Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training Program
Responsible Beverage Service training teaches servers to responsibly serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption and mitigate alcohol-related harm in California communities. View the RBS requirements and deadlines in our multi-language flyer.
Mandatory RBS Training Deadline: 8/31/22!
Beginning July 1, 2022, any on-premise alcohol server and manager must be certified by an accredited RBS training provider and pass an ABC exam within 60 calendar days from the first date of employment. The current exam is in English, Spanish, and Korean. Exams will soon be offered in Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Hindi, and Punjabi.
What is the RBS Training Program?
Passage of Assembly Bill 1221 in 2017 created the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Act. The bill required the Alcoholic Beverage Control to create the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program (RBSTP) 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 alcohol servers and managers of alcohol servers at an estimated 56,000 ABC licensees with on-premises alcohol sales privileges. The alcohol servers and managers who work at those locations must register with the ABC, be trained, pass an exam, and be certified by August 31, 2022, or 60 days after their first date of employment. The passing of Assembly Bill 82, on June 29, 2020, extended the date in which this requirement is enacted to beginning July 1, 2022. This change was made to alleviate the financial strain on the hospitality industry caused by the COVID-19 state of emergency.
Beginning July 1, 2022, 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.
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.
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For server registration assistance contact your local district office:
Bakersfield
map
4800 Stockdale Highway., Suite 213
Bakersfield CA, 93309
- Phone:
- (661) 395-2731
- Fax:
- (661) 322-5929
- Email:
- Bakersfield@abc.ca.gov
Concord
map
1800 Sutter St., Ste 450
Concord CA , 94520
- Phone:
- (925) 655-6314
- Fax:
- (925) 655-6310
- Email:
- Concord@abc.ca.gov
Eureka
map
1105 Sixth St., Suite C
Eureka CA, 95501
- Phone:
- (707) 445-7229
- Fax:
- (707) 445-6643
- Email:
- Eureka@abc.ca.gov
Fresno
map
1330 B East Shaw Ave.
Fresno CA, 93710-7902
- Phone:
- (559) 225-6334
- Fax:
- (559) 225-8740
- Email:
- Fresno@abc.ca.gov
LA/Metro
map
888 S Figueroa Street, Suite 320
Los Angeles CA, 90017
- Phone:
- (213) 833-6043
- Fax:
- (213) 833-6058
- Email:
- LAMetro@abc.ca.gov
LB/Lakewood
map
3950 Paramount Blvd., Suite 250
Lakewood CA, 90712
- Phone:
- (562) 982-1337
- Fax:
- (562) 982-1396
- Email:
- LongBeach/Lakewood@abc.ca.gov
Monrovia
map
222 E. Huntington Dr., Suite 114
Monrovia CA, 91016
- Phone:
- (626) 256-3241
- Fax:
- (626) 263-9858
- Email:
- Monrovia@abc.ca.gov
Palm Desert
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34-160 Gateway Dr., Suite 120
Palm Desert CA, 92211
- Phone:
- (760) 324-2027
- Fax:
- (760) 324-2632
- Email:
- PalmDesert@abc.ca.gov
Redding
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1900 Churn Creek Rd., Suite 215
Redding CA, 96002
- Phone:
- (530) 224-4830
- Fax:
- (530) 224-9338
- Email:
- Redding@abc.ca.gov
Riverside
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3737 Main Street, Suite 900
Riverside CA, 92501
- Phone:
- (951) 782-4400
- Fax:
- (951) 781-0531
- Email:
- Riverside@abc.ca.gov
Sacramento
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2400 Del Paso Road, Suite 155
Sacramento CA, 95834
- Phone:
- (916) 419-1319
- Fax:
- (916) 419-3994
- Email:
- Sacramento@abc.ca.gov
Salinas
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1137 Westridge Parkway
Salinas CA, 93907
- Phone:
- (831) 755-1990
- Fax:
- (831) 755-1997
- Email:
- Salinas@abc.ca.gov
San Diego
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1350 Front St., Room 5056
San Diego CA, 92101
- Phone:
- (619) 525-4064
- Fax:
- (619) 231-1171
- Email:
- SanDiego@abc.ca.gov
San Francisco
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33 New Montgomery St., Suite 1230
San Francisco CA, 94105
- Phone:
- (415) 356-6500
(415) 356-6501
(415) 356-6502
(415) 356-6503 - Fax:
- (415) 356-6599
- Email:
- SanFrancisco@abc.ca.gov
San Jose
map
100 Paseo de San Antonio, Room 119
San Jose CA, 95113
- Phone:
- (408) 277-1200
- Fax:
- (408) 971-9421
- Email:
- SanJose@abc.ca.gov
San Luis Obispo
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3220 S. Higuera St., Suite 103A
San Luis Obispo CA, 93401
- Phone:
- (805) 543-7183
- Fax:
- (805) 543-3814
- Email:
- SanLuisObispo@abc.ca.gov
San Marcos
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570 Rancheros Drive, Suite 240
San Marcos CA, 92069
- Phone:
- (760) 471-4237
- Fax:
- (760) 471-6142
- Email:
- SanMarcos@abc.ca.gov
Santa Ana
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2 MacAurthur Place, Suite 200
Santa Ana CA, 92707
- Phone:
- (657) 205-3533
- Fax:
- (657) 205-3520
- Email:
- SantaAna@abc.ca.gov
Santa Rosa
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50 D Street, Room 130
Santa Rosa CA, 95404
- Phone:
- (707) 576-2165
- Fax:
- (707)527-9537
- Email:
- SantaRosa@abc.ca.gov
Stockton
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31 E. Channel St., Room 168
Stockton CA, 95202
- Phone:
- (209) 948-7739
- Fax:
- (209) 546-7853
- Email:
- Stockton@abc.ca.gov
Van Nuys
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6150 Van Nuys Blvd., Room 220
Van Nuys CA, 91401
- Phone:
- (818) 901-5017
- Fax:
- (818) 785-6731
- Email:
- VanNuys@abc.ca.gov
Ventura
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1000 South Hill Road, Suite 310
Ventura CA, 93003
- Phone:
- (805) 289-0100
- Fax:
- (805) 289-0110
- Email:
- Ventura@abc.ca.gov
For training provider and general program assistance contact:
RBSTP Team
3927 Lennane Drive, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95834
Email: rbstp@abc.ca.gov
Translation Services
Email: eeo@abc.ca.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
As an on-premises licensee, what are the important dates that I need to know to be in compliance with the new law?
ABC approved RBS training and certification will be mandatory for alcohol servers and their managers beginning July 1, 2022.
ABC On-Premises Licensees have sixty (60) days from July 1, 2022 to have their staff trained and certified by an approved RBS training provider. This includes the successful completion of an ABC administered RBS exam.
Where can I find approved RBS training providers?
As of Monday, March 29, 2021, ABC will begin approving AB 1221 compliant RBS training courses from a variety of approved RBS training providers. The Department will be adding additional training provider courses as they are approved. Servers may search for approved RBS training providers via the RBS Portal.
Is there a cost for the RBS exam?
The exam costs $3 and is included as part of your registration in the RBS Portal. Once training is confirmed by a training provider, you will have three attempts within 30 days to pass the exam with a 70% or better. If you do not pass, you will be required to retake training, pay another $3 exam fee, and pass the exam.
How do I get a copy of my RBS certification?
ABC is not issuing physical or downloadable RBS certificates. Once you complete training and pass your certification exam, your status on your dashboard will be updated to Certified. Your Server ID number and status are located in the “Server Certificate Details” box on your server dashboard.
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