CALIFORNIA RBS CERTIFICATION
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Craft Serving is here to help you obtain RBS Certification to serve alcohol in California. Browse through these FAQ’s to find answers to commonly raised questions about the Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training Program.

RBS Certification Training

RBS Certification Training

View Our Online Course

CALIFORNIA

RBS CERTIFICATION COURSE

This online course is approved by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).

RBS Certification

IS IT CALLED AN “RBS PERMIT” OR AN “RBS CERTIFICATE”?

California’s Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training Program is relatively new. On July 1, 2022 the program took effect, requiring an estimated 1,000,000 people in California to complete RBS training by August 31, 2022 at the latest.

Since the program is new, there are many different colloquial terms being used to describe what employees need to obtain to serve alcohol in California. You might hear a co-worker refer to it as an “RBS Permit” while an employer calls it an “RBS Certificate.”

The best way to describe it is “RBS Certification.” After you pass the final exam, you are certified. Your certification status is housed digitally within the ABC’s online portal and can be tracked using your unique Server ID Number.

For more information, jump down to the FAQ entitled, “HOW DO I GET RBS CERTIFIED?

WHO NEEDS TO OBTAIN RBS CERTIFICATION?

The ABC requires you to obtain RBS Certification if are an alcohol server or manager of alcohol servers at an establishment licensed to sell alcohol for on-premises consumption.

AN ALCOHOL SERVER IS ANYONE WHO

AT A LIQUOR LICENSED ESTABLISHMENT

A MANAGER IS ANYONE WHO

AT A LIQUOR LICENSED ESTABLISHMENT

CAN I GET RBS CERTIFIED IF I AM UNDER 21 YEARS OLD?

Anyone can obtain RBS Certification as it is not age restricted. For this reason, some business owners may err on the side of caution and require all their employees – both minors and adults – to complete training. That said, there are limited circumstances in which a minor employee is allowed to serve alcohol, and consequently, required to complete certification.

WHEN DO I NEED TO GET RBS CERTIFIED?

Alcohol servers and their managers must obtain RBS Certification within 60 days of initial employment. The ABC defines “initial employment” as the day you sign an employment contract or employee tax and identification documents, whichever is sooner.

That said, there is no 60 day grace period for non-profits with a temporary license to host a special event. Non-profits must designate at least one person to complete RBS training prior to the event and that person must remain onsite for the duration of the event.

HOW DO I GET RBS CERTIFIED?

These are the steps we recommend following to become RBS certified, however, please note that Step #1 and Step #2 are completely interchangeable.

Step #1: Purchase the course.

Begin this step by signing up for our new, easy online course! Our course saves your progress as you go so you can complete lessons and quizzes at your own pace.

Since RBS Certification is new to Californians, we like to explain the process a little before sending students over the ABC’s online portal.

Step #2: Register with the ABC.

Go to the ABC’s online portal and select “LOG IN/REGISTER” in the top righthand corner. If you don’t already have an account with the ABC, you will need to create a new one. Once logged into your account, select “Server” to complete and pay $3 for your Server Application. This process takes about five minutes .

After you submit the application, you will be provided with a Server ID Number. Save this number as you will need it for the next step.

Step #3: Complete the course.

Return to the course and provide Craft Serving with your Server ID Number. Immediately after you complete the course, we will send your Server ID Number to the ABC.

After the ABC matches our submission to the record they have for you, they will send you an email letting you know you have been granted access to take the final exam. Please allow the ABC up to 2 hours to complete this process.

Step #4: Pass the ABC’s exam.

After receiving access to the final exam, you have 30 days to pass it. To do this, log on to the ABC’s online portal and select “Take Exam.”

You will need to get a score of 70% or higher to pass the exam. Immediately after passing the exam, your certification status within the portal will change from “Not Certified” to “Certified.”

For more information, jump down to the FAQ entitled, “IS THE FINAL EXAM HARD?

WILL I BE RBS CERTIFIED AFTER I TAKE THIS COURSE?

The short answer is no.

There are multiple steps to getting RBS certified. The previous FAQ question explains all the steps in detail, but to boil it down, after you finish taking the course from us, you will need to go to the ABC’s online portal to take the final exam.

We don’t make the rules, we just follow them. But we do try to do a good job of explaining the process! 😃

WILL I RECEIVE A PHYSICAL CERTIFICATE AFTER COMPLETING RBS TRAINING?

The term “RBS Certification” can be a bit misleading. After you pass the final exam, you will not be provided with a physical certificate that you can download or print off, but rather what the ABC refers to as a “digital” certificate.

In other words, after you pass the exam, your certification status within the ABC’s online portal changes from “Not Certified” to “Certified” and it is tracked using your unique Server ID Number. The ABC and your employer may request this number to look up and verify that your certification is still valid using their own accounts within the portal.

