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Serve It Right Saskatchewan overview

Serve It Right Saskatchewan study guide: the rules on all 11 topics

Free 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.

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  • 11 topics
  • 196 key points
  • Free, no sign-up

This study guide collects our notes on every topic of the Serve It Right Saskatchewan exam on one page: short points in our own words, grouped by topic and by source. Read it from top to bottom before your first practice test, or jump to a topic from the list below.

Each topic ends with a link to its practice questions and a link to the official source for the full wording. The notes summarise The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997, The Alcohol Control Regulations, 2016 and SLGA's Commercial Liquor Permittee Policy Manual; they are not the SIRS course, and where our notes and the official source differ, the official source wins.

Study these notes as flashcards →

SIRS certification rules

Who 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.

Practise SIRS certification rules questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

s. 7 Mandatory server training

  • Everyone employed in the sale or service of beverage alcohol in a retail store or on permitted premises must complete a server training program approved by SLGA.
  • A permittee may not employ anyone in the sale or service of alcohol unless that person has completed the approved program.

Ch. II s. 10 Mandatory server intervention training

  • Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS) is the approved social responsibility course, delivered by Tourism Saskatchewan's Workforce Development department; it aims to reduce underage drinking, over-consumption, impaired driving, violence and other alcohol-related harms.
  • It applies to retail stores, restaurants, taverns and special use facilities: owners and paid employees involved in selling or serving alcohol must be certified.
  • Owners who will be actively involved in sale or service must be certified before SLGA issues the permit; SLGA may hold a permit renewal if the owner has no valid SIRS certificate.
  • Employees must be certified before they start work, and owners must make sure of it.
  • Roles needing SIRS include active owners, managers, supervisors, bartenders, servers, hosts, security, retail sales staff and home delivery staff.
  • Kitchen staff, bus persons and cleaning staff, who do not sell, serve or deliver alcohol, do not need SIRS.
  • Volunteers are not employees and do not need SIRS, but SLGA encourages permittees to require it.
  • For a corporation, all officers and directors and any shareholders involved in sale or service need SIRS; those with no role in day-to-day decisions or operations do not.
  • Certificates obtained within the past five years while working outside Saskatchewan can be recognized, including Alberta ProServe, B.C. Serving It Right, Manitoba Smart Choices, Ontario Smart Serve and the Atlantic provinces' It's Good Business.
  • SIRS certification is valid for five years; recertify before it expires.
  • Permittees must keep records of staff certification (name, certificate number, issue date and a copy where possible) and show them to SLGA on demand.

Serve It Right Saskatchewan (SIRS)

  • SIRS is the official provincial responsible service of alcohol program, required for everyone involved in the sale and service of alcohol, including door staff.
  • Course topics include identifying intoxication, handling situations with minors, refusing or discontinuing service, and legal responsibilities and liabilities.
  • Unpaid volunteers at an event under a Special Occasion Permit do not need SIRS; a separate Special Occasions Permit online course exists for volunteers at public special occasions, and it does not allow work in bars, restaurants or retail.
  • A certificate from another province completed within the past five years can be transferred by sending a copy to Tourism Saskatchewan; the SIRS expiry date is then five years after the date on the out-of-province certificate.
  • After passing, download the certificate from your online profile and keep it to show your employer or a liquor inspector.

Checking ID

The 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.

Practise Checking ID questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

s. 111 Proof of age

  • A permittee or employee must demand proof that a person is not a minor if the person appears (or should reasonably appear) to be a minor and is trying to buy alcohol or is in premises where minors are not allowed.
  • If the person fails or refuses to give satisfactory proof, staff must refuse to sell alcohol and ask the person to leave premises where minors are not allowed.
  • A person who refuses to leave after being asked under this section can be fined up to $2,000.
  • Failing to demand proof of age when required is an offence, and so is failing to provide it when asked.
  • Knowingly giving a minor false ID to get into permitted premises is an offence.

