Hire bartenders in Chicago
Hiring bar staff in Chicago is mostly straightforward; the licensing underneath it is not. Most venues must stop serving at 2 a.m., and a Late Hour licence extends that only to 4 a.m. on weeknights and 5 a.m. on Sunday, so your finish time is often set by the venue's licence rather than by your plans. If the space has an Outdoor Patio licence, that area closes at 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday, and a Late Hour licence does not extend it. Settle who holds the licence covering your event before you book anybody to pour.
Local rules worth knowing
Rules change and have exceptions, and venues often add their own conditions on top. Treat this as a starting point and confirm with your venue and the relevant authority.
Legal closing time is 2 a.m., or later with a Late Hour licence
The City gives 2:00 a.m. as the legal closing time, with a Late Hour License permitting sale until 4:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday and 5:00 a.m. on Sunday. Your bar's end time is a property of the venue's licence, so confirm it before agreeing hours with staff.
Source: City of Chicago liquor licencesOutdoor patios close earlier, and Late Hour does not extend them
A licensed Outdoor Patio must close by 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday. The City is explicit that a Late Hour licence does not extend patio hours, so an outdoor bar can be required to shut hours before the indoor one.
Source: City of Chicago liquor licencesIllinois runs a state server-certification programme
Alcohol server training in Illinois is handled through BASSET, administered by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, which also publishes a card lookup and a directory of approved trainers. Requirements and who they apply to are set by the state — check the ILCC's own page for the current position rather than relying on a third-party summary.
Source: Illinois Liquor Control Commission — BASSET
Booking bartenders around Chicago
- Venues with separate indoor and patio licences. Two spaces can have two different closing times at the same event. Staff the indoor bar for the later finish and plan the patio to wind down first, rather than discovering it mid-evening.
- Private and unlicensed spaces. A loft or gallery with no liquor licence is a different proposition from a licensed venue, and the licensing route has its own lead time. Resolve it before hiring anyone, because no bartender can shorten it.
- Dry precincts and moratorium areas. The City notes that dry precincts and moratorium areas can prevent a liquor licence being issued at all. If a venue is coy about its licence, that is worth asking about directly.
- Suburban venues. Evanston, Oak Park and neighbouring municipalities license alcohol under their own rules, so a venue just outside the city limits will not follow Chicago's hours.
When bartenders are hardest to book here
- December, when corporate party season concentrates demand for bar staff into a few weeks
- Saturdays across the late-spring to early-autumn wedding season
- Events needing a cocktail menu, which takes more staff per guest than beer and wine
Frequently asked questions
What time does the bar have to close in Chicago?
The City gives 2:00 a.m. as the legal closing time. A Late Hour License permits sale until 4:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday and 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, but not every venue holds one. Because the limit belongs to the venue's licence rather than to your event, confirm it before you agree hours with staff.
Can we keep the outdoor bar open as late as the indoor one?
Usually not. A licensed Outdoor Patio must close by 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday, and the City states a Late Hour licence does not extend patio hours. Plan for the patio to close first rather than treating both spaces as one bar.
Does our bartender need certification in Illinois?
Illinois runs server training through the BASSET programme, administered by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, which publishes a card lookup so you can verify a certification. Requirements are set at state level and have changed over time, so check the ILCC page for the current position rather than a training vendor's summary.
Who holds the licence if our venue has none?
That has to be settled before anything else, because it is the part of a bar booking that cannot be rushed and the event cannot legally proceed without it. The City's Business Affairs and Consumer Protection department can confirm which licence applies to your situation.
Other services in Chicago
Criadiv covers the whole United States. This page is about Chicago, IL specifically — for the general guide, see hiring bartenders. We also serve Evanston, Oak Park, Skokie, Berwyn, Cicero.
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