The good news is, since your RBS Certification is housed digitally within the ABC’s online portal, you will never need to worry about paying extra to replace a physical lost or stolen certificate! This happens quite a bit to servers who live in states that issue/mail physical certificates and permits.

DO I NEED TO HAVE MY RBS CERTIFICATION ON ME WHILE I AM WORKING?

Your RBS Certification’s status is stored digitally within the ABC’s online portal and tracked using your Server ID Number. The ABC does not require you to memorize this number, but it does recommend that you keep a copy of it on you while you are working. You might consider writing it down on a piece of paper and putting it in your wallet or saving a screenshot of it (from the portal) on your phone.

WHAT IS MY RBS SERVER ID NUMBER?

A unique Server ID Number is issued to you after you submit a Server Application on the ABC’s online portal. The ABC and your employer use this number to track the status of your digital RBS Certification.

WHAT DO I DO IF I LOSE MY RBS CERTIFICATION NUMBER?

Your RBS Certification’s status is housed digitally on the ABC’s online portal and tracked using your Server ID Number.

If you lose your Server ID Number, go back to the portal and log in to your account. From the user dashboard, your Server ID Number will be listed at the top of the page within a box that says, “Server Certificate Details.”

The good news is, since your RBS Certification is housed digitally, it can be quickly accessed anytime and anywhere using the internet!

CAN I GET IN TROUBLE FOR SERVING ALCOHOL WITHOUT RBS CERTIFICATION?

Per California State Law, there are no direct penalties to servers for not obtaining RBS Certification within 60 days of hire.

Rather, the responsibility of making sure that servers are certified within the time requirement falls on the ABC Licensee. For this reason, some licensees won’t put employees on the schedule until they are certified.

If a licensee’s managers and alcohol servers do not have valid RBS Certification, the licensee can face a 10-day liquor license suspension. This administrative penalty varies depending on either aggravating or mitigating factors, such as:

That said, if a server breaks an alcohol-related law and the server is not RBS certified, the server’s negligence in obtaining certification could be an aggravating factor that affects the extent of their penalty for breaking the law.

HOW DO I CHANGE MY NAME ON MY RBS CERTIFICATION?

Unfortunately, at this time the ABC cannot make changes to personal information. This will not affect your RBS certification, and when the ABC has the functionality, you will be able to make the change to your name. Until then, the ABC does apologize for the inconvenience. If you have any additional questions, you can email the ABC at [email protected] .

HOW LONG IS RBS CERTIFICATION GOOD FOR?

RBS Certification is valid for exactly three years from the date you pass your final exam.

MY RBS CERTIFICATION IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE, HOW DO I RENEW IT?

You can renew your certification anytime within 90 days of its expiration. To renew, you must retake an RBS training class and retake the final exam.

There is no grace period to get recertified once your certification expires. To help eliminate time without a valid permit, the ABC will email you reminders 90, 60 and 30 days before your certification’s expiration date.

The Course

WHAT DOES RBS STAND FOR?

In California, “RBS” stands for Responsible Beverage Service.

WHY ARE ALCOHOL SERVERS REQUIRED TO TAKE AN RBS COURSE?

In 2017, California Legislature passed a law to institute a new, mandatory Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training Program. The mission of the program is to ensure effective training for servers and their managers to curb harm related to underage drinking and the overuse of alcohol in California communities.

IS THE COURSE APPROVED BY THE ABC?

Yes, the content of this online course has been reviewed and approved by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).

IS THE COURSE COMPATIBLE WITH MY DEVICE?

This course is compatible with most phones, tablets, computers and operating systems. However, for the best user experience, we recommend that you complete the course on either a desktop computer, laptop or tablet. If you find it is not compatible with your device, we will issue you a full refund.

HOW LONG DOES THE COURSE TAKE?

This course usually takes 2-3 hours to complete. However, the course is self-paced, so you do not have to complete it in one sitting. You may log-off mid-course and resume the course anytime you choose.

HOW LONG WILL I HAVE ACCESS TO THE COURSE?

Of all the course providers, we offer one of the most generous terms for course access! Access to the course is allowed for 120 days from the purchase date, however, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Nobody wants old, unused accounts hanging around online.

HOW MUCH DOES THE COURSE COST?

The course is currently on sale for $ 15.00 . Once you enroll in the course, you will be asked to create an account and pay the $ 15.00 fee.

The Final Exam

CAN I TAKE THE ABC'S FINAL EXAM WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE ENTIRE COURSE?

No. The ABC will not grant you access to take the final exam until after it receives confirmation from an RBS training provider that you completed an RBS training course.

Alcohol servers must take a course and pass the exam whether they are getting RBS certified for the first time or renewing RBS certification.

WHY HAVEN’T I BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO TAKE THE ABC’S FINAL EXAM?

If the Last Name and Server ID Number you provided us does not exactly match the Last Name and Server ID Number on record with the ABC, you will not be granted access to take the final exam.

