The Bar School

Minnesota · Updated Oct 2026

How to become a bartender in Minnesota

Minnesota doesn't require a state bartender license, but you still need to know how to do the job. Here's your path from zero experience to your first shift, plus the rules and pay to know.

Quick answer

Minnesota does not issue a bartender license. The venue holds the liquor license, which comes from its city or county, not the bartender. You must be 18 or older to serve or bartend. Learn the job first, then check which server training applies where you'll work.

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Your path

5 steps to bartending in Minnesota

  1. Learn to bartend

    Take Bar Ready online: tools, pours, spirits, cocktails, service and how to get hired.

  2. Earn your certificates

    Watch every lesson in full to unlock each course's certificate of completion in your dashboard. It shows employers you trained. It isn't a license.

  3. Check your city's rules

    Some cities require server training as a condition of a bar's liquor license. Ask your employer or city clerk what applies.

    See local rules ↓

  4. Go apply

    Put your training and certificates on your resume and apply to bars and restaurants near you.

  5. Start pouring

    Pour, serve and earn tips. In Minnesota, tipped staff get the full $11.41/hr minimum wage before tips.

Minnesota rules

Minnesota bartending rules at a glance

Training

Minnesota has no statewide server training requirement, but some cities make it a condition of a bar's liquor license. For example, Becker requires everyone who sells or serves liquor to be trained within 90 days of being hired, and Moorhead requires training for managers and employees who sell alcohol. Employers often require training even where the city doesn't.

Becker City Code §111.32 City of Moorhead server training

Rules change and can vary by city or county. Last checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division and your employer before you apply.

Local rules

Where to check the rules

Cities, and counties outside city limits, issue bar liquor licenses and can add their own rules, such as required server training. Check with your city clerk and ask your employer.

Minn. Stat. §340A.509 Minn. Stat. §340A.404

State alcohol agency

Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division

The agency that licenses and regulates alcohol sales in Minnesota.

Open the official website

Your employer can also tell you which rules apply where you'll work.

Pay

How much do bartenders make in Minnesota?

Median hourly$12.93$26,900 a year
Average hourly$14.75$30,680 a year
Top 10% earn more than$18.65$38,790 a year
Bartenders employed24,420May 2025 estimate
Tipped base pay$11.41/hrFull minimum wage, before tips

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (Minnesota, Bartenders 35-3011) and Minnesota DLI minimum wage. BLS wages include tips reported by employers. What you earn depends on the venue, your shifts and your location, and isn't guaranteed.

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Jobs

Where to find bartending jobs in Minnesota

Open bartender listings near you on Indeed. Barback and server openings are worth a look too: they're a common way behind the bar.

Behind the bar at The Bar School, answering whether the course is a license
Is this a license to bartend?1:33

The question we hear most

Is Bar Ready a Minnesota bartending license?

  • No, and Minnesota doesn't issue one. The venue holds the alcohol license, not the bartender.
  • Server training depends on where you work. Check the local rules above and ask your employer.
  • Each course ends with a certificate of completion. It shows employers you trained, but it isn't a license or a state certification.

Questions people ask

Becoming a bartender in Minnesota: your questions, answered

Do you need a license to be a bartender in Minnesota?

Minnesota does not issue a bartender license. The venue holds the liquor license, which comes from its city or county, not the bartender. You can learn the job first, then check whether your employer wants server training.

Minn. Stat. §340A.404 Minnesota DPS Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement

How old do you have to be to bartend in Minnesota?

You must be 18 or older to serve or sell alcohol in a bar or restaurant. The same age applies to bartending. Employers can set a higher minimum age, so check with the bar.

Minn. Stat. §340A.412, subd. 10

Do you need TIPS or ServSafe certification to bartend in Minnesota?

Minnesota has no statewide server training requirement, but some cities make it a condition of a bar's liquor license. For example, Becker requires everyone who sells or serves liquor to be trained within 90 days of being hired, and Moorhead requires training for managers and employees who sell alcohol. Employers often require training even where the city doesn't.

Becker City Code §111.32 City of Moorhead server training

Do local rules apply in Minnesota?

Cities, and counties outside city limits, issue bar liquor licenses and can add their own rules, such as required server training. Check with your city clerk and ask your employer.

See local rules ↑ Minn. Stat. §340A.509 Minn. Stat. §340A.404

How much do bartenders make in Minnesota?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), Minnesota bartenders earned a median of $12.93 an hour and a mean of $14.75 an hour ($30,680 a year), including tips reported by employers. The top 10% earned more than $18.65 an hour. Minnesota does not allow a tip credit, so employers must pay tipped staff at least $11.41 an hour before tips, and Minneapolis and St. Paul set higher city minimums. On January 1, 2027, the state minimum wage rises to $11.87 an hour. Pay varies by venue, shifts and location.

BLS Minnesota DLI minimum wage

Can I get a bartending job in Minnesota with no experience?

Experience is up to each employer. Learning the fundamentals first, and being able to show you finished training, helps you stand out when you apply. That's what step 1 is for.

Where can I find bartending jobs in Minnesota?

Search job boards like Indeed for bartender, barback and server openings in your city, check the websites and social pages of bars you'd like to work at, and drop off a resume in person when it's quiet. Barback and server jobs are a common way in. Lake resort areas like Brainerd and the North Shore hire extra staff for summer.

Find jobs by city ↑

Do you have to go to bartending school in Minnesota?

No. Minnesota doesn't require bartending school. An online course lets you learn the tools, pours, cocktails and service at your own pace.

Does The Bar School offer job placement?

No. We don't place students in jobs. Bar Ready shows you what the job involves and how to get hired, with a resume guide and template and what to expect when you apply. Then you apply to bars and restaurants near you.

How long does it take to become a bartender in Minnesota?

Bar Ready is self-paced, so you go as fast as your schedule allows. After that, timing depends on your local rules and the jobs near you.

Is the Bar School certificate a Minnesota license or TIPS certification?

No. Your Bar School certificates of completion, one for each Bar Ready course, show employers you finished our training. They aren't a government license or permit, and they don't replace TIPS, ServSafe or any state or local requirement.

Ready to start bartending in Minnesota?

Step 1 is learning the job. Start Bar Ready online today, at your own pace.

Start step 1: learn to bartend

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