# Serving It Right for managers and licensees

> What BC licensees and managers must do: SIR for every manager and server, six-year records, incident logs, posters, out-of-province staff and penalties for minors.

Canonical: https://servingitrighttest.ca/for/managers-and-licensees
Last updated: 2026-10-26

Licensees and managers carry the legal responsibility for everyone who serves. Here’s what BC’s licence terms ask of you, beyond your own certificate.

## Your own certificate

Licensees and managers (staff who supervise the sale or service of liquor) must have Serving It Right. Unlike servers, managers and supervisors can’t rely on another province’s certificate: they need SIR. For a company licensee, the person who needs it depends on the structure:

*From the LCRB’s Liquor Primary and Food Primary Terms and Conditions handbooks.*
| Type of licensee | Who completes Serving It Right |
| --- | --- |
| Private or public corporation | An authorized signing officer |
| Local government or First Nation | A representative you identify |
| General partnership | At least one partner |
| Limited partnership | The general partner |
| Sole proprietor | The sole proprietor |
| Trust | The trustee |
| Non-profit (e.g. a society) | A director or senior manager |

## What you must keep and show

- **Staff certificates:** each employee’s name, SIR certificate number and expiry date, kept at least six years and shown to an inspector or peace officer on request. For out-of-province certificates, also record the province.
- **Incident log:** refusals, removals, injuries, fights, emergency calls and illegal acts, kept at least six years.
- **Social responsibility poster or tent card:** at least one, displayed prominently in the service area.
- **An ID-checking area** that’s well lit and protected from entertainment noise.
- **Capacity controls** at each entry point, with a way to count people in and out.

## Staff with older or out-of-province certificates

Servers relocating from another province with a valid certificate from a recognized program are exempt until it expires. Since September 15, 2020, servers whose certificates have no expiry date must get Serving It Right. Recertification isn’t legally required before a certificate expires, but you can ask staff to recertify at any time.

## What’s at stake

The minimum penalty for serving a minor is a 7-day licence suspension or a $7,000 fine. Offences under the Act carry fines of up to $50,000 for a licensee (and up to 6 months in jail for an individual licensee). Courts have also held establishments liable for harm caused by intoxicated patrons after they left. A written, enforced establishment policy and a complete incident log are your best evidence of due diligence.

Running a special event? Permit holders and managers need Serving It Right at events of 500 or more, and Special Event Server below that. See [Special Event Server](https://servingitrighttest.ca/special-event-server).

## Questions people ask

### Can a manager from Ontario use Smart Serve in BC?

No. The out-of-province exemption is for servers and bartenders. Licensees, managers and supervisors need Serving It Right.

### How long do I keep SIR records?

At least six years, with each employee’s name, certificate number and expiry date.

## Sources

- [Liquor Primary Licence Terms and Conditions handbook, May 2026 (LCRB, PDF)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/employment-business-and-economic-development/business-management/liquor-regulation-licensing/guides-and-manuals/liquorprimary-handbook.pdf) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [Food Primary Licence Terms and Conditions handbook, May 2026 (LCRB, PDF)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/employment-business-and-economic-development/business-management/liquor-regulation-licensing/guides-and-manuals/foodprimary-handbook.pdf) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [Who needs Serving It Right? (responsibleservicebc.gov.bc.ca)](https://www.responsibleservicebc.gov.bc.ca/who-needs-serving-it-right) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [Serving It Right FAQs (responsibleservicebc.gov.bc.ca)](https://www.responsibleservicebc.gov.bc.ca/support/serving-it-right-faqs) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [Serving It Right program manual, July 2026 (Province of British Columbia, PDF)](https://www.responsibleservicebc.gov.bc.ca/files/4309-BC_SIR_FINAL-JULY-29-2026-pdf) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [Liquor Control and Licensing Act, SBC 2015, c. 19 (BC Laws)](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/15019) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [Liquor Control and Licensing Regulation, B.C. Reg. 241/2016 (BC Laws)](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/241_2016) (checked 2026-10-26)

Not affiliated with the Government of British Columbia, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch or the Serving It Right program.

## Related

- [Liquor law and licensee duties: practice quiz](https://servingitrighttest.ca/practice/liquor-law)
- [The Serving It Right certificate](https://servingitrighttest.ca/serving-it-right-certificate)
- [Serving It Right for security and door staff](https://servingitrighttest.ca/for/security-staff)
- [Special Event Server (SES)](https://servingitrighttest.ca/special-event-server)