The Bar School

Montana · Updated Oct 2026

How to become a bartender in Montana

Mandatory RASS server training required by the state within 60 days of hire

Montana doesn't require a bartender license, just state-approved server training, and that won't teach you the job. Here's your path from zero experience to your first shift, plus the rules and pay to know.

Quick answer

Montana does not issue a bartender license. The venue holds the liquor license, not the bartender. You must be 18 or older to serve or bartend. Learn the job first, then complete state-approved server training within 60 days of hire.

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Your path

5 steps to bartending in Montana

  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. Complete RASS training

    Complete state-approved Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service (RASS) training within 60 days of hire. Retake it every 3 years.

    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 Montana, tipped staff get the full $10.85/hr minimum wage before tips.

Montana rules

Montana bartending rules at a glance

Rules change. Last checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with the Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division and your employer before you apply.

Local rules

Where to check the rules

Age and server training rules are set by the state, and only the state runs mandatory server training. Cities can still shorten bar hours and limit where alcohol is sold.

MCA 16-4-1007 MCA 16-3-304

State alcohol agency

Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division

The agency that licenses and regulates alcohol sales in Montana.

Open the official website

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

Pay

How much do bartenders make in Montana?

Median hourly$12.51$26,010 a year
Average hourly$13.08$27,210 a year
Top 10% earn more than$15.81$32,870 a year
Bartenders employed5,370May 2025 estimate
Tipped base pay$10.85/hrFull minimum wage, before tips

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (Montana, Bartenders 35-3011) and Montana DLI state 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 Montana

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 Montana bartending license?

  • No, and Montana doesn't issue one. The venue holds the alcohol license, not the bartender.
  • Server training is required in Montana. See step 3 above for the deadline.
  • 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 Montana: your questions, answered

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

Montana does not issue a bartender license. The venue holds the liquor license, not the bartender. You can learn the job first, then check whether your employer wants server training.

MCA 16-4-1005 Montana DOR alcoholic beverages

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

You must be 18 or older to work as a bartender or to serve alcohol as a waiter or waitress. Employers can set a higher minimum age, so check with the bar.

MCA 39-2-306 Montana DOR RASS training

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

Everyone who sells or serves alcohol in Montana, and their direct supervisor, must complete state-approved RASS training within 60 days of being hired. You must take it again every 3 years.

MCA 16-4-1005 MCA 16-4-1006 Montana DOR RASS training

How much do bartenders make in Montana?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), Montana bartenders earned a median of $12.51 an hour and a mean of $13.08 an hour ($27,210 a year), including tips reported by employers. The top 10% earned more than $15.81 an hour. Montana does not allow a tip credit, so employers must pay tipped staff at least $10.85 an hour before tips. On January 1, 2027, the state minimum wage rises to $11.20 an hour. Pay varies by venue, shifts and location.

BLS Montana DLI state minimum wage

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

Experience is up to each employer, but you'll need your state-approved server training too. 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 Montana?

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. Ski and national park towns like Big Sky, Whitefish and West Yellowstone hire extra staff for winter and summer seasons.

Find jobs by city ↑

Do you have to go to bartending school in Montana?

No. Montana doesn't require bartending school. The state-approved server training is about serving alcohol safely and legally; it doesn't teach you to make drinks or work a bar. 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 Montana?

Bar Ready is self-paced, so you go as fast as your schedule allows. After that, timing depends on how long it takes to get your state-approved server training and the jobs near you.

Is the Bar School certificate a Montana 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 Montana?

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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