Alcohol Server

100% Online California Seller-Server Training

The California Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training course is designed for anyone involved in the direct sale of alcoholic beverages, such as bartenders, managers and more. This 100% online training program is approved by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).

Students will learn about responsible beverage service, the effects of alcohol on the body, related regulations and consequences, the prevention of illegal sales and best practices in managerial alcohol policies.

You will receive a certificate of completion after successfully passing the course. To earn your RBS certification, you must register on the California ABC portal and pass the RBS Alcohol Server Certification Exam within 30 days of completing your training.

Who Needs California RBS Training?

Individuals involved in the direct service or sales of alcoholic beverages within a licensed California Alcohol Beverage Control establishment need to complete RBS training and pass the certification exam regardless of how many hours they work. These requirements apply to cashiers, servers, bartenders, doormen, bouncers and more.

Alcohol servers include anyone who:

  • Checks ID
  • Takes drink orders
  • Pours drinks
  • Delivers alcohol

Alcohol managers include anyone who:

  • Oversees alcohol services
  • Hires or trains alcohol servers

The California RBS course satisfies training standards for on-premises alcohol servers and managers outlined in Assembly Bill 1221. Employees are required to complete this training and pass the certification exam within 60 days of starting employment.

Testing Requirements

You're required to pass five module quizzes to complete the course. You have unlimited attempts to pass each quiz with a score of at least 70%.

After you pass the fifth module quiz, your course completion will be reported to ABC within 24 hours. Once reported, you have up to 30 days to pass the ABC Alcohol Server Certification Exam on the online Responsible Beverage Service Portal.

RBS Certification Exam

Once your course completion is reported to the state, you will receive an email from ABC with a link to the state certification exam. You can also check to see if you have access to the exam through the RBS portal.

You have three attempts to pass the certification exam with a score of 70% or higher. If you fail, you must retake the course to receive a new link to the exam. The certification exam is offered in English and Spanish.

Learning Objectives

Following course completion, alcohol sellers, servers and managers will have the knowledge and skills to:

  • Identify the problems and facts attributed to alcoholic beverages
  • Prevent sales of alcoholic beverages to minors
  • Prevent sales of alcoholic beverages to intoxicated persons
  • Prevent violations of alcohol laws and rules

Course Outline

California Responsible Beverage Service Training contains five modules that teach alcohol sellers, servers and managers how to safely and legally serve alcoholic beverages. Learn more about each module below.

Module 1: Alcohol and Its Effects on the Body

Topics covered in module 1 include:

  • Intoxication
  • Alcohol-impaired driving
  • The physiology of alcohol

Learning objectives include:

  • Describe the path of alcohol through the human body and its effects
  • Relate different Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) levels to their symptoms
  • List the signs of intoxication and factors that may create magnified effects
  • Explain the consequences of alcohol-impaired driving

Module 2: Alcohol and Society

Topics covered in module 2 include:

  • The impact of alcohol on society
  • Alcohol-related costs to society
  • The responsibilities of an alcohol server

Learning objectives include:

  • State the benefits of alcohol sales for society
  • State the disadvantages of alcohol sales for society
  • Relate overuse of alcohol to crimes, health emergencies and overall quality of life
  • Apply your knowledge of the effects of alcohol on society to your responsibility as an alcohol server

Module 3: Regulations and Penalties

Topics covered in module 3 include:

  • Regulations for alcohol servers
  • Laws for serving alcohol for consumption
  • Liability with alcohol service
  • Enforcement

Learning objectives include:

  • Summarize related alcohol sales regulations
  • Restate the different forms of liability and penalties for alcohol server licensees and employers
  • Explain the roles and rights of the department and law enforcement

Module 4: Preventing Illegal Alcohol Sales

Topics covered in module 4 include:

  • Checking identification (ID)
  • Intoxicated customers and minors
  • Intoxication by other substances

Learning objectives include:

  • Discuss when and how to check for ID
  • Compare a legally acceptable ID with the characteristics of an unacceptable ID
  • Explain how to refuse service to intoxicated customers
  • List the signs of intoxication for other substances

Module 5: The Role of Managerial Oversight

Topics covered in module 5 include:

  • Licensee responsibilities
  • Managerial policy development guidelines
  • Enforcing guidelines
  • Hiring alcohol servers
  • Responsible beverage servers

Learning objectives include:

  • Restate the consequences of administrative violations
  • Relate the establishment of managerial alcohol policies to responsible beverage service
  • Apply your knowledge of responsible beverage service to managerial policy development
  • Demonstrate hospitality and observation skills while serving alcohol

California RBS Training FAQs

Is eFoodcard an approved California RBS provider?

