The Bar School

Tennessee · Updated Oct 2026

How to become a bartender in Tennessee

Mandatory server permit required by the state to bartend here

Tennessee bartenders need a server permit, but 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

To serve liquor, wine or high-gravity beer at a bar or restaurant, you need a server permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission and must carry a copy at work. The venue holds the liquor license, not you. You must be 18 or older to serve or bartend, or 21 where smoking is allowed. Learn the job first, then get your server permit.

Start step 1: learn to bartendBar Ready · 100% online · $197 one-time

Your path

5 steps to bartending in Tennessee

  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. Get your server permit

    Take a TABC-certified alcohol awareness course, then get your server permit within 61 days of your hire date.

    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 Tennessee, tipped staff get at least $2.13/hr, and tips must bring them to $7.25/hr.

Tennessee rules

Tennessee bartending rules at a glance

License

To serve liquor, wine or high-gravity beer at a bar or restaurant, you need a server permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission and must carry a copy at work. The venue holds the liquor license, not you.

TABC server permit TABC FAQ

Training

To get a server permit, you must complete a TABC-certified alcohol awareness course within 1 year before you apply. New servers have 61 days from their hire date to get the permit, and permits issued since January 1, 2025, last 2 years.

TABC server permit

Rules change and can vary by city or county. Last checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) and your employer before you apply.

Local rules

Where to check the rules

Beer permits come from local beer boards, which can set their own rules, so beer-only bars may have different requirements. Ask your employer or your city or county beer board.

TABC FAQ

State alcohol agency

Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC)

The agency that licenses and regulates alcohol sales in Tennessee.

Open the official website

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

Pay

How much do bartenders make in Tennessee?

Median hourly$13.21$27,480 a year
Average hourly$14.99$31,180 a year
Top 10% earn more than$25.36$52,740 a year
Bartenders employed10,330May 2025 estimate
Tipped base pay$2.13/hrTips must bring you to $7.25/hr

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (Tennessee, Bartenders 35-3011) and U.S. DOL state tipped minimum wage table (July 1, 2026). BLS wages include tips reported by employers. What you earn depends on the venue, your shifts and your location, and isn't guaranteed.

I'm ready to get startedStep 1: Bar Ready · 100% online · $197 one-time

Jobs

Where to find bartending jobs in Tennessee

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 Tennessee bartending license?

  • No. Tennessee requires a server permit, and Bar Ready doesn't replace it.
  • Server training is required in Tennessee. 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 Tennessee: your questions, answered

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

To serve liquor, wine or high-gravity beer at a bar or restaurant, you need a server permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission and must carry a copy at work. The venue holds the liquor license, not you.

TABC server permit TABC FAQ

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

You must be 18 or older to serve or bartend. If the venue allows smoking, you must be 21. Employers can set a higher minimum age, so check with the bar.

TABC server permit TABC FAQ

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

To get a server permit, you must complete a TABC-certified alcohol awareness course within 1 year before you apply. New servers have 61 days from their hire date to get the permit, and permits issued since January 1, 2025, last 2 years.

TABC server permit

Do local rules apply in Tennessee?

Beer permits come from local beer boards, which can set their own rules, so beer-only bars may have different requirements. Ask your employer or your city or county beer board.

See local rules ↑ TABC FAQ

How much do bartenders make in Tennessee?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), Tennessee bartenders earned a median of $13.21 an hour and a mean of $14.99 an hour ($31,180 a year), including tips reported by employers. The top 10% earned more than $25.36 an hour. Tennessee has no state minimum wage, so federal rules apply: employers can pay tipped staff $2.13 an hour if tips bring them to at least $7.25 an hour; if not, the employer makes up the difference. Pay varies by venue, shifts and location.

BLS U.S. DOL state tipped minimum wage table (July 1, 2026)

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

Experience is up to each employer, but you'll need your server permit 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 Tennessee?

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. Smoky Mountain towns like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge hire heavily for summer and the fall leaf season.

Find jobs by city ↑

Do you have to go to bartending school in Tennessee?

No. Tennessee doesn't require bartending school. The server permit 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 Tennessee?

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 server permit and the jobs near you.

Is the Bar School certificate a Tennessee 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 your server permit or any state or local requirement.

Ready to start bartending in Tennessee?

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

Start step 1: learn to bartend

Bar Ready · 100% online · $197 one-time · Certificates of completion

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