Over 300,000 alcohol servers and their managers who work at on-sale premises licensed by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) have registered to get trained and certified under the mandatory Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training Program Act of 2017, also known as Assembly Bill (AB)1221Opens in new window.
Thousands of alcohol servers and their managers are registering on the ABC’s RBS Portal each day so they can take training from approved RBS training providers and complete the ABC exam to get certified. The deadline set by the California Legislature is August 31, or 60 days after the first day of employment. As the deadline approaches, ABC will continue with an education-first approach to provide information to licensees and their employees to help them achieve compliance with the new law.
“Responsible Beverage Service Training will help prevent underage drinking and alcohol-related traffic collisions throughout the state and can help make communities safer for all Californians,” said ABC Director Eric Hirata. “ABC’s goal is to gain statewide compliance with the new law. The Department will take an educational approach towards businesses who have not met the requirement.”
Alcohol servers are defined as anyone employed at an ABC on-premises licensed establishment who is responsible for checking identifications, taking customer orders, or pouring or delivering alcoholic beverages. An ABC on-premises licensed establishment is any business in California that serves alcohol for consumption on site such as a bar, restaurant, winery, brewery, or distillery with on-sale privileges.
RBS Training and Certification is a Three-Step Process:
- Register with ABC as a Server on the RBS Portal
- Take RBS training from an approved RBS Training Provider
- Return to the RBS Portal to take ABC’s alcohol server certification exam.
The RBS Portal allows servers and managers to complete these steps. They can register as a server, search for training providers, and complete the exam all in one place.
The RBS law requires alcohol servers and their managers at over 56,000 ABC licensed businesses to register with ABC, be trained by an ABC-approved RBS training provider, and pass an ABC exam with a score of 70% or higher.
The Department has provided Frequently Asked Questions to assist those in the alcoholic beverage industry who must meet the mandatory alcohol server requirements under AB1221. ABC has also set up an RBS Centralized Support System to assist alcohol servers and managers of servers if they are experiencing technical difficulties as they navigate the RBS certification process. They can call 916-318-6435 to receive assistance. ABC encourages licensees, alcohol servers, and their managers to continue providing input about the process to become RBS certified, so ABC can keep making improvements to better serve them.
The Department recently announced the approval of Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training providers who are now providing training in Korean, Chinese (Traditional), and Chinese (Simplified). The new training providers give access to alcohol servers and managers who speak Korean and Chinese and can help them become RBS certified. RBS training is also available in English and Spanish. ABC has approved over 50 RBS training providers and continues to review other training provider applications.
ABC is encouraging any prospective RBS training providers to submit their applications to ABC on the RBS Portal. ABC reviews the trainer applications to determine if they meet the mandatory training standards for certification to train servers to serve alcohol safely, responsibly, and meet the mandatory training requirements under Assembly Bill 1221, the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Act of 2017.
Additionally, the RBS exam is now available in eight languages including English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Hindi, and Punjabi.
ABC protects communities through education and by administering prevention and enforcement programs designed to increase compliance with California’s alcoholic beverage laws.
ABC is a Department of the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency.