How to get Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS) certified
How to get Serve It Right Saskatchewan: who needs it, the before-first-shift rule, the online course and exam, transferring another province's certificate and renewal. Facts link to SLGA and Tourism Saskatchewan.
By the Canada Exam Prep Editorial Team ·
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- Checked October 18, 2026
In Saskatchewan, owners and paid employees who sell, serve or deliver alcohol in bars, restaurants, taverns, liquor stores and special use venues must be certified through Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS), the province's official responsible alcohol service program. The rule comes from The Alcohol Control Regulations, 2016 and is enforced by SLGA, and the course itself is delivered online by Tourism Saskatchewan's Workforce Development department.
This guide covers who needs SIRS, when you must have it, how the online course and exam work, how to transfer a certificate from another province and when to renew. Every fact links to the SLGA or Tourism Saskatchewan page it comes from; some SLGA pages were read from Internet Archive copies because SLGA's site did not respond when we checked. The SIRS course is not ours and we do not copy it: our free practice tests, printable sheet and study guide are written from Saskatchewan liquor law and SLGA policy.
Step by step
Check that your job needs SIRS
SLGA lists owners who are actively involved in selling or serving, managers, supervisors, bartenders, servers, hosts, security, retail sales staff and home delivery staff. Kitchen staff, bus persons and cleaners who never sell, serve or deliver alcohol do not need it.
Source: SLGA — Commercial Liquor Permittee Policy Manual, Ch. II s. 10 (June 2025, Internet Archive copy)Get certified before your first shift
New employees must have their SIRS training before they begin their first shift, and owners who will serve alcohol must complete it before SLGA issues their permit.
Source: SLGA — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (Internet Archive copy of May 2026)Register and buy the online course
Create a learning account with Tourism Saskatchewan and purchase the SIRS course. Once you buy it, you have 45 days to complete it online.
Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)Work through the course
Tourism Saskatchewan says you should be able to finish in six hours or less. Topics include identifying intoxication, handling situations with minors, refusing service and your legal responsibilities.
Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)Pass the online exam
The course ends with a 35-question multiple-choice online exam. You need a mark of 80% to pass, and you have five attempts.
Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)Download and keep your certificate
After you pass, download your certificate from your online profile, then save or print it so you can show it to your employer or a liquor inspector.
Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)
Who can get it
- If you hold a server intervention certificate from another province that you completed within the past five years, you can transfer it to SIRS by sending a copy to Tourism Saskatchewan with your learning account registration number. Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS), Reciprocity
- Unpaid volunteers at an event under a Special Occasion Permit do not need SIRS; they take the separate Special Occasions Permit online course, which does not allow work in bars, restaurants or retail stores. Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)
- Where the owner is a corporation, officers, directors and shareholders involved in the sale or service of alcohol need SIRS; those with no role in day-to-day operations do not. Source: SLGA — Commercial Liquor Permittee Policy Manual, Ch. II s. 10 (June 2025, Internet Archive copy)
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Serve It Right Saskatchewan online course and exam | Not confirmed by an official source; check with the provider | Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS) |
Fees change. Check the amount on the official page or with the provider before you pay.
Where to take the test
Online, through your Tourism Saskatchewan learning account. The course and the exam are both completed online. Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)
What to bring or have ready
- Your Tourism Saskatchewan learning account; you need its registration number if you are transferring a certificate from another province. Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS), Reciprocity
- Enough time to finish within 45 days of purchase; the course should take six hours or less. Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)
After you pass
Give your employer a copy of your certificate. Permittees must keep a record of each worker's name, certificate number, issue date and, where possible, a copy of the certificate, and show it to SLGA on demand. Source: SLGA — Commercial Liquor Permittee Policy Manual, Ch. II s. 10 (June 2025, Internet Archive copy)
Validity and renewal
SIRS certification is valid for five years. Recertify before your certificate expires. For a transferred out-of-province certificate, the SIRS expiry is five years after the date on the original certificate. Source: SLGA — Commercial Liquor Permittee Policy Manual, Ch. II s. 10 (June 2025, Internet Archive copy)
Common mistakes
- Starting work before you are certified. Saskatchewan has no grace period: new employees need SIRS before their first shift. Source: SLGA — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (Internet Archive copy of May 2026)
- Taking the volunteer Special Occasions Permit course for a paid bar or restaurant job. That course is only for volunteers at public special occasions. Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)
- Letting the 45-day course window run out after you buy the course. Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)
- Assuming an old out-of-province certificate still counts. Only certificates completed within the past five years can be transferred. Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS), Reciprocity
Prepare for the test
Free practice written from the official material: full practice tests, a study guide, a printable sheet and a timed mock exam.
