California RBS Training Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. As of April 19, 2021, Certus is approved to offer California Responsible Beverage Service Training with an AB 1221-compliant curriculum. Our Program ID number is 000-000-030. You can confirm our course approval by reviewing the list of approved training providers after enrolling in the Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Portal.

The online RBS Training course is designed for on-premises alcohol servers and their managers. It also applies to any employee who:

• Takes or delivers customer orders for alcoholic beverages
• Pours alcoholic beverages for customers
• Checks customer ID for entry or alcohol sales
• Trains, directly hires or manages alcohol servers at a licensed business

The purpose of this Responsible Beverage Service Training course is to enhance public safety and promote the responsible use and sale of alcohol in California. This course provides sellers, servers and managers with the knowledge and skills to:

• Identify the social and physical harms of alcohol use.
• Prevent sales of alcoholic beverages to minors.
• Prevent sales of alcoholic beverages to intoxicated persons.
• Avoid violations of alcohol laws and rules.

1. Register on the California RBS Portal
   You will need to pay a $3 non-refundable fee to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to receive your nine-digit Server ID number.
2. Sign up for online RBS Training
   Register for our self-paced online course, which includes a free study guide for the state certification exam.
3. Start your training
   Before you begin the course, you will need to enter the Server ID number you received from California ABC. When you finish your training, we will report your course completion to ABC within 24 hours.
4. Take the state certification exam
   ABC will then email you a link to sign up for the alcohol server certification exam. You will take the online exam on the RBS Portal. You are required to complete the exam within 30 days of finishing your RBS Training and pass with a score of 70% or higher.
5. Get your RBS Training certificate
   After you pass the certification exam, ABC will issue a certificate to serve alcohol in California.

Prior to beginning your RBS Training, you must register in the RBS Portal. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control charges a $3, nonrefundable registration fee.

After you register, you will receive a 9-digit server identification number. You must enter this number before you start the RBS Training course.

Once you finish your training, we'll report your course completion to ABC within 24 hours. To earn your RBS certification, you must pass the alcohol server certification exam on ABC's online RBS portal. ABC will email you a link to sign up for the exam after you complete your training.

Within 24 hours of completing the RBS Training course, ABC will email you a link to register for the certification exam. If you can't find the email, check your junk or spam folder. Alternatively, you can log into the RBS Portal and take your exam as soon as we report your course completion to ABC.

Starting July 1, 2022, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) will require all California businesses with an ABC On-Premises License to train and certify alcohol servers and their managers in RBS. Employees must complete the training within 60 days of starting the job.

Enforcement of the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Act of 2017 (AB 1221) will start on September 1, 2022.

The online RBS Training course is self-paced and may be completed at your own speed. For most students, the course takes approximately two hours to complete.

Yes. While the course features five quizzes and no final exam, you will need to pass a state-administered alcohol server certification exam after you complete the course. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will email you a link to register for your exam, which you must complete within 30 days of successfully finishing your training.

If you do not see a continue button to advance to the next page, that means you have not interacted with every element on the page. After you click all of the page's interactive elements, the continue button will appear and allow you to move to the next page.

No. You will receive your RBS certificate directly through the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control after you pass the state certification exam. We will report your training course completion to ABC, who will email you a link to register for the final exam.

Your alcohol server certification will remain valid for three years from the date it was issued.