Ch. X s. 2 (c) Checking identification

  • SLGA suggests the Check 25 standard: anyone who appears under 25 shows either one government-issued photo ID with a birth date, or three other pieces of ID, at least one with a birth date.
  • Acceptable photo ID (current and valid): photo driver's licence, firearms licence, passport, Armed Forces ID card, government photo ID, landed immigrant photo ID, Certificate of Indian Status.
  • Acceptable secondary ID: post-secondary photo ID card, credit or debit card, birth certificate, or an expired photo ID from the list.
  • Check that the photo is authentic and not substituted, the laminate is not tampered with, the name and birth date are not altered, and the signature matches other ID; comparing it with a known genuine ID, such as your own licence, helps.
  • A cell phone photo of someone's ID is not acceptable.

Appendix, Identifying a Minor and Verifying ID

  • Possible signs of a minor: slight build, very smooth skin or acne, nervousness and lack of eye contact, making excuses for having no ID, rushing, being overly friendly or over-confident, using an older friend's ID, choosing sweet or fruity "gateway" drinks.
  • How to check: ask the person to take the ID out of the wallet and plastic holder, take it and take your time, compare the photo and description, calculate that the birth date shows 19 or older, feel for tampering and ask for another ID if anything is irregular.
  • Saskatchewan driver's licences and ID cards have laser-engraved data (altering it visibly damages the card), fine linework behind the photo, a laser-engraved signature overlapping the photo, a clear window with a mirror-image secondary photo, a raised wave with the birth date and name, and tactile raised fields.
  • Genuine Saskatchewan cards are polycarbonate and make a distinct metallic sound when dropped on a hard surface.

Responsible liquor use (Check 25 and Please Bring Your I.D.)

  • Check 25 raises the number of people asked for ID above those who appear under the legal age of 19.
  • The Please Bring Your I.D. program was developed with the hotel and restaurant industry to reduce minors' access to alcohol.

Ch. III s. 7 Home delivery

  • Alcohol can only be delivered by people 19 or older who hold SIRS; on delivery the customer must show legal ID proving they are not a minor, and alcohol may not be delivered to anyone who appears intoxicated.

Alcohol and impairment

How 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.

Practise Alcohol and impairment questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Alcohol

  • Alcohol is a legal but addictive drug that depresses the central nervous system, affecting mood and behaviour.
  • Blood alcohol content (BAC) is affected by age, gender, physical condition, food eaten, medication and other factors; mixed drinks contain different amounts of alcohol, so count the alcohol, not just the number of drinks.
  • Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly.
  • The first part of the body affected is the brain's judgment and decision-making, starting with the first drink, usually without the drinker noticing; social inhibitions are also reduced.
  • Muscle control is affected next; the small eye muscles are very sensitive, so vision can suffer even at low levels.
  • Most alcohol-related collisions come from faulty identifying, predicting and deciding, not from poor steering or braking.
  • At about .08% BAC: muscle coordination becomes poor (balance, speech, vision, reaction time, hearing), and judgment, self-control, reasoning and memory are impaired.
  • Crash likelihood compared with sober driving: about 11 times at .05–.09% BAC, 48 times at .10–.14% and 380 times at .15% or more. The only truly safe BAC is 0%.
  • Only time removes alcohol; it leaves the body at roughly .015% per hour, so sleeping a few hours does not sober a heavy drinker up.

