STATE APPROVED & PREFERRED CALIFORNIA RBS CERTIFICATION
In 3 Easy Steps, get your California RBS Certification with our state-approved and preferred RBS Training from Serving Alcohol. As of 2022, our ABC RBS training California course has been newly approved by the California Alcoholic Beverage Control in both English and Spanish. If you are asking how to get a California bartending license online, we are the answer as the top preferred ABC-accredited California RBS training provider.
Since 2012, we have been a California state-approved Responsible Beverage Service training provider instructing staff members on recent California alcohol laws. We have over 35 years of experience with alcohol certification for hundreds of thousands of people. If you need help with your California bartending license, our USA-based support staff will respond and resolve your issue within minutes.
How To Get RBS Certification
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Register to get your RBS Server ID in the state's RBS portal (includes managers of alcohol servers). |
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Take our California RBS Training course online in English or Spanish. |
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Take the final exam in your RBS account after completing the course |
The course can be completed within 2 hours or less. We easily guide you on how to become a bartender in California with our self-paced course. Start now and get your RBS certificate today.
- Online interactive and self-paced training is accessible on computers, laptops, or mobile devices.
- 24/7 USA-based fast and knowledgeable customer support team
Click the link below for step-by-step instructions to get your California RBS fast today.
Our team believes providing responsible alcohol training is more than just a basic notion, it's a responsibility and livelihood that we take very seriously. Our courses are developed by trained professionals with over 35 years of experience to ensure maximum impact on your staff and business. We are also proud to have a responsive and highly knowledgeable support team based in the United States. They are available 7 days a week to answer any questions you may have. Our customers regularly tell us how much they appreciate it, and it is a big reason why they come back year after year.
What Is My RBS Server ID
You MUST have a California RBS Server ID number from the state to serve alcoholic beverages. Register yourself in the state's ABC RBS portal to get your 9-digit RBS Server ID before starting the RBS alcohol course: https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov. Your Server ID number and status are located in the “Server Certificate Details” box in your RBS Server dashboard. As of September 2022, you cannot serve alcoholic beverages in the state of California without it.
You will need to enter your Server ID number before taking a state-approved training course. After you complete our training, we automatically submit your course completion to your California RBS portal account. That grants you access to take the final exam to be California ABC RBS certified.
We've even been recognized by Bar and Restaurant Magazine, and invited to speak at regulatory conversations concerning up-to-date industry changes. We believe that our training is of superior quality because it's created using years of in-the-field experience and continuous training, all with a focus on keeping employees, businesses, and their surrounding communities safe and prosperous.
What Is RBS Certification
RBS stands for Responsible Beverage Service. Many states have adopted their own responsible training certification programs. As of 2022, the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control requires anyone who serves alcoholic beverages to be ABC RBS certified. Previously, the state had not required alcohol certification to know California alcohol laws. But, that has officially changed.
How Long Does California RBS Training Take
Our online RBS alcohol certification course is self-paced. For most people, the course along with the ABC RBS exam takes approximately one to two hours to complete.
Who Should Take Our ABC-Accredited RBS Training
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- Bartenders
- Servers & Wait Staff
- Barbacks
- Door Security Guard
- Restaurant and Bar Supervisors
- Restaurant and Bar Managers
- Restaurant & Bar Owners
- Nightclub Bartenders / Servers / Managers
- Any Person Who Serves Alcoholic Beverages
Staff members who serve or handle food should be California Food Handler certified as well.
Business Account
Certify Staff with 15% Discount
Easily Train & Track Their Progress
Is A California Bartending License Required
Yes. As of July 1st, 2022, the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control does require anyone who serves alcoholic beverages as a California bartender, server, waiter, or manager to take a California RBS course with an ABC-accredited alcohol training provider like Serving Alcohol.
How Long Is California RBS Certification Good For
Upon completing our course and passing the RBS exam through the California RBS portal, your California alcohol server certification will be valid for 3 years.
For answers to frequently asked questions about California RBS Training, read our California RBS Training FAQ page.
