Tennessee server permit course, online
Our course, approved by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), is $36, and that includes the $15 state filing fee. Take it on your phone or computer, at your own pace.
A Server Permit (On-Premise Permit) is required to serve liquor, wine, and high gravity beer at an establishment that holds an On-Premise Consumption License (Liquor-by-the-Drink License).
You'll need your RLPS number, the record number from your TABC application, when you sign up. If you don't have one yet, step 1 below shows how to get it.
- Nearly 5,000 students trained
- On TABC's list of approved online programs as Serve Safely Tennessee, at our old address servesafelytennessee.com, which forwards here
- Pass or your money back (terms below)
What it costs
| Our course, including the $15 state filing fee | $36 |
| TABC's server permit application fee, paid to TABC in RLPS | $20 |
| Total | $56 |
RLPS may add a small processing charge when you pay TABC's $20 fee.
TABC's rules require every approved program to pay TABC $15 for each student who passes.
Our cost guide breaks down each fee.
Pass or your money back
If you finish the course and haven't passed the final exam within 30 days of your first try, email us within the next 30 days and we'll refund your $36. TABC's $20 application fee goes to TABC, so we can't refund it.
How to get your permit
- Apply with TABC. Create an account in RLPS, TABC's online permit system, and fill out the server permit application. You'll pay TABC's $20 fee and get an RLPS number, which looks something like 26A-NPER-SER-012345. RLPS isn't optimized for phones, so use a computer for this step. Go to RLPS
- Buy our course. Sign up with your RLPS number and pay $36 by credit or debit card. Buy the course
- Take the course and pass the final exam. Work through the chapters at your own pace, then take the final.
- We send your score to TABC. We send your passing score to TABC within two business days, once we have a valid RLPS number for you.
- TABC reviews your application. TABC sets its own review timing. Once your application is approved, you print your permit from RLPS or add it to your phone with the MyTN app.
Our step-by-step RLPS guide walks through the RLPS screens.
About the course
Each chapter has slides, videos and review questions. It covers how alcohol affects the body, counting drinks, checking IDs, Tennessee alcohol law and handling difficult guests. It also covers the topics Tennessee added to server training in 2025: alcohol's role in sexual assault, consent, bystander intervention, spotting drugging and drink tampering, and recognizing and reporting human trafficking.
You can stop and pick up where you left off, and you have one year from purchase to finish. TABC counts your course only if you finish it within one year of your application date.
The final exam has 65 questions, multiple choice and true or false. You need 76% to pass, which is 50 correct answers.
When you pass, we email you a link to your certificate of completion. The certificate isn't your permit. Your permit comes from TABC.
How long your permit lasts
Server permits issued since January 1, 2025 are valid for two (2) years from the date of issue. Permits issued before January 1, 2025 are valid for five (5) years from the date of issue. Each permit application needs a TABC-approved course completed within one year of the application date, so you take an approved course again for each new permit. Our renewal guide has the details.
If you take our course, we'll email you before your permit expires.
Common questions
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How long does it take to get my permit?
When you pass, we email you a link to your certificate of completion right away. Once we have a valid RLPS number for you, we send your passing score to TABC within two business days. TABC then reviews your application and, if it's approved, issues your permit in RLPS. We don't control how long TABC's review takes, and TABC's rules don't allow training programs like ours to promise when a permit will be issued. Check your RLPS account for your permit status. If your RLPS number is missing or in the wrong format, we'll email you so you can fix it.
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Can I take the course on my phone?
Yes. The course works on a phone, tablet or computer. RLPS, TABC's online permit system, isn't optimized for phones, so use a computer for your TABC application.
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Will TABC mail me my permit?
No. TABC doesn't mail server permits. Once your application is approved, you print your permit from your RLPS account or add it to your phone's wallet with the free MyTN app. Our printing guide shows both.
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How do I renew my permit?
Getting your next permit works like getting your first. You file a server permit application in RLPS with TABC's $20 fee and take an approved course again. Start before your current permit expires, because a server whose permit lapses doesn't get the 61-day grace period that new servers get. Our renewal guide has the details.
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I just started a serving job. How long do I have?
New servers get a one-time grace period of 61 days from their original hire date to get a server permit. It doesn't start over when you change jobs. If you had a permit before and let it expire, you don't get the 61 days. Our 61-day rule guide explains more.
Buying for your staff?
Email [email protected] and tell us how many people need the course.
Contact us
Email [email protected] or call 615-946-2525.
Serve Safely Tennessee is run by Carr Associates LLC.
Fulfillment Policy
for Alcohol Server Training Class
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Refund and Cancellation Policy:
At the start of the course, we explain who may not qualify for a Tennessee server permit. If you decide not to go on after reading it, email us before you complete any lesson and we'll refund your $36. Once you've continued into the lessons, this refund no longer applies. Pass or your money back. If you finish the course and haven't passed the final exam within 30 days of your first try, email us within the next 30 days and we'll refund your $36. To ask for a refund, email [email protected] from the address you signed up with. A refund closes your course enrollment. TABC's $20 application fee is paid to TABC, not to us, and TABC's rules make it non-refundable.
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Delivery of Services:
• The training class is available online immediately upon successful payment. • Students can access the course content at their convenience within the specified timeframe (one year from date of purchase).
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Completion and Certification:
• Upon passing the course, students will receive a certificate of course completion via the email provided. • If a valid RLPS (Regulatory Licensing and Permitting System) number is provided upon course sign-up, we will also submit the passing score to the State of Tennessee within the timeframe required by law.
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Please note:
• This class is a prerequisite for obtaining an alcohol server permit in Tennessee. • It is the student's responsibility to provide accurate information, including a valid RLPS number, if they wish to have their score submitted to the state. • If one so chooses, this class may be taken on its own with no intention of obtaining or renewing one’s alcohol server permit in Tennessee. • The certificate of course completion does NOT constitute a valid alcohol server permit in Tennessee. • We cannot guarantee the processing time or approval by the State of Tennessee for alcohol server permits.
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Contact & Modification:
For any questions or concerns about our training class or this policy, please contact us at 615-946-2525 or email [email protected]. This policy is subject to change. Any modifications will be posted on this page with the effective date. Last updated: November 5, 2026