How to Become a Bartender in Washington State: MAST and Food Card

To become a bartender in Washington State, you need to be at least 21, complete a Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (MAST) course from a provider approved by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), pass the exam to receive a Class 12 permit, and obtain a Food Worker Card from the Department of Health. The training takes a few hours, costs somewhere between $20 and $50, and your physical permit arrives in the mail within 30 days.¹ Here is what each step actually involves.

Make Sure You Meet the Age Requirement

Washington draws a hard line at age 21 for full bartending duties. Anyone under 21 is generally prohibited from entering or remaining in areas of a licensed premises restricted to adults, such as taverns and bar lounges.²

Workers aged 18 to 20 can get a Class 13 permit and serve alcohol in limited settings like restaurants where food service is the primary function. A Class 13 holder can take drink orders and carry beverages to tables, but cannot mix cocktails, pour from taps, or conduct tastings. Those tasks require a Class 12 permit, which the LCB only issues to people 21 or older.¹

If you already hold a Class 13 permit and turn 21, you do not need to retake the course. Your original training provider can upgrade the permit from Class 13 to Class 12.

Complete MAST Training Through an Approved Provider

The LCB certifies specific training providers to deliver MAST and issue permits. The list of approved providers, including both online and in-person options, is published on the LCB website.³ The LCB does not set a fee, so prices vary. Confirm the current cost with your chosen provider before enrolling.

The course itself runs a few hours and covers Washington-specific alcohol laws, how to spot signs of intoxication, and the right way to check identification. You take an exam at the end. Once you pass, the provider reports your completion to the LCB and mails your physical permit within 30 days. If it hasn’t arrived in that window, contact the provider directly.¹

Have a valid government-issued photo ID ready when you register. For online courses, check that your computer meets the training portal’s technical requirements so you don’t lose progress partway through.

Know About the 60-Day Window for New Hires

Washington does not issue a temporary MAST permit of any kind.⁴ What new hires do get is a 60-day grace period from the initial hire date to complete training and obtain their permit. That clock starts on day one, not the day you sign up for a class, so don’t put it off.

One exception: if you’ll be conducting alcohol tastings or samplings, there is no grace period. A valid Class 12 permit must be in hand before you pour the first sample, and it must be available for inspection on site.⁴

Get a Food Worker Card

Bartenders in Washington also need a Food Worker Card issued by the Department of Health. This is a separate credential with its own short training and test, focused on food safety basics like preventing foodborne illness and proper hygiene. The card costs $10.⁵

You can complete the training and exam online at the state’s food worker card portal. A credit or debit card handles payment, and a PDF of the card is emailed to you once you pass. Food Worker Cards require periodic renewal through the same training-and-exam process, so check the Department of Health website for current timelines.

Keep Your Permit Current

A MAST permit is valid for five years, but the expiration date is not exactly five years out from your test date. Your permit expires on the first day of the month after the month you took the exam. Pass on October 20, 2020, and the permit expires November 1, 2025.⁴ That detail catches people who assume they have a few extra weeks.

Renewal means retaking the full training course and exam through an approved provider. If you lose the permit before it expires, contact your original training provider for a replacement. The same provider can also process legal name changes. While on duty, keep your permit and a valid government-issued photo ID available for inspection.

Penalties for Working Without a Valid Permit

Working without a valid MAST permit is not just an administrative problem. Anyone caught serving alcohol without the required permit within the required timeline faces a criminal citation carrying a maximum $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both. The employer also faces fines and possible license suspension.⁴ Most employers will not let you behind the bar without seeing proof of a current permit for exactly this reason.

Serving someone under 21, or allowing an underage person to consume alcohol on premises under your control, is a separate violation under Washington law and is treated as a gross misdemeanor.² Checking ID carefully is part of the job, and MAST training walks through how to do it.

What Washington Bartenders Earn

Washington is one of the best states in the country for tipped workers. The 2026 state minimum wage is $17.13 per hour, and Washington law prohibits employers from using tips or service charges as part of that hourly rate.⁶ Every tip dollar comes on top of the full hourly wage. Some cities, including Seattle, set local minimums even higher.

Tips are taxable income. If you earn $20 or more in tips in a calendar month from a single employer, federal law requires you to report those tips to your employer by the 10th of the following month.⁷ This covers cash, check, and credit card tips. If you work in a tip pool, report only what you actually keep after the split.

Federal law also prohibits employers from keeping any portion of your tips or letting managers and supervisors share in a pooled tip arrangement collected by other employees.⁸

Your MAST Permit Only Works in Washington

If you pick up shifts across state lines or relocate, Washington’s MAST permit is not recognized outside of Washington. Every state with mandatory alcohol server training runs its own program with its own curriculum and exam, and validity periods vary from two years in some states to five in Washington. Plan on completing a new course wherever you go.

1
Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (MAST)
2
Legal Information Institute. Wash. Admin. Code 314-11-020 – What Are the Guidelines Regarding Sales to Persons Under 21 Years of Age
3
Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. Find a Class
4
Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. FAQs for Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (MAST)
5
Washington State Department of Health. Food Worker Card
6
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Minimum Wage
7
Internal Revenue Service. Publication 531 (12/2024), Reporting Tip Income
8
eCFR. 29 CFR Part 531 Subpart D – Tipped Employees