Drinking and drugs combined

  • One drink = one bottle of regular beer, 5 oz of table wine, 3 oz of fortified wine (port, sherry) or 1.5 oz of hard liquor.
  • Alcohol combined with another drug has a synergistic (multiplying) effect, far greater than the two added together.
  • SGI examples: 2 drinks + an antihistamine cold remedy ≈ 4 to 5 drinks; 2 drinks + one joint ≈ 5 to 6; 2 drinks + a normal dose of Valium ≈ 6; 2 drinks + Gravol ≈ 6.
  • A breath test shows only the alcohol, so the reading understates the real impairment.

effects of alcohol

  • Even at low levels, alcohol affects perception, judgment, coordination and decision-making long before obvious signs of impairment appear.
  • Coffee cannot overcome the effects of alcohol.
  • Guests drink more when they serve themselves; avoid doubles and use a measure to prevent over-pouring.
  • Offer high-protein and carbohydrate foods; salty and greasy snacks make guests thirstier.
  • Stop serving alcohol at least an hour before the event ends and switch to food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Responsible liquor use

  • SLGA supports Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health and promotes standard drink sizes with its Size Matters poster.
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is caused by alcohol use during pregnancy and can cause lifelong learning, behavioural and cognitive difficulties.

Intoxicated patrons

The 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.

Practise Intoxicated patrons questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

ss. 125 and 126

  • No one, including a permittee or employee, may sell or supply alcohol to a person who appears to be intoxicated.
  • No person may be intoxicated in a public place or on permitted premises.
  • Staff may not let a person who appears intoxicated possess or consume alcohol on the premises, or remain there except in line with SLGA's standards.
  • SLGA's administrative penalty range for selling to, or allowing drinking by, a person who appears intoxicated is $1,000 to $10,000 (Permittee Manual Ch. XIII).

Ch. X s. 3 Over serving and intoxicated patrons

  • Common signs of intoxication: staggering, lack of coordination, not understanding simple instructions, overly loud or boisterous behaviour, disorderly appearance, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, wrong speech volume, decreased alertness, noticeably shallow breathing and a strong smell of alcohol on the breath.
  • Personal injury law also requires a permittee to take measures so intoxicated patrons do not injure themselves or others, inside or outside; a permittee can be sued for significant damages.
  • Ways to reduce intoxication: promote food and low-alcohol or non-alcoholic drinks; train door staff to spot early signs and refuse entry to anyone who appears intoxicated; create and enforce house rules.
  • An intoxicated patron may stay temporarily while reasonable arrangements are made for their safety, such as waiting for a taxi or for a friend or family member.
  • Where possible the patron waits in an area with no alcohol service; if in a permitted area, staff must watch them at all times (for example beside a bouncer near the exit).
  • The patron must have no access to alcohol while waiting, including drinks from other patrons.
  • If the patron will not cooperate and may be a risk to themselves or others, contact police.

Ch. X ss. 5 and 13 Monitoring, self-serve and staff drinking

  • Monitoring means frequent or constant watching of the whole establishment before, during and after hours while people are present, so minors, intoxicated people and unruly guests are not served and are not where they are prohibited.
  • There must be enough staff to monitor every area where alcohol is sold or consumed and every patron on arrival, during the stay and at departure.
  • Self-serve beer and wine dispensers (minors-prohibited premises only) require limits based on the number of patrons, direct staff contact before each sale and ongoing monitoring.
  • Patrons may not drink with a vaporizer or any device meant to promote rapid intoxication.
  • Best practice: staff do not drink before or during their duties; staff cannot be intoxicated on shift.
  • Fundraising events: the permittee stays responsible for preventing service to intoxicated people.

Refusing entry and removing patrons

The 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.

Practise Refusing entry and removing patrons questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

s. 122 Refusal to admit entry

  • A permittee or employee may ask any person to leave or forbid any person to enter permitted premises.
  • No one may stay after being asked to leave, or come back before the premises next opens for business.

Ch. X s. 8 Refusal of admission and removal

  • The right to refuse or remove does not allow breaking other laws, such as The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.
  • A person who refuses to leave, or re-enters on the same business day, may be charged by police.
  • Under the Criminal Code a person can be held criminally responsible for excessive force, and personal injury law requires removal without injury to the patron or others; staff may be prosecuted or sued.

ss. 127 and 128

  • Staff may not permit riotous, quarrelsome, violent or disorderly conduct on the premises, and no person may engage in it.
  • A permittee may not allow any activity that is unlawful, harms the orderly operation of the premises, is banned by the municipality or is prohibited by regulation, whether or not the permittee approved it.

