What is California Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training?
Effective July 1, 2022, all alcohol servers and their managers must have valid RBS certifications from an ABC-accredited RBS training provider and pass an online ABC-administered RBS exam. New employees must complete this training within 60 calendar days from the first date of employment.
The California ABC’s mission is to ensure effective RBS training for servers and their managers to curb harm related to underage drinking and the overuse of alcohol within California communities.
Whether you're a new hire or a manager, you'll need to complete this certification within 60 days of starting your role. You can even get your California RBS certification online. Read on for more details.
What Does RBS Stand For?
The passage of Assembly Bill 1221 in 2017 created the Responsible Beverage Service Training Act. The bill required the Alcoholic Beverage Control to create the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program (RBSTP).
This program ensures that servers of alcoholic beverages and their managers learn the dangers of serving alcohol to minors and over-serving alcohol to patrons. This program reduces alcohol-related harm within communities. This new mandate created a new training requirement for an estimated 1,000,000 on-premises alcohol servers, their managers, and licensees.
How Do I Get My California RBS Certification?
Getting your California RBS certification is a straightforward online process you can complete at your own pace in just a few hours. Here are the steps:
- Register on the California RBS Portal: Create an account and complete the online application for RBS certification. Pay the $3.00 application fee and write down your Server ID number from the Server Certificate Details section. You'll need it to enroll in a course.
- Complete your RBS training course: Enroll in an RBS alcohol training course from an ABC-accredited provider like us. The course is self-paced and can be completed online in 2–4 hours.
- Pass the ABC-administered exam: Within 48 hours of completing your course, you'll receive an email from the California RBS portal with access to the state exam. You must complete the exam within 30 days and pass with a score of 70% or above. Your certification is then valid for three years.
How Long Does California RBS Certification Take?
The RBS training course itself takes approximately 2–4 hours to complete online at your own pace through an ABC-accredited provider. After finishing the course, you'll have up to 30 days to take and pass the state-administered ABC exam. Once certified, your RBS certification is valid for three years, after which you'll need to renew by completing the course and exam again to remain compliant.
How Much Does California RBS Training Cost?
The cost to obtain RBS certification varies across providers. The state charges $3.00 for the exam when you register on the RBS portal.
California ABC-approved RBS Training courses can range from $8.95 for a basic level course to slightly higher for a premium course, like our California RBS Training, which helps participants develop intervention skills. Once training is completed and relayed back to the state, you will have access to take the ABC-administered RBS exam. You will have three (3) attempts to complete the exam with a score of 70% or better.
Who Needs California RBS Certification?
Any ABC licensee who has an “ABC On-Premises License” will need to have their staff trained and certified in RBS. This includes anyone who serves, pours, or manages alcohol at a California on-premise ABC-licensed establishment. This classification of licensee includes, but is not limited to, restaurants, bars, fast-casual dining, tasting rooms (including off-sale locations), hotels, and stadiums.
RBS certification means that the alcohol server has successfully completed training by an ABC-approved training provider and passed the alcohol server certification exam (hosted by ABC). Once the server passes the training and exam, certification is valid for three (3) years. The alcohol server certification must be renewed before it expires to remain compliant.
What Is the Definition of ‘Alcohol Server’ Under AB 1221?
An alcohol server, as defined under AB 1221 includes anyone who does any of the following:
- Checks customer identification for purposes of alcoholic beverage service or entry to an ABC on-premises licensed establishment;
- Takes customer alcoholic beverage orders;
- Pours alcoholic beverages for customers; or
- Delivers alcoholic beverages to customers.
Does a Manager Need RBS Certification in California?
Yes. Managers of ABC-licensed establishments are required to obtain RBS certification in California, just like the servers they oversee. Because managers may need to step in to check IDs at the door or serve behind the bar during busy nights or emergencies, they fall under the same certification requirements as alcohol servers. Both managers and servers must complete RBS training from an ABC-approved provider and pass the online ABC-administered RBS exam within 60 days of hire.
If your role also involves food safety oversight, you may also want to consider obtaining a food manager certificate to round out your compliance credentials.
Do Security Personnel Need to Be RBS Certified?
Considering the duties of a security guard don’t typically include taking orders or serving drinks, you might wonder “Does a bouncer need to be RBS certified?” The answer to that would be it depends on the job duties.
As we mentioned above, Assembly Bill 1221 defines an alcohol server as anyone that is employed at an ABC on-premises licensed establishment who is responsible for checking identifications, taking customer orders, and pouring or delivering alcoholic beverages. So, if a bouncer or security guard is tasked with checking patrons IDs at the door, they would technically be considered an alcohol server according to California law. Security guards that do not check IDs do not have to be RBS certified.
How Can an Employer Check RBS Certification Status?
Checking to see if someone is RBS certified is simple if you have a license administrator account. Using your account, you can check their certification status by searching their Server ID number and last name as it appears in the RBS Portal. This information should be available immediately after your employee completes training and passes the ABC Alcohol Server Certification Exam because their RBS certification status will be updated to certified.
How Many Days Does a New Hire Have to Get RBS Certified?
Anyone defined as a server under California law must pass the final exam and be RBS certified within 60 days of being employed.
Get Your California RBS Certification With Learn2Serve
Ready to take the next step? Getting your California RBS Certification is a simple online process you can complete in just a few hours. Register on the California RBS Portal, enroll in an ABC-accredited training course, and pass the state-administered exam with a score of 70% or above. Once certified, you're covered for three years before renewal is required. Get started today!
