Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training

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.

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 the date of initial employment.  This 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 both training by an ABC approved training provider and passed the alcohol server certification exam (hosted by ABC). Once the server has successfully completed both the training and exam, their certification is valid for 3 years. The alcohol server certification must be renewed prior to its expiration to remain valid.

“ABC On-Premises License” means an ABC license that grants the privilege to serve alcoholic beverages to customers who then consume them within the licensed premises.

The following license types have On-Premises privileges: Type 1, 2, 3, 4, 23, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47,  48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55,  56, 57,  58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78,  80, 83, 86, 87, 88.

Yes.   For anyone obtaining a daily on-sale license, at least one person who will be present at the event and overseeing the alcohol service will be 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.

The 60-day grace period exemption for not having an alcohol server certification is not applicable to daily licenses.

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.