Ch. X s. 7 Unruly patrons

  • Staff must keep a high level of control and supervision and must not allow riotous, violent, disorderly or quarrelsome behaviour.
  • Good practice: in-house training, house rules that are communicated and enforced, staff clothing that shows they are on duty, and staff reporting the mood of patrons.
  • Practical steps: post entrance signs with house rules (no weapons; unruly patrons refused service); ask the patron's friends to help; talk firmly but politely; ask the patron to leave and give them the chance without force; call police where warranted; if necessary separate aggressive patrons and remove them at different times or through different exits; hire diplomatic security and door staff; keep a detailed logbook of incidents; support police walk-throughs.

s. 120; Permittee Manual Ch. III s. 11 Capacity

  • No permittee may let a person in once the premises hold the maximum number of persons allowed; each area with its own endorsed capacity counts separately.
  • Capacity comes from the National Fire Code (Maximum Occupant Load Certificate) and includes staff; the certificate or SLGA Capacity Rating Card must be displayed.
  • Adding a patio does not increase the capacity of the main area.

Ch. X s. 11 Illegal activities

  • Examples: selling or using drugs, prostitution, assaults on patrons and carrying dangerous weapons.
  • A permittee is not expected to search actively for illegal activity, but once the permittee or staff become aware of it, they may be held accountable if they do not act.
  • Do not put yourself or staff in danger; usually the right step is to call police. Keep a written record of incidents and actions taken.
  • Prevention ideas: good lighting, staff training, checking washrooms for stashed drugs or weapons after closing, zero-tolerance signs. Call police immediately if you find illegal substances or weapons.

Hours of sale and service

Maximum 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.

Practise Hours of sale and service questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

s. 49 Hours

  • Permittees other than retail stores may sell alcohol from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the following day.
  • On December 31, sales may run from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. on January 1.
  • Retail stores may sell from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. (3:30 a.m. on January 1).
  • A municipality or First Nation (Indian band) may further restrict hours by bylaw.

s. 50 Tolerance period

  • After lawful sale or service ends, the premises must stay open for at least one-half hour, but not longer than one hour, so patrons can finish drinks they were already served. This does not apply to retail stores or special occasion permits.
  • SLGA's penalty range for not keeping the tolerance period is $500 to $10,000.

Ch. III s. 12 and Ch. IV s. 10

  • No patrons may be in a lounge or tavern, and no open alcohol may be anywhere in the establishment, later than 3:00 a.m. (3:30 a.m. on January 1).
  • When service and the tolerance period end in a tavern, all patrons must leave.
  • Taverns may admit patrons from 5:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for food only; no alcohol may be sold, served or consumed then.
  • The permittee, employees and family members (including minors) may be in a tavern for work between 3:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.; no alcohol service then.
  • Sunday Brunch in a restaurant lounge: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with alcohol only from 9:30 a.m.
  • Daily or Sunday Family Dining in a tavern: 9:30 a.m. to midnight.
  • Restaurant delivery orders must leave during business hours and be delivered within the hours alcohol may be sold.
  • An integrated retail store inside a restaurant or tavern may sell sealed alcohol for off-site use until the end of the tolerance period (3:00 a.m.).

Ch. VIII s. 5 Retail store hours

  • Retail stores may set hours between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. (3:30 a.m. on January 1); a co-located store may open at 8:00 a.m. for sealed alcohol but may not sell for on-site drinking before 9:30 a.m.

Ch. X s. 4 Lloydminster

  • Lloydminster follows Alberta time (CST in summer, MST in winter), and permittees there use local time.

Prices, promotions and advertising

SLGA 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.