Yes, our 100% online California RBS course is approved by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). You can find our approval on the ABC website listed under American Safety Council.

What are the steps to earning a California RBS certification?

To obtain a California RBS certification, on-premises alcohol servers and managers must complete three steps:

  1. Register as a server with ABC. You can register for training through the RBS portal — the portal is where you complete your final exam.
  2. Complete RBS training. Training must be completed through an approved RBS training provider such as eFoodcard. We offer 100% online training that is California ABC approved.
  3. Pass the ABC Alcohol Server Certification Exam. The exam can be found in the RBS portal. You have three attempts to pass the exam — if you don't pass after three attempts, you need to retake the course. Students must pass the exam within 30 days of completing their training.

RBS training was created to help managers and employees reduce alcohol-related incidents such as drunk driving, service to minors and more. Certification is required within 60 days of your first date of employment. You must pass the exam by this deadline to become officially certified.

What does RBS stand for?

RBS stands for Responsible Beverage Service. On-premises employees who serve or handle alcohol in the workplace need to complete state-approved RBS training and pass the state certification exam within 60 days of starting work.

What does ABC stand for?

ABC stands for Alcoholic Beverage Control, which is part of California's State Department. Our 100% online Responsible Beverage Service Training course is approved by the California ABC and satisfies the training requirement for RBS certification.

Will I get a certificate after completing this course?

You will receive a certificate of completion after finishing this course. You will also receive a certificate issued directly by ABC after you pass the RBS certification exam. After completing the California RBS Training course, you will receive an email with a link to take the RBS certification exam through ABC.

When do I need to retake the California RBS Training course?

Once you complete the training course and pass the certification exam, you will receive a certificate that is valid for three years. To keep a valid certification, you must retake the course and pass another RBS certification exam before your current certificate expires.

How old do you need to be to serve alcohol in California?

California requires individuals to be at least 18 years old to serve alcohol. However, there are a number of restrictions for underage alcohol servers.

In general, minors who serve alcohol must:

  • Serve alcohol in designated food consumption areas, such as restaurants and concession stands that sell food products, soft drinks and alcohol
  • Not act as bartenders or cocktail waitresses
  • Not serve alcohol while working behind a fixed counter where only soft drinks, alcohol and other beverages are dispensed

In restaurants, employees 18 and up can serve alcohol in areas primarily designed and used for the sale and service of food. Bartenders and cocktail waitresses must be 21 or older.

What topics are covered in California RBS Training?

This training provides alcohol managers, sellers, and servers with information to strengthen public safety, avoid alcohol-related liability, and promote responsible and safe alcohol sales.

California RBS Training discusses the following topics:

  • Facts and issues attributed to alcoholic beverages
  • Preventing alcoholic beverage sales to minors
  • Responding to intoxicated persons
  • Violations of alcohol laws and rules

Students will learn about liability laws, serving responsibilities, alcohol-impaired driving, how to check ID and more.

How long do I have to complete my training?

Effective July 1, 2022, CA Assembly Bill 1221 and Assembly Bill 82 require RBS training for on-premises alcoholic beverage servers and their managers. Employees must complete training within 60 days of employment, including employees hired prior to July 1, 2022. The regulations have been incorporated into the California Code of Regulations, Title 4, Article 25, Sections 160-173.

What is the difference between RBS and LEAD?

Responsible Beverage Service Training (RBS) is a mandatary program that educates current and future alcohol servers to responsibly sell alcohol at licensed locations such as clubs, hotels, bars and restaurants, stadiums and more.

Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) is a free and voluntary ABC program that educates employees to sell alcohol at locations such as gas stations, liquor and convenience stores. Students learn how to prevent illegal sales and drug activity on and around their employer's premises.

How long is the RBS exam?

The self-paced exam contains 50 multiple choice questions. It typically takes up to two hours to complete.