What is the RBS Training Program?
Assembly Bill 1221, passed in 2017, established the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Act to help minimize alcohol-related incidents in local areas. This legislation directed the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to develop the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program (RBSTP), aimed at teaching on-site alcohol servers and their supervisors about the risks associated with providing alcohol to underage individuals and overserving customers.
Around 56,000 ABC license holders possess privileges for on-premises alcohol sales, allowing consumption at the location. These venues encompass, among others, bars, restaurants, tasting rooms, clubs, stadiums, movie theaters, hotels, and catering services, etc.
To comply with the updated training mandate, every on-premises alcohol server or manager needs to sign up in the RBS Portal, complete a course from an approved RBS Training Provider like RBS California, and successfully complete the ABC Alcohol Server Certification exam no later than 30 days after finishing the training. Courses for RBS training are available in English, Chinese, Spanish. The certification exam can be taken in English, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Certification must be obtained within 60 days from the start of employment.
Certifications for RBS servers remain active for three years. To stay compliant, servers must renew their certification before it expires. Those with RBS server rosters, including servers and license administrators, will get email alerts ahead of the expiration date.
The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has verified the educational materials from RBS California align with the standards outlined in California Code of Regulations Title 4, Sections 162-166.