Practise Prices, promotions and advertising questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Minimum pricing (policies and guidelines page) and Permittee Manual Ch. X s. 14

  • Minimum on-table prices, including Liquor Consumption Tax and GST: spirits $2.25 per ounce; bottled or canned beer $2.25 per 12-ounce container; coolers and bottled pre-mixed drinks $2.25 per 12 oz; draught beer $0.16 per ounce; wine $0.35 per ounce.
  • Lower minimums apply in military and paramilitary messes and veteran canteens (for example $1.00 per ounce of spirits).
  • Above the minimums, the permittee sets its own prices.
  • Two-for-one or similar promotions are allowed only if each serving still meets the minimum price.
  • Daily price changes and happy hour prices are allowed if minimum prices are charged per serving.
  • Coupons may not lower the price below the minimum, multiple coupons cannot be stacked below it, and coupons cannot be exchanged for cash.
  • Prices may not be set by games of chance (wheels, draws, darts).
  • Alcohol must be sold by the serving; "all you can drink" is not allowed.
  • Packages that include alcohol must meet minimum prices; packages without an overnight stay must specify a limited number of servings.
  • Advertising that shows prices below the minimum may lead to sanctions.

Ch. X ss. 6, 9 and 13

  • A patron may not be required to make a minimum alcohol purchase.
  • No one working in the establishment may be paid based on alcohol sales.
  • The permittee may not sell alcohol to another person or group to resell to patrons; at fundraisers only the permittee sells alcohol, and the event may not be promoted as "all you can drink".
  • Alcohol may not be offered as a prize, except in a licensed raffle, and then only handed to the winner in a closed container as they leave.
  • A cover charge or admission ticket may not include alcohol.

Ch. XI Advertising and promotions

  • The Act (s. 134) bars representations promoting alcohol that break SLGA's advertising standards, which apply the CRTC Code for Broadcast Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages to all media.
  • No alcohol advertising within 200 metres of an elementary or secondary school or a place of worship, on buses for minors, or in media aimed mainly at minors. A sign with only the business name is not advertising.
  • Advertising may not promote excessive consumption or prefer a drink because of its higher alcohol content.
  • Most permittees may not accept inducements from manufacturers or suppliers (payments, rebates, renovations, essential furniture, vacations, season tickets, gift cards).
  • Treating: the permittee, a manager or a manufacturer's representative may buy occasional drinks for patrons to promote products, but not for all or most of the patrons, and must sit at the same table; normal rules on minors and intoxication still apply.
  • Free samples on premises may not exceed ½ oz (14.25 mL) of spirits, 2 oz (57 mL) of wine, or 4 oz (114 mL) of beer or cooler.

Serving and handling alcohol

Legal 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.

Practise Serving and handling alcohol questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Ch. X s. 12 Beverage alcohol purchases

  • SLGA is the sole legal supplier of beverage alcohol in Saskatchewan. Commercial permittees must buy from a retail store, a craft alcohol producer's store or off-sale, or an SLGA-approved specialty liquor warehouse (or the former owner's inventory when buying the business).
  • Illegal alcohol includes alcohol bought in other provinces or countries, homemade wine, beer, cider or spirits (including U-Brew/U-Vin products), and alcohol brought in by staff, patrons or the public (except approved bring-your-own wine).
  • Act s. 129: no permittee or employee may have or sell alcohol not purchased from a legal source, sell to a minor, sell during prohibited hours, or serve homemade or U-Brew/U-Vin beer or wine except at an authorized special occasion event.
  • Act s. 116.1: no one may have or consume alcohol in permitted premises other than alcohol the permittee made available (bring-your-own wine excepted).
  • A permittee generally may not be bound by an agreement to sell a particular brand (stadiums, theatres, concert venues and convention centres excepted).