ANAB-Accredited Online
California Food Handler Card
Not available for
Riverside County & San Bernardino
Only $10.00
Do You Need A License To Be A Bartender In California
Yes. As of September 1st, 2022, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control law requires establishments not to employ or continue to employ any alcohol server within the state without valid and state-approved California RBS training. Bartenders, servers, waiters, and managers who are newly employed are required to complete an approved California RBS alcohol certification within 60 days of hire.
Click the link below for step-by-step instructions to get your RBS certification.
California Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Server Instructions
RBS Training Program Answers For Exam
This online California RBS training meets the requirements of the Responsible Beverage Server Training Act, AB 1221.
What Happens If I Fail The California RBS Exam
After you complete the course, you will need to take your final exam in your ABC RBS portal account on the state website. You have 3 chances to pass the exam. If you happen to fail all 3 attempts, as stated in RBS state requirements, you will be required to retake the training course and pay an additional $3.00 application fee in your RBS portal. But, you do not need to pay twice for our course. We prefer that no one overpays to be responsible alcohol certified. If you need help, we strive to respond and resolve your trouble within a few minutes with our USA-based support team.
What Are The Other Fees To Get Your RBS Certificate
The state of CA requires students to pay $3 for a final exam. Registering yourself and paying the state's fee through their website gives you the Server ID. Students are required to obtain an RBS number or Server ID from the state. The final exam is provided on the CA RBS website after your course is completed through our approved course.
Do Bouncers Need To Be RBS Certified
Yes, security personnel need to be RBS certified. “Serving alcoholic beverages for consumption” applies to any server at a licensed premises and security guards checking IDs at the door of a licensed premises. Security guards who do not check IDs do not have to be RBS certified. This will require careful structuring of personnel by security services and by large venue employers.
California RBS Alcohol Server Training
Our CA RBS training course strictly follows the guidelines provided by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control on how to become a bartender in California. This certification course is often referred to as CA responsible beverage server training, California bartending license, RBS server permit, or California alcohol certification. This course is needed and required for all servers, bartenders, and managers within the state who serve alcoholic beverages. It is also required of the security staff or bouncers who check the IDs of those patrons of alcohol-serving establishments. Our alcohol server certification incorporates decades of research. It answers questions such as how old do you have to be to serve alcohol in California. Our CA bartending license course gives you the rules, regulations, and liquor license California laws set by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
For more answers to frequently asked questions concerning the new California RBS Training, read our California RBS Training FAQ page.
Certificate Of Completion
At the conclusion of the training course, you will be given a pre-test and then you should log in to your ABC server account to take the final exam with the state. You have 30 days from the training completion date to take your exam. You will complete the exam in your state Alcohol Server account at the RBS Training Program state website. They will issue you your certification. There is no printable certificate.
How Can The Licensee Check If A Person Is RBS Certified
Employers will be able to check and confirm certification via the Licensee Login on the RBS Portal. If you have questions regarding the exam or certification, you will need to contact the state directly at rbstp@abc.ca.gov
California Responsible Beverage Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Step 1: REGISTER WITH THE CALIFORNIA ABCAll servers and managers must create a personal RBS account in the state's RBS website. You MUST have a 9-digit RBS server ID. They have a $3 fee to create your account and give you the required server ID. Click here for RBS Portal: https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov/ Watch this short video to learn how to become a registered server or manager. |
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Step 2: COMPLETE APPROVED RBS TRAINING COURSEEnroll Now and begin your RBS training course here. We are an approved and recommended CA RBS training provider. |
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Step 3: PASS STATE EXAMAfter completing the course, return to your RBS account on the state's website to take the exam for your certification. Completion of our course triggers the RBS portal to begin taking your exam.
You MUST take the exam within 30 days of completing the course. You have 3 attempts to retake the exam if needed. |
To register as an alcohol server (including managers of alcohol servers), create an account in the RBS Portal (https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov). Once an account has been created, you will need to select and complete the Server Registration form. There is a $3.00 fee for the registration process. Watch a short video to learn how to become a registered server or manager. (https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov) You will need your RBS server ID issued by the RBS portal to take an approved course.
