The Bar School

Virginia · Updated Oct 2026

How to become a bartender in Virginia

Virginia 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

Virginia doesn't issue a bartender license. The restaurant or bar holds the Virginia ABC license, not the bartender. You must be 21 to bartend, or 18 to serve at tables. Learn the job first. Server training such as TIPS is optional, but many employers like it.

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Your path

5 steps to bartending in Virginia

  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. Consider server training

    Virginia doesn't require it, but many employers prefer a course such as TIPS or ServSafe Alcohol.

    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 Virginia, tipped staff get at least $2.13/hr, and tips must bring them to $12.77/hr.

Virginia rules

Virginia bartending rules at a glance

Age

You must be 18 to serve alcohol at tables and 21 to work as a bartender who mixes or prepares drinks. At 18 you can also sell or serve beer at a counter.

Va. Code §4.1-307 3VAC5-50-50

License

Virginia doesn't issue a bartender license. The restaurant or bar holds the Virginia ABC license, not the bartender.

Virginia ABC licenses

Training

Virginia doesn't require server training by law. Virginia ABC offers free training for servers and managers, and a business that trained its staff with an ABC-approved course can get reduced penalties after a violation, so employers may ask you to take one.

Virginia ABC licensee training Va. Code §4.1-227

Tipped pay

Employers can pay tipped staff $2.13 an hour if tips bring them to at least $12.77 an hour; if not, the employer makes up the difference. On January 1, 2027, the minimum wage rises to $13.75 an hour; the $2.13 tipped base pay stays the same.

U.S. DOL state tipped wage table Va. Code §40.1-28.10

Rules change. Last checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (Virginia ABC) and your employer before you apply.

Local rules

Where to check the rules

Virginia law generally bars cities, counties and towns from making their own rules on selling or serving alcohol, so the state rules apply wherever you work.

Va. Code §4.1-128

State alcohol agency

Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (Virginia ABC)

The agency that licenses and regulates alcohol sales in Virginia.

Open the official website

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

Pay

How much do bartenders make in Virginia?

Median hourly$22.63$47,070 a year
Average hourly$26.06$54,200 a year
Top 10% earn more than$43.46$90,400 a year
Bartenders employed13,370May 2025 estimate
Tipped base pay$2.13/hrTips must bring you to $12.77/hr

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (Virginia, Bartenders 35-3011) and U.S. DOL state tipped wage table. 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 Virginia

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 Virginia bartending license?

  • No, and Virginia doesn't issue one. The venue holds the alcohol license, not the bartender.
  • Server training such as TIPS is optional, but many employers like it.
  • 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 Virginia: your questions, answered

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

Virginia doesn't issue a bartender license. The restaurant or bar holds the Virginia ABC license, not the bartender. You can learn the job first, then check whether your employer wants server training.

Virginia ABC licenses

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

You must be 18 to serve alcohol at tables and 21 to work as a bartender who mixes or prepares drinks. At 18 you can also sell or serve beer at a counter. Employers can set a higher minimum age, so check with the bar.

Va. Code §4.1-307 3VAC5-50-50

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

Virginia doesn't require server training by law. Virginia ABC offers free training for servers and managers, and a business that trained its staff with an ABC-approved course can get reduced penalties after a violation, so employers may ask you to take one.

Virginia ABC licensee training Va. Code §4.1-227

How much do bartenders make in Virginia?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), Virginia bartenders earned a median of $22.63 an hour and a mean of $26.06 an hour ($54,200 a year), including tips reported by employers. The top 10% earned more than $43.46 an hour. Employers can pay tipped staff $2.13 an hour if tips bring them to at least $12.77 an hour; if not, the employer makes up the difference. On January 1, 2027, the minimum wage rises to $13.75 an hour; the $2.13 tipped base pay stays the same. Pay varies by venue, shifts and location.

BLS U.S. DOL state tipped wage table

Can I get a bartending job in Virginia 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 Virginia?

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. Virginia Beach and other beach towns hire extra staff for the summer season.

Find jobs by city ↑

Do you have to go to bartending school in Virginia?

No. Virginia 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 Virginia?

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 Virginia 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 Virginia?

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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