Ch. X s. 13 Dispensing and serving

  • To sell alcohol a permittee also needs a valid licence under The Liquor Consumption Tax Act.
  • Information about the amount of alcohol in each drink must be reasonably available to patrons.
  • Wine, beer, coolers and spirit miniatures may be served in the original container or poured; staff must open the original container before serving.
  • "Marrying" bottles (combining leftovers of the same type into one container) is prohibited.
  • Spirits (except miniatures) must be poured into a glass or other container, never served in the bottle or through a self-serve dispenser; a marked measure or a mechanical or electronic measuring device must be used.
  • A bottle of spirits may be pre-sold to a patron only if it stays under staff control (or in a locked box), staff pour each serving, intoxicated people do not drink, and the open bottle never leaves; an unfinished bottle may be kept for that patron's next visit.
  • Patrons who buy alcohol must drink it in the establishment; staff must stop patrons taking open alcohol outside the permitted area, and leftover alcohol must be destroyed.

Ch. III ss. 5 to 7 Resealing, bring your own wine, take-out and delivery

  • On request, a permittee must reseal at no charge a bottle of wine or cider of at least 500 mL bought there (or wine the customer brought), so the customer can take it home.
  • High-alcohol beer (at least 8.0% alcohol, in an original bottle of at least 500 mL) may also be resealed; draught beer, coolers and spirits cannot be.
  • Resealing uses a flush cork, a twist cap with tamper-evident ring or shrink wrap, or any seal that makes opening obvious; a resealed bottle cannot be reopened at another permitted establishment.
  • Restaurants may allow patrons to bring unopened, commercially produced wine to drink with a meal; the restaurant serves it, may charge corkage, and stays responsible for minors and intoxicated patrons. No bring-your-own wine while operating under a tavern endorsement.
  • Restaurants may sell sealed alcohol with food for takeout or delivery; self-packaged drinks must be sealed, labelled with the brand, amount and alcohol by volume plus other ingredients, and never sold in to-go cups with sipping or straw holes.
  • Home delivery: delivery staff must be 19 or older and SIRS-certified; no passengers while alcohol is in the vehicle; deliver only to a private place in Saskatchewan to someone who is not a minor and not intoxicated, after checking ID.

s. 116.2

  • Where bring-your-own wine is allowed, the permittee must reseal the patron's bottle on request, and the patron may then take it away.

Liability, inspections and penalties

Commercial 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.

Practise Liability, inspections and penalties questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Appendix, Commercial host liability

  • Liability can arise when a patron injures themselves after drinking, when a patron injures a third party (for example in a crash), and when staff injure a patron (for example a bouncer during removal).
  • Jordan House v. Menow (Supreme Court of Canada, 1973): commercial hosts owe a duty of care to patrons, higher for regulars they know, and may have to take positive steps such as calling police or a taxi or placing the patron in a responsible person's care.
  • Stewart v. Pettie (Supreme Court of Canada, 1995): the duty extends to third parties such as other road users; positive steps may include making sure an intoxicated patron does not drive. Where a risk is not foreseeable (the patron left with sober friends), no action may be required.
  • The way a bar is run (for example a busy stand-up bar) is no excuse for not tracking consumption.
  • Saskatchewan cases: a bar can be vicariously liable when staff use unreasonable force removing a patron, and a patron's intoxication is no defence where the bar served the drinks; using no more force than necessary avoids liability.

Ch. XII Inspections

  • SLGA liquor inspectors check compliance, give consultations and training on minors, ID programs, over-service and door security, and investigate complaints from the public, police, fire and health agencies.
  • SLGA prefers voluntary compliance: minor violations may be fixed by immediate corrective action.