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan practice tests165 original practice questions with explanations
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan practice test (printable PDF)50 Serve It Right Saskatchewan practice questions on ID, minors, intoxication, hours, pricing and Saskatchewan liquor law, with a separate answer key. Print or save as a PDF. Free.
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan study guideFree Serve It Right Saskatchewan study guide: our plain-language notes on Saskatchewan's liquor law and SLGA policy, organised by topic, each linked to its practice questions.
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan Mock Exam 1 – 35 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan exam simulator35 new random questions every time, full screen, no hints
We last checked the official pages on October 18, 2026. Rules and fees can change; the official source always wins.
FAQ
How to get SIRS certified: common questions
How do I get Serve It Right Saskatchewan?
Register a learning account with Tourism Saskatchewan, buy the SIRS online course, complete it and pass the 35-question exam with 80%. Then download your certificate.
Can I take Serve It Right Saskatchewan online?
Yes. The course and its exam are completed online, and you have 45 days from purchase to finish.
How many times can I take the SIRS exam?
You have five attempts to pass the exam.
How long is SIRS valid?
Five years. Recertify before your certificate expires.
I have ProServe from Alberta. Do I need to take SIRS?
Not if your certificate is less than five years old: SLGA lists Alberta ProServe among the certificates that can be recognized, and Tourism Saskatchewan transfers it when you send a copy.
Keep practising
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan practice test (printable PDF)50 Serve It Right Saskatchewan practice questions on ID, minors, intoxication, hours, pricing and Saskatchewan liquor law, with a separate answer key. Print or save as a PDF. Free.
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan study guide
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan Mock Exam 1 – 35 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan Mock Exam 2 – 35 QuestionsUntimed practice · answers explained
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan Practice Test 135 questions with explanations
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan Practice Test 235 questions with explanations
- Serve It Right Saskatchewan Practice Test 335 questions with explanations
Practice by topic
- SIRS certification rulesWho must hold Serve It Right Saskatchewan, the before-first-shift rule, owners and corporations, volunteers, five-year validity, records permittees keep and certificates from other provinces.
- Minors and the legal ageSaskatchewan's legal age of 19, selling or giving alcohol to minors, minors as patrons and employees in restaurants, lounges and taverns, family dining, retail stores and the parent exception.
- Checking IDThe legal duty to demand proof of age, SLGA's Check 25 standard, acceptable photo and secondary ID, examining ID and Saskatchewan licence security features, signs of a minor and ID checks on delivery.
- Alcohol and impairmentHow alcohol affects judgment first and then muscle control, what counts as one drink, why only time lowers blood alcohol, crash risk at different levels and the multiplying effect of alcohol with other drugs.
- Intoxicated patronsThe ban on selling or supplying alcohol to anyone who appears intoxicated, common signs, when an intoxicated patron may wait inside, reducing the risk of intoxication, monitoring and staff drinking.
- Refusing entry and removing patronsThe right to refuse entry or ask someone to leave, re-entry the same day, disorderly conduct, practical steps with unruly patrons, limits on force, overcrowding and illegal activities on the premises.
- Hours of sale and serviceMaximum service hours of 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., New Year's Eve, the half-hour tolerance period, the 3:00 a.m. limit, retail store hours, Sunday brunch and family dining hours and delivery timing.
- Prices, promotions and advertisingSLGA minimum drink prices, two-for-one and happy hour rules, banned all-you-can-drink and games-of-chance pricing, treating, sample sizes, alcohol as prizes, cover charges, pay tied to sales and advertising near schools.
- Serving and handling alcoholLegal sources of alcohol, illegal and homemade alcohol, marrying bottles, measuring spirits, bottle pre-sales, self-serve dispensers, resealing wine and high-alcohol beer, bring your own wine, take-out and home delivery.
- Liability, inspections and penaltiesCommercial host liability in Canadian court cases, SLGA inspections, warnings, administrative penalties up to $10,000, suspensions and cancellations, review by the Licensing Commission and court fines.
- Impaired driving and alcohol in publicSaskatchewan's zero tolerance for new drivers, roadside suspensions for experienced drivers over .04, alcohol in vehicles, public places, the Report Impaired Drivers program and getting patrons home safely.