# The law and your responsibilities: practice quiz

> Practise Smart Serve law questions: legal ages, who must be certified, hours of sale, delivery, minimum prices, contests and penalties under Ontario law.

Canonical: https://smartservepracticetest.ca/practice/the-law
Last updated: 2026-10-26

Questions on the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019, its regulations and the AGCO’s standards: the rules every server, bartender and manager in Ontario is expected to know.

This page has an interactive practice test (Smart Serve practice test): a random draw from 128 questions, pass mark 80%. Every question and answer is listed below.

## Key numbers

| Rule | What the law says | Where |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Age to sell or serve liquor | 18 | O. Reg. 746/21, s. 11 |
| Legal drinking age | 19 | LLCA, 2019, s. 34 |
| Licensed hours | 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. (New Year’s Eve to 3 a.m.) | O. Reg. 746/21, s. 31 |
| Clear drinks away | Within 45 minutes after sale hours end | O. Reg. 746/21, s. 37 |
| Delivery hours | 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. | O. Reg. 746/21, s. 10 |
| Retail store hours | 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. | O. Reg. 746/21 |
| Minimum price, standard beer or wine serving | $2.00 including taxes | O. Reg. 746/21, s. 26 |
| Pregnancy warning sign | At least 8 × 10 inches, where liquor is sold | O. Reg. 745/21, s. 24 |
| Certificate term | 5 years | AGCO; Smart Serve |

## Study every question

### The law and your responsibilities (38)

**What is the youngest age at which someone can sell or serve liquor for a licensee in Ontario?**

A. 16
B. 18
C. 19
D. 21

Answer: B. The licensee must make sure anyone who sells, serves, delivers, handles or samples liquor on its behalf is at least 18.

**What is the legal age to buy, have or drink alcohol in Ontario?**

A. 18
B. 19
C. 20
D. 21

Answer: B. No one under 19 may have, drink, buy or try to buy liquor.

**Who must hold a valid certificate from an AGCO-approved training course?**

A. Everyone who sells, serves, samples or delivers liquor or takes liquor orders
B. Only bartenders who mix drinks
C. Only the manager on duty
D. Only staff who work after 9 p.m.

Answer: A. The Registrar’s standard covers every person involved in the sale, service, sampling or delivery of liquor, or in taking liquor orders.

**A bar hires its own security staff to work the door. Do they need certification?**

A. No: only people who pour drinks need it
B. Only if they check ID
C. Yes: security staff the licensee employs must hold a valid certificate
D. Only at stadiums

Answer: C. The training standard names security staff the licensee employs (or, at a stadium, uses) as people who must be certified.

**At a golf course with a liquor licence, who must be certified besides servers?**

A. Only the clubhouse manager
B. Golfers who buy drinks
C. No one else
D. Course marshals and staff selling liquor from motorized carts

Answer: D. For golf course endorsements, employees selling from motorized vending carts and course marshals must hold a valid certificate.

**How long is a Smart Serve certificate valid?**

A. 5 years from the date it’s issued
B. For life
C. 1 year
D. 3 years

Answer: A. Smart Serve certificates are valid for five years from the date of issue. The AGCO set a five-year term for all liquor training certificates.

**Your Smart Serve certificate expired last month. What do you need to do?**

A. Nothing: there’s a one-year grace period
B. Ask your manager to sign a renewal form
C. Buy and complete the course and final test again
D. Email Smart Serve for a new card

Answer: C. An expired certificate can’t be renewed at the reduced rate. You repurchase and retake the course and final test.

**A coworker has only a liquor retail training certificate from a grocery store job. Can they serve drinks at your restaurant?**

A. Yes: any approved certificate works anywhere
B. Yes, if a manager supervises
C. Only on weekends
D. No: retail-only certificates don’t cover service outside a retail store

Answer: D. The AGCO says people with only a liquor retail training certificate may not sell, serve, deliver or take orders outside a retail store setting.

**When can an AGCO inspector ask for proof that a staff member is certified?**

A. At any time
B. Only during licence renewal
C. Only after a complaint
D. Only with a court order

Answer: A. AGCO inspectors may ask a licensee for proof of a staff member’s certification at any time. Keeping copies is recommended.

**On a normal day, when may a licensed bar or restaurant sell and serve liquor?**

A. 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
B. 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
C. 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
D. 9 a.m. to midnight

Answer: C. Liquor may be sold and served from 9 a.m. until 2 a.m. the next day, unless the licence sets shorter hours.

**On New Year’s Eve, licensed establishments may serve until…**

A. 2 a.m. on January 1
B. 3 a.m. on January 1
C. 4 a.m. on January 1
D. Midnight

Answer: B. The regulation allows sale and service from 9 a.m. on December 31 until 3 a.m. on January 1.