Ch. XIII Disciplinary action

  • SLGA may issue a warning, add or change permit terms and conditions, assess an administrative penalty up to $10,000, suspend, or cancel a permit or endorsement.
  • SLGA uses progressive discipline but may move straight to stronger sanctions for serious violations such as over-service or minors.
  • Penalty ranges in the regulations include $1,000–$10,000 for selling or giving alcohol to a minor, $500–$10,000 for failing to demand proof of age, $1,000–$10,000 for serving a person who appears intoxicated, and $500–$10,000 for overcrowding or selling outside legal hours.
  • A permittee may ask the independent Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission to review a sanction within 15 days of the notice; the sanction is usually put on hold pending review.
  • In exceptional cases SLGA can suspend a permit immediately in the public interest, for up to 15 days, with a Commission hearing during that period.
  • After a cancellation, no permit is issued to that person for at least one year, or for the same premises for at least one month.
  • Administrative penalties are separate from court fines. Selling or giving alcohol to a minor can bring a court fine up to $10,000, up to two months in jail, or both; the general penalty is up to $10,000 for an individual, $50,000 for a corporation, up to six months in jail, or both (Act s. 139).
  • SLGA publishes the names of sanctioned permittees quarterly on its website.
  • During a suspension, a bar, tavern or lounge cannot have customers; other operations (such as a restaurant dining area) may stay open without alcohol; VLTs cannot be played (SLGA sanctions FAQ).

Impaired driving and alcohol in public

Saskatchewan'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.

Practise Impaired driving and alcohol in public questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

The Traffic Safety Act (impaired driving)

  • Consequences apply even when a driver is not criminally impaired but exceeds the provincial limits; penalties depend on prior administrative suspensions in the past 10 years and on whether the driver is new or experienced.
  • Zero tolerance for alcohol for new drivers, and zero tolerance for drugs for all drivers.
  • New drivers include anyone 21 or under, Class 7 learners, Class 5 Novice 1 and 2, motorcycle endorsement 6, M1 or M2 riders, people with no licence in the last five years, some out-of-country drivers and restricted drivers.
  • A new driver's first roadside suspension (any alcohol up to .08, or drugs): 60-day licence suspension, 3-day vehicle impoundment and the Driving Without Impairment program; second: 120 days and 7-day impoundment; third: 18 months and 14-day impoundment.
  • Experienced drivers (22 and over, out of the GDL program, Class 5 or higher) with BAC over .04 to .08, or drug-impaired: first 3-day suspension and 3-day impoundment; second 21 days and 7 days; third 90 days, 14 days and a 365-day ignition interlock.
  • Carrying passengers under 16 lengthens the impoundment (and, for experienced drivers, the suspension).

s. 109 Vehicles

  • No one may have, keep, consume or give alcohol in a vehicle, except to transport it from where it was lawfully obtained to a place where it may lawfully be kept or consumed, or in a vehicle with a special use permit (such as a licensed limousine).
  • In a vehicle carrying passengers for hire, transported alcohol must belong to a genuine passenger.
  • Breaking this section: fine up to $2,000, up to two months in jail, or both.

s. 107 Public places

  • No one may have, consume or give alcohol in a public place or anywhere other than a private place or permitted premises, except as the Act and regulations allow.
  • A municipal council, a regional park authority and certain other bodies may designate an outdoor public place where alcohol may be consumed, with posted boundaries; the maximum hours there are the same as for permitted premises.

Responsible liquor use; Responsible Hosting Guide (2026)

  • The Report Impaired Drivers (RID) program encourages the public to call 911 to report a suspected impaired driver.
  • Plan how guests get home: promote designated drivers, keep taxi numbers handy, arrange rides with sober family members, public transit or taxis, or let guests stay overnight.

Written in our own words from: Saskatchewan Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997 and SLGA Commercial Liquor Permittee Policy Manual

FAQ

Serve It Right Saskatchewan study guide: common questions

What is the best way to use this study guide?

Read one topic, then answer that topic's practice questions while the rules are fresh. Note the questions you miss, re-read those notes, and finish with a full 35-question mock exam.

Is this the official SIRS course material?

No. The SIRS course belongs to its operator and we do not copy it. These are our own notes on the public law and SLGA policy the course is built on.

Can I print the study guide?

Yes, with your browser's print command. For practice questions on paper with an answer key, use our printable questions and answers page instead.

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