Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training Program

What is the RBS Training Program?

Assembly Bill 1221 (2017) created the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Act with the intention of reducing alcohol-related harm to local communities. The bill required the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to create the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program (RBSTP) to ensure on-premises servers of alcoholic beverages and their managers are educated on the dangers of serving alcohol to minors and over-serving patrons.

Approximately 56,000 ABC licensees have on-premises alcohol sales privileges, which means alcohol can be consumed on site. On-premises locations include, but are not limited to, bars, restaurants, tasting rooms, clubs, stadiums, movie theaters, hotels, and caterers (see full list).

To meet the new training requirement, any on-premises alcohol server or manager must register in the RBS Portal, take training from an authorized RBS Training Provider, and pass the ABC Alcohol Server Certification exam within 30 days of their confirmed training. RBS training courses are offered in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The exam is available in English, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Servers and managers must be certified within 60 days of their first date of employment.

RBS server certifications are valid for three years. Servers must be recertified prior to their expiration date to remain valid. RBS servers and license administrators with an RBS server roster will receive email notifications prior to the server’s expiration date.

Approved Training Provider Disclaimer: The department has certified that the curricula presented by the approved training providers meets the requirements set forth in the California Code of Regulations Title 4 §§162-166. The department’s review is limited to the content required by the aforementioned regulations, therefore, the department cannot confirm the accuracy of any non-regulated content. If you have questions about the accuracy of the information provided by one of the training providers, or object to the manner in which the information was presented, please contact the training provider. Approved training providers are not employees of the department or otherwise affiliated with the department.

Mission of the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program  

Our mission is to ensure effective Responsible Beverage Service training for servers and their managers to curb harm related to underage drinking and the overuse of alcohol in California communities.

Additional Resources

• Approved RBS Regulations Documents
• Program Updates