**After service ends, how long does a licensee have to clear away drinks and other evidence of liquor?**

A. 15 minutes
B. 30 minutes
C. 45 minutes
D. 60 minutes

Answer: C. Evidence of liquor served and consumed must be removed within 45 minutes after the end of sale hours: by 2:45 a.m. on a normal night.

**Between what hours may liquor be delivered to a customer?**

A. 7 a.m. and 2 a.m.
B. 9 a.m. and 2 a.m.
C. 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.
D. 9 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Answer: D. Liquor must be delivered only between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. on any day.

**Grocery and convenience stores licensed to sell alcohol may sell it between…**

A. 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
B. 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.
C. 9 a.m. and 2 a.m.
D. 6 a.m. and midnight

Answer: B. Retail licensees may make liquor available to customers only between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

**Under Ontario law, you must not sell or serve liquor to a person who…**

A. Has already had three drinks
B. Arrived less than an hour ago
C. Is drinking alone
D. Is or appears to be intoxicated

Answer: D. No person may sell or supply liquor, or allow it to be sold or supplied, to anyone who is or appears to be intoxicated.

**The required warning sign about drinking during pregnancy must be at least what size?**

A. 4 by 6 inches
B. 5 by 7 inches
C. 8 by 10 inches
D. 11 by 17 inches

Answer: C. The sign must be at least 8 inches by 10 inches and posted prominently where liquor is sold and served.

**Every licensed establishment must post a sign warning about…**

A. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy
B. Drinking and driving
C. Smoking near entrances
D. Underage gambling

Answer: A. The Act requires a prescribed sign warning of the dangers of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder wherever liquor is sold or served.

**What is the lowest price, taxes included, a bar may charge for a standard serving of beer or wine?**

A. $1.00
B. $2.00
C. $3.00
D. $4.00

Answer: B. For servings other than spirits over 14.8% alcohol, the minimum is $2.00 for a standard serving (341 mL beer, 142 mL wine), adjusted in proportion for other sizes.

**A manager wants to run a contest where the prize goes to whoever buys the most pints. Is it allowed?**

A. Yes, if the prize isn’t alcohol
B. Yes, before 9 p.m.
C. Yes, if it’s advertised
D. No: contests involving buying or drinking liquor aren’t allowed

Answer: D. Licensees must not permit contests on the premises that involve the purchase or consumption of liquor.

**Can a nightclub make guests buy a minimum number of drinks to get in or stay?**

A. No
B. Yes, up to two drinks
C. Yes, on special event nights
D. Yes, if posted at the door

Answer: A. Licensees may not require a person to buy a minimum number of drinks to enter or remain on the premises.

**What must a licensed establishment offer besides alcohol?**

A. Free water only on request
B. A variety of non-alcoholic drinks at moderate prices
C. Free food after midnight
D. Non-alcoholic drinks only at the same price as beer

Answer: B. Licensees must have a variety of non-alcoholic beverages for sale at moderate prices compared with liquor.

**A guest orders a rum and cola, but you’re out of that rum. What may you do?**

A. Use another liquor only if the guest agrees
B. Substitute any rum without asking
C. Make it with less alcohol
D. Charge more and substitute

Answer: A. Licensees must not substitute one type of liquor for another in a drink unless the patron consents.

**A guest who appears intoxicated wants to take home the rest of their bottle of wine. What should happen?**

A. Reseal it and hand it over
B. Pour it into a takeout cup
C. Don’t let them take it: the law doesn’t allow it for someone who is or appears intoxicated
D. Let them take it if they have a ride

Answer: C. Resealed wine can normally leave with the guest, but not when the patron is or appears to be intoxicated.

**A restaurant sells a bottle of wine with a takeout order. Which is required?**

A. The customer must be a regular
B. The bottle must be opened first
C. It can be sold for takeout until 2 a.m.
D. The wine is bought with food and leaves with it in a securely closed container

Answer: D. Takeout liquor must be bought with food, leave together with the food in a securely closed container, and go out between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m.

**Liquor ordered for delivery may be handed only to a person who…**

A. Says they are 19
B. Lives anywhere nearby
C. Has paid in cash
D. Is at least 19, is at the order address and doesn’t appear intoxicated

Answer: D. Delivery must go to a person who is at least 19, located at the address on the order, and who does not appear intoxicated.

**Where may liquor be delivered?**

A. To a public park
B. To a parked car on the street
C. To a residence or a private place
D. Anywhere the customer chooses

Answer: C. Liquor must only be delivered to a residence or private place, unopened and untampered with.

**When counting people against the capacity on the liquor licence, who counts?**

A. Everyone on the premises, including staff
B. Only seated guests
C. Only guests who are drinking
D. Only people over 19

Answer: A. The number of persons on the premises, including employees, must not exceed the capacity stated on the licence.

