NH Alcohol Server study plan
NH Alcohol Server · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
New Hampshire liquor law and the role of the Liquor Commission
Explain how New Hampshire's three-tier system separates suppliers, distributors, and licensees, and state which tier a server works in.
List the core duties of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, including licensing, enforcement, and education, in your own words.
Identify at least six specific violations that can put a liquor license at risk (e.g., serving a minor, serving an intoxicated person, allowing prohibited conduct on premises).
Describe the legal age of service and consumption in New Hampshire and the basic hours and on-premises rules a server must know.
Map each of the eight exam domains to where it appears in New Hampshire law or Commission guidance so later study has a legal anchor.
Your checkpoint
A one-page reference sheet listing the Liquor Commission's role, the legal age, and at least ten server violations, written without notes.
New Hampshire liquor law and the role of the Liquor Commission & Liability, dram shop responsibility, and consequences of noncompliance
Define dram shop liability and explain how it applies to a New Hampshire licensee who serves an intoxicated patron.
Distinguish criminal penalties from civil liability and administrative license action, giving one example of each.
Explain what 'knowingly' and 'should have known' mean in enforcement terms and why documentation matters.
Describe the consequences an individual server can face, separate from consequences to the business.
Summarize the licensee's duty regarding visibly intoxicated persons under New Hampshire law in two or three sentences.
Your checkpoint
A written comparison table of criminal, civil, and administrative consequences with at least three entries each, plus a 100-word plain-language summary of dram shop responsibility.
Recognizing intoxication and impairment
List the behavioral indicators of intoxication in categories: speech, motor control, judgment, and appearance.
Explain how blood alcohol concentration rises and falls, including the role of body weight, food, time, and drink strength.
Explain why tolerance changes behavior without changing BAC, and why a 'good drunk' is still a liability.
Describe how alcohol interacts with medications, cannabis, and fatigue, and how that changes your observation checklist.
Practice a silent 30-second observation routine you can run on any patron and explain what you are checking.
Your checkpoint
A personal impairment checklist of at least 12 observable indicators grouped by category, plus a written explanation of why tolerance does not reduce impairment.
Recognizing intoxication and impairment & Preventing service to intoxicated patrons and intervention techniques
Demonstrate three scripted intervention approaches (soft redirect, firm cutoff, and offering food or a ride) in role-play or written dialogue.
Explain how to cut off service without escalating conflict, including what to say, where to stand, and who to involve.
Describe when and how to involve a manager, and when to call police or emergency services.
Identify the signs of alcohol poisoning and state the correct response, including not leaving the person alone.
Explain why continuing to serve after visible impairment creates both legal and safety exposure.
Your checkpoint
Three written intervention scripts of at least 80 words each, plus a one-page alcohol-poisoning response card with warning signs and the correct action.
Age verification and preventing sales to minors & Acceptable forms of identification and fake ID detection
State the legal age for purchase and consumption in New Hampshire and the standard for acceptable identification.
List the acceptable forms of ID in New Hampshire and the specific features to check on each.
Describe at least eight fake-ID red flags, including font, alignment, lamination, date logic, and photo mismatch.
Explain how to calculate age from a birth date on the spot and practice with ten sample dates.
Write a refusal script for a minor or an invalid ID that stays calm and does not accuse.
Your checkpoint
A laminated-style ID-check card listing acceptable forms, what to inspect on each, and eight fake-ID red flags, plus a written refusal script.
Preventing service to intoxicated patrons and intervention techniques & Responsible service practices, including food, water, and safe ride options
Explain how food, water, pacing, and lower-strength options reduce risk without implying safety.
Describe how to build safe-ride options into service, including calling a ride, holding keys, and coordinating with a manager.
Explain why serving water and food is a business practice as well as a legal safeguard.
Design a house policy for last call, cutoff, and safe departure that a manager could adopt.
Describe how to handle a patron who insists on driving after being cut off, including when to call police.
Your checkpoint
A one-page house policy covering pacing, food and water, last call, cutoffs, and safe-ride steps, written so a new hire could follow it.
Handling difficult situations and documenting incidents
Describe a step-by-step approach to a difficult patron: stay calm, lower your voice, offer choices, and set a limit.
Explain how to handle a patron who becomes aggressive, including positioning, backup, and when to stop engaging.
List the facts an incident report must capture: time, description, statements, actions taken, witnesses, and outcome.
Write an incident report from a short scenario using objective language and no conclusions about the patron's character.
Explain why documentation protects the server and the licensee in a later investigation or civil claim.
Your checkpoint
One complete incident report of at least 150 words written from a scenario, plus a checklist of the facts every report must include.
New Hampshire liquor law and the role of the Liquor Commission & Recognizing intoxication and impairment & Preventing service to intoxicated patrons and intervention techniques & Age verification and preventing sales to minors & Acceptable forms of identification and fake ID detection & Liability, dram shop responsibility, and consequences of noncompliance & Responsible service practices, including food, water, and safe ride options & Handling difficult situations and documenting incidents
Review all eight domains using your own notes and identify the two weakest areas.
Complete a timed 40-question self-test covering every domain and score it.
Re-teach your two weakest areas in writing without referring to notes.
Rehearse the ID check, the intervention script, and the incident report one final time.
Confirm your logistics: exam format, what to bring, and how to handle a question you are unsure of.
Your checkpoint
A scored 40-question self-test with a written error log of every missed question and the corrected fact for each.
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain dram shop liability and list criminal, civil, and administrative consequences without notes.
Week 4: Can deliver an intervention script and describe alcohol-poisoning response from memory.
Week 6: Can check an ID, name the acceptable forms, and explain the house safe-ride policy without notes.
Week 8: Scores at least 85% on the 40-question self-test and has a written error log covering every miss.