January  2022

Program Update

Happy New Year! The Responsible Beverage Service Training Program (RBSTP) team would like to wish all of our training providers, servers, licensees, and stakeholders a prosperous and safe 2022!

2021 Year in Review

RBSTP had a busy 2021 that included the launch of our online training provider application on February 23, 2021 (and the Department’s ability to take its first online payment); the Go-Live of compliant server training on April 5, 2021; and the approval of our first online Spanish language RBS training program on December 17, 2021.

To date, we have 7,076 alcohol servers that have been trained and certified in RBS. We also have 26 approved training providers and RBS programs (17 online, 7 in-person, 1 in-house, 1 foreign language: Spanish).

Spanish Language Programs and Spanish Language Exam

RBSTP approved their first online Spanish language RBS training course on December 17, 2021. The alcohol server certification exam is also available in Spanish. We will be approving more Spanish language programs as they are received and processed. The external Approved Training Provider list on the RBS Portal landing page is updated daily at 3:00 a.m. PT.

We are also accepting other foreign language RBS training course applications in addition to Spanish.  If you know a foreign language training provider who has an RBS course or would be interested in developing one, please have them email us at rbstp@abc.ca.gov.

Update to Online Training Provider API

Beginning on February 9, 2022, an updated API for our approved online training providers will be available. GET and POST method parameters are being updated to provide better search result returns.

Training Providers Can Still Apply

An estimated 1,000,000 servers in California will need to be RBS trained and certified by August 31, 2022. There are currently 7,076 certified alcohol servers in the RBS Portal.  If you teach a responsible beverage service training course in California and are not yet approved by the Department, we want you to apply to become an authorized training provider. We strongly encourage non-profit training providers to submit their applications to ensure that RBS training is available and accessible to all servers. For more information on becoming an authorized training provider, please email us at rbstp@abc.ca.gov.

Reminders Regarding Certificates, Paying for RBS Training, and Training Confirmation (Exam Access)

We will not be issuing physical or downloadable certificates of completion. Upon completion of training and the certification exam, the alcohol server will be issued a certification number which is valid for three years. The alcohol server certification number is recorded on the Alcohol Server’s Dashboard in the training history at the bottom of the page of the RBS Portal. Licensees will be able to verify that their servers are RBS certified using the (certification number and the server’s name) as we get closer to the legal requirement for the mandatory statewide training.

Servers must pay $3.00 to the Department as part of their server registration in the RBS Portal. This fee is non-refundable. Additionally, servers may also need to pay a separate fee to the authorized RBS training provider that they select. The cost of RBS training varies depending on the authorized training provider. Questions about training costs, including corporate or group pricing, must be directed to the training provider.  

Training providers have up to 24 hours following training to update a server’s training status in the RBS Portal. Servers whose training status has not been updated within 24 hours of the completed training must follow up with the training provider. When following up with the training provider, the server should be prepared to provide their server ID number. The server ID number is located in the upper left of the server’s dashboard in the RBS portal in the table that reads Server Certificate Details. When emailing the customer service for the training provider, it is encouraged that rbstp@abc.ca.gov is copied in the email. One of the most common reasons why a training provider can be delayed in confirming the server’s training in the RBS Portal is that the server’s last name and server ID number as provided to the training provider do not match what is listed in the RBS Portal. The training provider will reach out to the server to obtain the correct information. Once the correct information is obtained, the training provider will confirm the date training was taken in the RBS Portal, and the server will be granted access to the alcohol server certification exam.

Important Dates

July 1, 2022 – AB 1221 (Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Act) goes into effect. RBS training for alcohol servers and the managers of alcohol servers for ABC On-Premises licensed establishments becomes mandatory.

ABC On-Premises Licensees have 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.

September 1, 2022 – Enforcement of AB 1221 may begin.

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to email us at rbstp@abc.ca.gov.

Contact

For alcohol server registration assistance call (916) 318-6435 or email your local district office:

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