Click Sign In at the top of the website to return to your California RBS Training course.
Return to the state's RBS portal website. The RBS portal is where you get your server ID and take the final exam to get certified.
For your California RBS Training course, click this link and fill in your registered email address. Our system will immediately email a new login password. If you do not see a response from us in your email inbox, be sure to check your spam or junk filter. Forgot Your Password? If you do not get your new password or have trouble using it, please feel free to send us a quick message through our Contact Us webpage.
Beginning July 1, 2022, any alcohol server and their manager must have a valid RBS certification from an ABC accredited RBS training provider like Serving Alcohol and pass an online ABC administered RBS exam within 60 calendar days from the first date of employment. It is important to note that all employers will require all servers and bartenders to complete our approved California Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) alcohol training certification per the state of California.
The passage of Assembly Bill 1221 in 2017 created the Responsible Beverage Service Training Act. The new mandate creates a new training requirement for an estimated 1,000,000 on-premises alcohol servers, their managers, and licensees beginning in mid-2021. (https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov)
Your Server ID is in the “Server Certificate Details” box within your RBS portal dashboard (https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov). It is called “ID Number” and is a nine-digit number.
Yes. Prior to March 29, 2021, none of the responsible beverage service training providers currently offering services in California were ABC approved for the required statewide mandate. Serving Alcohol Inc. was state approved for RBS certification training as of February 2022. (https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov)
We are offering our approved RBS certification course for free for those who previously took our California alcohol seller server course after January 1st, 2021. You must use the same email address that you used for our previous course to get enrolled for free. If you need our help, just use our Contact Us web page and send us a quick message. We strive to reply by email and resolve any issues within 2 hours or less. Often, it's within the hour.
The cost of your RBS account and to take the exam on the state's RBS website is $3. You must also take an outside-approved California RBS Training course like ours for an additional cost. You will not be allowed to take the exam until the course is completed. When your training course has been completed and confirmed in your RBS account, your account will automatically be triggered to offer exam access.
In your RBS account, you will have 3 attempts to pass the exam with a 70% or better. If you do not pass the exam after 3 attempts, you are required to retake the training course and pay $3 again for another 3 attempts to pass the exam.
You MUST take the exam within 30 days of completing our course.
The state will not be issuing physical or downloadable RBS certificate. Upon completion of training and the RBS certification exam, the alcohol server will be issued a certification number from the RBS portal 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. (https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov)
Licensees and managers 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.
The Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training certification is valid for 3 years from the date of issuance.
The state RBS portal use digital certificates (https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov). Your servers can provide you with a screenshot of their server dashboard. We are adding the ability to allow you to confirm your staff’s status through the portal, but that feature is not yet available. We expect it to be available in late spring.
- After the purchase of the course, we provide a downloadable PDF of our RBS training that details our ABC approved RBS training course. You can use this downloadable course material to assist you while taking your RBS exam. It's also a great source to keep and reference anytime of our RBS training course knowledge of our approved RBS training course.
- The downloadable PDF is available from our instructions page before beginning the course & from a button in the menu of your course.
- Your are authorized to use our downloadable PDF to help assist you during the exam as it is an open-book test.
Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training educates people seeking employment or those who are currently employed as servers of alcoholic beverages at on-premises licensed locations. It provides servers with the necessary knowledge and skills to responsibly serve alcoholic beverages to avoid causing alcohol related harm to their communities.
Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) is ABC’s free voluntary prevention and education program for off-sale licensees and their employees. LEAD provides practical information on selling alcoholic beverages safely, responsibly and legally, and preventing illicit drug activity on or around their licensed establishment.
Although some local governments currently require servers working in their jurisdictions to attend a LEAD course, the ABC LEAD program will not fulfill the requirements mandated by AB-1221 and will not qualify as an ABC approved RBS Training when the new training mandate goes into effect in 2022.
