In accordance with the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) policy, this page outlines how students can host events involving alcohol in alignment with university policy and procedures. The AOD policy applies to undergraduate students, student organizations, and quad councils. Federal, state, and local laws apply.
Guidelines for Events Involving Alcohol
- Determine the type of event involving alcohol you would like to have (only one type per event)
- Licensed service
- Bring your own (BYO)
- Host provided
- Reserve space, if required, for the type of event you are hosting using SpaceFinder.
Some smaller spaces in residence halls do not require reservation. Check with your RC for more information.--If you are expecting more than 25 people at your event or are using student organization funds continue below--
- Register your event on Duke Groups
Your event confirmation will provide you with next steps based on the location of your event.
Types of Events
Definition
Venues that currently hold a liquor license and serve alcohol with no additional service charge
Spaces
Examples include:
- Crown Commons
- The Landing & Patio
Notes
- Liquor and wine must be arranged through Duke Dining and served in accordance with the venue license
Definition
Guests aged 21 and older can bring up to six canned beverages. Beverages must be less than 5% alcohol by volume (ABV).
Spaces
- Indoor and outdoor spaces reserved on SpaceFinder
- Residential common spaces (restricted to campus residents)
Notes
- No additional common source alcohol is permitted (including BORGs)
- Host cannot provide alcohol for BYO events, including kegs*
Definition
Utilizing Duke Dining or a third-party vendor to offer bar service at the event and/or providing beer through a keg*.
Spaces
- Indoor and outdoor spaces reserved on SpaceFinder
- Residential common spaces (restricted to campus residents)
Notes
- No additional common source alcohol is permitted (including BORGs)
- Guests cannot bring their own alcohol to host-provided events
- No more than one keg per 50 guests
*Licensed kegs (i.e. kegs obtained from a licensed retailer such as a brewery or ABC) are only allowed for gatherings over 50 people in specific locations.
Event Planning Requirements
- Social Hosts are members of the Duke community that are required to be present at all undergraduate on-campus events with more than 25 attendees where alcohol is present.
- Social Hosts are sober, active bystanders that assist in promoting safe, social behaviors to ensure that the event ends well for all those attending.
- Hosts who choose to provide kegs for their event are required to have completed the social host training and will be provided resources for proper monitoring of the distribution of alcohol to guests.
- Click here to register for a social host workshop.
Guest to social host ratio:
- 1-25 guests = 1 social host
- 26-50 guests = 2 social hosts
- 51-75 guests = 3 social hosts
- 76-100 guests = 4 social hosts
- Food and non-alcohol beverages are required to be provided at events involving alcohol.
- Students can purchase food through Duke Dining for their social event or through a third-party of their choosing when allowed per location use policies.
Related University & Event Policies
- No events involving alcohol during orientation week
- Events involving alcohol for the first week of the fall semester are required to
- be invite-only events for those of age
- utilize on-campus venues that can support licensed service
- create a secure perimeter in an approved on-campus location that can support a licensed vendor
- Events involving alcohol are permitted in Housing & Residence Life (HRL) spaces beginning the second week of classes
- Individual and student group events involving alcohol may not be allowed on certain dates based on University Calendar/Events
- (at this time, this includes LDOC, Final Four or National Championships, any date after the last day of undergraduate classes)
- Amplified Sound Policy and HRL noise ordinance for outdoor events will be enforced.
- For specific information about use policy and reservation requirements for specific spaces please visit SpaceFinder
- Events involving alcohol should
- not be scheduled during typical class times
- refrain from using alcohol in the name or as a recruitment element for the event
- be limited to no more than 4 hours in length
- conclude prior to 2AM
- Graduate and Professional Students should
- reference their school bulletin policies for specific regulations regarding alcohol at graduate events
- refer to GPSG's alcohol policy
Periodic updates to this page can be made as needed.