**Police officers arrive at your bar during their duties. What does the licensee have to do?**

A. Ask for a warrant first
B. Give them access to the premises
C. Make them wait until closing
D. Only let them into the main room

Answer: B. The licensee must give police officers acting in their duties access to the premises, including washrooms, liquor, food prep and storage areas.

**If a licensee is convicted of selling liquor to someone under 19, what also happens to the licence?**

A. Nothing, if it’s a first offence
B. It gets a written warning
C. It is suspended for one day
D. It must be suspended for at least seven days

Answer: D. On a conviction for selling to a minor, a licensee faces a fine and the licence must be suspended for at least seven days.

**What is the maximum fine for an individual convicted of a general offence under the Act (other than selling to a minor)?**

A. $500
B. $1,000
C. $10,000
D. $100,000

Answer: D. An individual can be fined up to $100,000, jailed up to one year, or both, for most offences under the Act.

**Your house policy says one thing and the law says another. Which applies?**

A. The house policy, if it’s posted
B. The law: house policies don’t override the Act, regulations or standards
C. Whichever the manager prefers
D. Whichever is less strict

Answer: B. The AGCO says house policies are not law and do not override the Act, its regulations or the Registrar’s standards.

**When may a server buy a guest a drink at the listed price?**

A. Every hour, to keep regulars happy
B. Whenever it brings in more sales
C. Now and then, to mark a special occasion or make up for poor service
D. To lure people in from the street

Answer: C. Staff may buy a patron a drink at the listed price for things like regular patronage, a celebration or poor service, but not as a promotion, at regular intervals or to entice more purchases.

**Which of these is a licensee NOT allowed to do?**

A. Run a “five shots in five minutes” challenge
B. Offer cheap snacks
C. Promote mocktails
D. Post the drink menu

Answer: A. Licensees must not engage in or permit practices that tend to encourage immoderate drinking, such as drinking contests or challenges.

**How must liquor be sold and served in a licensed establishment?**

A. Under the supervision of an employee the licensee authorizes
B. Self-serve, if guests are over 19
C. By any guest who is certified
D. From bottles left on tables

Answer: A. Liquor must be sold, offered for sale and served only under the supervision of an employee authorized by the licensee.

**The bar wants to infuse a vodka with fruit and sell it. Is that allowed?**

A. No, never
B. Only if the LCBO approves each batch
C. Yes, if guests are told about the change when it’s sold
D. Yes, with no need to tell anyone

Answer: C. A licensee may add a substance or change the flavour of liquor as long as the patron is told about it at the time of sale or service.

**Which information must a licensee post or make available to guests?**

A. Only the prices of beer
B. The drinks available, how much liquor is in each, non-alcoholic options and prices
C. The bartender’s name and certificate number
D. The licence holder’s home address

Answer: B. Licensees must list the liquor available, the amount of liquor in each drink, the non-alcoholic drinks and the prices.

**A bar wants a vending machine for single cans of beer. Which rule applies?**

A. Guests over 19 can use it freely
B. It can be placed outdoors
C. It can also sell snacks and pop
D. A certified employee must be present and control access to the machine

Answer: D. Since September 2026, liquor vending machines are allowed indoors in supervised areas, with a certified employee present who controls access and watches them at all times.

**Which device is banned in licensed premises?**

A. A beer tap system
B. A device that mixes alcohol with oxygen to make a mist you inhale
C. A cocktail shaker
D. A wine preservation pump

Answer: B. Licensees must not have or permit “alcohol without liquid” vaporizers that turn alcohol into an inhalable mist.

## Questions people ask

### What time is last call in Ontario?

The law doesn’t use the words “last call”. Licensed establishments may sell and serve from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. (3 a.m. on New Year’s Day), unless their licence sets shorter hours, and drinks must be cleared within 45 minutes after that.

## Sources

- [Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 (e-Laws)](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/19l15b) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [O. Reg. 746/21: Licensing (e-Laws)](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r21746) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [O. Reg. 745/21: General (e-Laws)](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r21745) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [AGCO: Registrar’s Interim Standards and Requirements for Liquor](https://www.agco.ca/en/alcohol/registrars-interim-standards-and-requirements-liquor) (checked 2026-10-26)
- [AGCO: Responsible liquor sale, service and delivery training](https://www.agco.ca/en/alcohol/responsible-liquor-sale-service-and-delivery-training) (checked 2026-10-26)

Not affiliated with Smart Serve Ontario or the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

## Related

- [Smart Serve practice test](https://smartservepracticetest.ca/smart-serve-practice-test)
- [Smart Serve for managers and licence holders](https://smartservepracticetest.ca/for/managers-and-owners)
- [Checking ID and minors: practice quiz](https://smartservepracticetest.ca/practice/checking-id)
- [Intoxication and refusing service: practice quiz](https://smartservepracticetest.ca/practice/intoxication)