Illinois BASSET training and liquor licenses for restaurants

BASSET is the State of Illinois' responsible beverage seller and server program, run by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, and servers and sellers of alcohol for on-premises consumption are expected to complete it. A restaurant that serves alcohol also needs the right liquor licenses, which in Illinois come from both the state and the city or county where it sits. Chicago adds rules of its own, so a Chicago restaurant should also ask the city.

What is BASSET?

BASSET is the State of Illinois' responsible beverage seller and server program, designed to encourage responsible and legal alcohol sales and service. Training providers approved by the Commission run the courses, and a licensee can also apply to run in-house training under a BASSET license from the Commission. The Commission's education division and its Chicago and Springfield offices answer questions about the program.

Who must be trained?

Sellers and servers of alcohol for on-premises consumption need BASSET certification. The minimum age to serve is set by state law, and a local ordinance can set a higher one, so ask the Commission and your city what applies to your staff. Confirm the deadline for new hires and how long a certificate stays valid with the Commission. Keep each employee's certificate in the file.

How do you pick a course?

Choose a provider the Commission has approved, since a certificate from an unapproved course will not count. Compare price, language options and whether the course can be completed on a phone. Put the expiry date in your tracker the day each certificate arrives, so a lapse never reaches a Friday shift, and ask the provider whether it sends renewal reminders. For a team, ask whether the provider offers a group rate and reports completions to you. If you plan to train your own staff, ask the Commission about the in-house BASSET license first, because you must hold it before training starts.

What licenses does a restaurant need?

In Illinois, selling alcohol requires a local liquor license from the city, village or county, and a state license from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. Each local government sets its own license classes, fees, hours and distance rules, and Chicago has a licensing process through its Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. Because the rules differ by place, start by asking your city clerk or licensing office which license class fits a restaurant and what the zoning and distance rules are for your address.

A worked example of a pre-opening checklist

Three months before opening, a restaurant owner checks zoning for the address, asks the city about the liquor license class and the timeline and books a meeting with the Commission about the state license. Two months before, the owner submits the local application and starts BASSET training for the bar team. One month before, the owner confirms the insurance, signs, hours and floor plan that the license requires. On opening day, the licenses are posted and each server's certificate is in the file. Skipping a step usually costs more time than any step takes.

What other rules matter?

Dram shop liability can make a business responsible for harm caused by an intoxicated patron it served, so training and house policies matter beyond the license. Write a policy on checking identification, refusing service, handling intoxicated guests and arranging rides, and make sure every server has read it. Chicago also regulates hours and outdoor service, so check the local rules for a patio.

What about catering and delivery?

Before you sell alcohol off the premises or at an event, ask the Commission and the city whether your license covers it. Rules on delivery, packaged sales and catered events vary by license class, and a mistake is a license risk.

What should you keep on file?

1. Local and state licenses, posted where required.
2. BASSET certificates for each seller and server.
3. Your written alcohol service policy.
4. Insurance details.
5. Records of staff training dates.

How should you set a house alcohol policy?

Write one page, and put it in the handbook. It should say how staff check identification and which documents are accepted, when to refuse service and who makes the final call, how to handle a guest who has had too much, what to do about rides and how incidents are recorded. Train on it at hire and review it each year. Keep a log of refusals, because it shows that the policy works in practice. A policy that exists only on paper does not help your server on a Saturday night.

What should you ask the Commission?

Ask which license classes fit a restaurant, what the application timeline is, whether your floor plan needs approval, what the rules are for a patio and how the BASSET requirement works for your staff. Write down the answers, the date and the name of the person who gave them.

More guides for your business:

• Illinois food handler training and food manager allergen rules
• Chicago sidewalk cafe permits for restaurants
• Illinois automatic renewal law for dining clubs and memberships

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