Who is responsible for alcohol service at events with minors present?

• A. The licensee and staff are responsible
• B. Only the licensee is responsible
• C. The venue owner is responsible
• D. Minors are responsible

Answer: (A)

The obligation to prevent underage alcohol service lies with both the licensee and the staff who serve or supervise the service. The licensee holds the permit and is responsible for ensuring that procedures are in place—such as training staff, enforcing ID checks, and maintaining policies to prevent sales to minors. Staff are the ones who apply those rules in real time: they verify ages, refuse service to anyone under the legal age, and monitor the service area for compliant behavior. When these duties are carried out together, violations become less likely and accountability is clear. Ownership alone isn’t automatically responsible unless the venue owner also holds the license or directly controls the licensing operations, and minors cannot be held responsible for compliance with alcohol laws.