued 10 overservice violations to businesses and employees who are licensed to sell alcohol.
The Utah Department of Public Safety’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) monitors alcohol over-service at bars and restaurants and investigates whether drivers responsible for alcohol related car crashes were served while intoxicated at an alcohol-licensed establishment. Since 2024, SBI officers conducted 124 investigations specifically related to alcohol over-service.
“As of 2025, preliminary data indicates over 200 car crashes due to impaired driving. Behind each incident are many individuals whose lives were disrupted, and some who lost their lives altogether,” said Captain Chamberlin Neff, Utah Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). “Our SBI team works methodically to prevent alcohol related crashes before they happen by finding instances of alcohol over-service and stopping future occurrences.”
Clason says industry partners largely support efforts to prevent alcohol over-service because of the dangerous impacts that can result from serving customers that are already showing signs of alcohol impairment.
“I have long been impressed by the commitment from responsible restaurant and bar owners and workers to be a part of the solution; to educate and inform servers and establish safe alcohol service practices,” said Clason. “My hope is for every single server and bartender throughout the state to watch the training video with a learning mindset so we can continue working together to create safer communities.”
The free, optional training video was developed at no cost to the DABS thanks to grant funding provided by the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA), says Clason. The DABS applied for the grant to reduce the number of alcohol sales to intoxicated customers and to inform and educate about the harmful impacts of alcohol over-service incidents on the public.
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