If more than 24 hours have passed since you completed our course and you still do not have access to take the final exam on the ABC’s online portal, then give us a call at (213) 772-7759 so we can work with you to update your information and resend it to the ABC.

IS THE ABC’S FINAL EXAM HARD?

The ABC’s final exam consists of 50 randomly generated questions. You must score 70% or higher to pass; this equates to 35 correct answers out of 50. The exam is an open note, open-book test with no time limit. You can also leave and return to the exam as many times as needed. That means, if you run into a tricky question, just head back to our course and look for the answer. In order to help ensure students pass the final exam, Craft Serving’s course content was written and developed with the ABC’s final exam questions in mind. Here are a couple of hot tips! 😉

  1. Our course teaches to the final exam as much as possible and oftentimes, bolded sections pertain to information that will be covered in the exam.
  2. Craft Serving provides all its students with a free Practice Test. The questions on the practice test are very similar to the questions on the ABC’s exam, so it’s a great way to prepare for the final exam.

I DIDN’T TAKE THE FINAL EXAM WITHIN 30 DAYS, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

If you waited too long to take the final exam, then we’ve got some bad news for you. You are going to have to retake an RBS training course.

Per the ABC, RBS training and certification is a 3-step process:

  1. Registering with ABC as an alcohol server.
  2. Taking RBS training from an authorized provider.
  3. Taking the final exam on the ABC’s online portal.

The third step is dependent on the second step, which requires the final exam to be completed within 30 days from the date training was completed.

If the third step is not completed within 30 days of when training was completed, or the server does not pass the exam with a 70% or better, then steps 2 and 3 must be repeated until the exam is passed.

I FAILED THE FINAL EXAM, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The ABC charges you a $3 non-refundable fee to take the exam. That fee grants you three attempts to pass the exam. If you fail three times, you will need to retake the entire course and exam. We won’t charge you to retake our course, but the ABC will charge you $3 to retake the exam.

To retake the course, just give us a call and ask us to reset your course progress. To retake the exam, go to the ABC’s online portal and resubmit a Server Application.

Lastly, each time you fail the final exam, the ABC does not tell you exactly which questions you missed. Rather, it tells you which topics you need to study. Be sure to pay extra attention to these topics if you are required to retake the course.

I PASSED THE FINAL EXAM, WHEN WILL I BE RBS CERTIFIED?

Immediately after passing the exam, your certification status within the portal changes from “ Not Certified ” to “Certified.”

About Craft Serving

WHAT MAKES CRAFT SERVING SPECIAL?

Designed by Alcohol Servers, for Alcohol Servers!

Before we were Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training providers, we were bartenders. As bartenders, we took pride in what we did and placed emphasis on craft and skill. We loved every aspect of bartending except RBS training.

The online courses we took seemed poorly organized, outdated and out-of-touch with the issues alcohol servers actually face. And, although we had a good relationship with our local inspector from the liquor control board, we also felt like the information we received from the state was not always clear or practical.

Consequently, we set out to help bridge the gap by creating a new, modern course that makes RBS training as painless as possible.

By the end of your training, we hope you will feel confident in your ability to serve alcohol responsibly and be committed to upholding liquor laws, even under challenging circumstances!

DOES CRAFT SERVING SUPPORT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS?

We think it is very important to support charitable organizations that give back to alcohol servers within the food and beverage community!

That is why we are a proud member of the United State Bartenders’ Guild and supporter of the USBG National Charity Foundation. The foundation is committed to advancing the lifelong stability & wellbeing of service industry professionals through education & charitable activities. Click here to learn more and find out how you can get involved too.

If you know of another cause that is worth supporting, please share it with us. We are always interested in learning about more opportunities to get connected with the local community and expand our giving.

WHY DOES CRAFT SERVING NEED MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?

We are required to collect two pieces of your personal information and then pass them on to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) after you finish the online course.

  1. Last Name (as registered in the ABC’s online portal)
  2. Server ID Number

The ABC then matches the information we provide to your account within the portal. In doing so, it is able to confirm that you completed a certified RBS training course.

WHAT IS CRAFT SERVING'S REFUND POLICY?

Although we work hard to try and provide you with the best online Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training program available, we know sometimes things don’t go as planned.

We are committed to making sure you have a positive experience with Craft Serving. If you decide you need a refund for any reason, please contact us and we would be happy to assist.

To view our full Refund Policy located within our Terms and Conditions, just click here .

WHAT IS CRAFT SERVING'S PRIVACY POLICY?

Our Privacy Policy discloses the way we use and manage your data. To sum up the policy, we are committed to maintaining and securing your privacy.

To view our complete Privacy Policy, just click here .

WHAT IS CRAFT SERVING'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS?

Our Terms and Conditions outline our relationship with you by providing a description of your rights and responsibilities as a user of our website. Before purchasing an online course, you will be required to abide by this agreement.

To view our full Terms and Conditions, just click here .

About The California ABC