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- You must be 21 years old to serve alcohol.
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- An person must be at least 18 years of age to sell alcohol off-sale. An off-sale licensee may employ a person under the age of 18 if that person is under the continuous supervision of a person 21 years of age or older.
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- A person between 18 and 21 years of age employed in any bona fide public eating place, which is licensed for the on-sale of alcoholic beverages, may serve alcoholic beverages to consumers only if such service occurs in an area primarily designed and used for the sale and service of food for consumption on the premises, and the primary duties of the employee shall be the service of meals to guests, with the service of alcoholic beverages being incidental to such duties.
- Local ordinances also regulate server age.
Beginning in July 2022, 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 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 training by an ABC approved training provider (https://abcbiz.abc.ca.gov) and passed the RBS portal alcohol server certification exam (hosted by ABC). Once the server has successfully completed 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 on the licensed premises.
Yes, a felony conviction only prevents a person from obtaining a liquor license within the state. A liquor license is the authorization to own and operate an alcohol serving establishment. That is different than the individual RBS certification required of all those who serve alcoholic beverages.
To be suitable as evidence for a defense, the identification card must be issued by a governmental agency and have a current description and a picture of the person presenting it which reasonably describes the person as to date of birth weight, height, sex and color of eyes and hair. No defense will exist if the card has obviously been altered or has expired.
In the event an Armed Forces identification card, Passport or Passport Card is provided as proof of identity and lacks a physical description, but does include date of birth and a photo, further proof of identity shall not be required.
A registration certificate issued under the Federal Selective Service Act is no longer considered documentary evidence of age, identity and date of birth.
Green cards and International Driver's Licenses are NOT acceptable forms of ID.
- A valid current driver's license or photo ID card.
- A valid Armed Forces ID;
- A valid U.S. passport or foreign passport (with U.S. travel visa) containing the holder's photograph.
We have over 35 plus years of experience in the service of alcohol certification. Our alcohol training and certification courses with our founder, Robert Pomplun, and his guidance have benefited tens of thousands of bartenders, servers, managers, owners, and security staff members across the USA. Our courses will prepare you and your team with knowledge of the most critical component of responsible alcohol service.
Learn more About Us.
All you need is a smartphone, tablet, computer, Internet connection, and time. That's it!
Compatible Computers and Devices:
- Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11
- Mac OSX or better
- Chromebook OS ver. 90 or better
- Android-based tablet or phone (version 7.0 or better)
- iPhone 6 or better (iOS 12 or better)
- iPad 4 or better (iOS 12 or better)
Use These Web Browsers:
- Google Chrome ver. 90 or better
- Mozilla Firefox ver. 90 or better
- Safari 12 or better
- Microsoft Edge version 90 or better
Do not use these web browsers:
They do not work well with interactive online training courses. If you currently use any of these web browsers, please switch to the native Google Chrome on your Android device or Safari browser on your iPhone or iPad. You will have a much better and quicker user experience. |
We highly recommend Google Chrome when taking this course. It's much faster and more efficient with interactive training courses.
Clear the Cache in your Web Browser:
Online interactive learning courses are more demanding of your computer or device than regular websites. We highly recommend clearing your web browser before beginning. The course will react better and quicker. It takes only 30 seconds. Besides, it greatly helps to increase the speed of your browser on the Internet for all websites. Click here to select your device and browser for specific and easy instructions.
How To Clear Your Web Browser Cache or Data On Your Device or Computer
Proprietary Security Officer
(PSO or PPSO)
(PSO or PPSO)
California Proprietary Security
State Approved Training for Insurance Compliance
(CALIFORNIA Clients PSO or PPSO)
The state mandates that all in-house security guards or bouncers, known as Proprietary Private Security Officers (PSO) under the law, complete 16-hours of job-specific training as part of their licensing process. This California security requirement can be satisfied online through our interactive course. BSIS Approved 16-Hour Online PSO Training.
