ABC’s Responsible Beverage Service Program Passes 600,000 Servers, Approaches Initial Three-Year Recertification Deadline

Sacramento – The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s (ABC) Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) program recently surpassed 600,000 certified servers, continuing to educate Californians on the dangers of providing alcohol to minors and over-serving customers.

Assembly Bill 1221, signed into law in 2017, created the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Act with the intention of reducing alcohol-related harm to local communities. The bill required ABC to create a program to ensure on-premises servers of alcoholic beverages and their managers are educated on the risks of serving alcohol and related responsible practices.

As of May 1, 2025, 608,839 alcohol servers and managers have been trained and certified in responsible beverage service within California. Because RBS certification lasts three years, ABC is encouraging those who initially signed up for the start of the program in the summer of 2022 to recertify by August 31, 2025 in order to stay up to date with the regulations.

RBS training is legally required for servers and managers of establishments with on-sale ABC licenses, which account for approximately 56,000 ABC-licensed businesses. If you’re a server, get certified in the RBS Portal, which has the tools you need to ensure compliance with the mandatory RBS training requirements.

Once a server takes the RBS training, they must pass their exam within 30 days. RBS certification is valid for three years and must be recertified prior to expiration. Training is offered in multiple languages.

If you are a new alcohol server, have not yet obtained certification or are looking to recertify, please visit RBS page.

Contact

Additional information may be obtained by contacting:

Public Information Office
3927 Lennane Drive, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95834
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (916) 419-2525

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