Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training
Responsible Beverage Service Training educates persons seeking employment or who are currently employed as servers of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption. It aims to provide servers the necessary skills to responsibly serve alcoholic beverages and mitigate alcohol related harm in California communities.
What is the RBS Training Program?
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 to ensure servers and their managers of alcoholic beverages are educated on the dangers of serving alcohol to minors and over-serving alcohol to patrons with the intention of reducing alcohol related harm to local communities. The new mandate creates a new training requirement for an estimated 1,000,000 on-premises alcohol servers, their managers, and licensees beginning in 2021.
Beginning July 1, 2021, any alcohol server and their manager must have a valid RBS certification from an ABC accredited RBS training provider and pass an online ABC administered RBS exam within 60 calendar days from the first date of employment.
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.
Pending RBS Regulation
- Visit our Regulations and Rulemaking page to view pending RBS regulation documents.
- Please email questions or comments about the pending regulation to RBSTPComments@abc.ca.gov.
- Public Comments
Contact
Additional information may be obtained by emailing us at RBSTP@abc.ca.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is RBS training mandatory and do I need a certificate to serve alcohol in California?
RBS training under the requirements of CA Assembly Bill 1221 will become mandatory on July 1, 2021. This new state mandate will require certain alcoholic beverage servers and their managers to successfully complete an ABC approved RBS training program and exam no later than August 31, 2021.
Currently, RBS training is only required if your local government mandates it. If you are required to take an RBS class for employment, contact your employer or local governing body to inquire if there is a specific training provider you must use.
Local jurisdictions may require you to attend an ABC Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) class and receive a LEAD Certificate of Completion. If you are required to attend a LEAD class, you can register for the Online LEAD training or an Instructor-led class presented by an ABC LEAD trainer.
Who must be trained under AB 1221?
Beginning in July 2021, any ABC licensee who has an “ABC On-Premises License” will need to have their staff (alcohol servers and managers of alcohol servers) trained and certified in RBS within sixty (60) days of employment. This includes but is not limited to: restaurants, bars, fast casual dining, tasting rooms (including off-sale locations), hotels, and stadiums.
“ABC On-Premises License” means an ABC license that grants the privilege to serve alcoholic drinks to patrons who then consume them within the licensed premises.
Does AB 1221 apply to entities obtaining daily licenses?
Yes. For events under a daily license, at least one person working the event is required to be RBS trained and certified. The person(s) identified on the one-day application as being RBS trained and certified must remain on-site during the duration of the event. Additionally, the RBS trained and certified person(s) must actively monitor the service of alcoholic beverages to guests at the event and have created policies for the event that mandate and foster responsible alcoholic beverage service.
What is the definition of an alcohol server under AB 1221?
An alcohol server, as defined under AB 1221 includes anyone who does any of the following: (1) checks customer identification for purposes of alcoholic beverage service or entry to an ABC on-premises licensed establishment, (2) takes customer alcoholic beverage orders, (3) pours alcoholic beverages for customers, or (4) delivers alcoholic beverages to customers.
Campaigns
24 Hour Trace Hotline
For law enforcement only
LEAD
Licensee/Server Training