FAQs
Why do I have to take RBS training?
Effective July 1, 2022, California state law requires all alcoholic beverage servers, their managers, and daily license designees to complete responsible beverage service (RBS) training from an ABC-approved training provider and take an ABC-administered state exam to become certified. Without certification, it will not be legal for your employer to employ you in any job that requires you to serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on a licensed premises, check patron ID, take alcoholic beverage orders, pour alcoholic beverages for patrons, or deliver alcoholic beverages to patrons, or manage employees who perform these duties.
Designated persons responsible for alcoholic beverage sales and service at a temporary daily licensed event must also complete this training.
When does RBS training need to be taken?
Effective July 1, 2022, all servers and their managers must complete an ABC-approved RBS training program and pass the ABC-administered state exam within 60 days of being hired.
How do I get certified to work as a server or manager of a server?
For the online course:
- Create an account with Certified Alcohol Training and purchase our California Responsible Beverage Service Training course.
- Go to the ABC RBS Portal (https://abc/biz.abc.ca.gov) and register for an account, pay a $3.00 fee for the state certification exam, and receive an ABC server ID number.
- Return to this site, enter your ABC server ID number when prompted, and then complete the course.
- Upon completing the training, you may download our RBS Training Guide to assist you in preparing for and taking the state exam. You can also download a full-size certificate of completion to share with your employer and to retain for your records.
- Immediately upon completing the course, we will notify ABC, and your exam will be available to you on your ABC dashboard.
- Within 30 days of completing the training, you will have three attempts to pass the 50-question state exam with a 70% or higher score. This means you will have three attempts to answer 35 questions correctly in order to pass. After the third attempt, you will need to retake the training and pay $3.00 again to retake the exam.
- Once you pass the exam, you will be certified for a period of three years. ABC issues what is referred to as a digital certificate. This is not a physical certificate that you can download; rather, your name and server ID number are maintained in their server certification system.
For the live course:
- Go to the ABC RBS Portal (https://abc/biz.abc.ca.gov) and register for an account, pay a $3.00 fee for the state certification exam, and receive an ABC server ID number.
- Be prepared to provide your ABC server ID number when you show up for your live training session.
- You will receive a copy of our RBS Training Guide to assist you in preparing for and taking the state exam.
- Shortly after attending the training, we will notify ABC, and your exam will be available to you on your ABC dashboard.
- Within 30 days of completing the training, you will have three attempts to pass the 50-question state exam with a 70% or higher score. This means you will have three attempts to answer 35 questions correctly in order to pass. After the third attempt, you will need to retake the training and pay $3.00 again to retake the exam.
- Once you pass the exam, you will be certified for a period of three years. ABC issues what is referred to as a digital certificate. This is not a physical certificate that you can download; rather, your name and server ID number are maintained in their server certification system.
What will I learn from this course?
When you complete this course, you will understand:
- The relevant state laws and regulations in administrative, criminal and civil liability.
- How these laws pertain to sellers of alcoholic beverages.
- The potential risks of irresponsible alcoholic beverage service practices.
- How to execute policies related to proper age identification and intervention with an intoxicated or underage customer.
- How to recognize a false or altered ID.
- How to demonstrate a proper attitude when dealing with customers that will support responsible service policies and identify the benefits to the customer, the server and the business.
- How to implement house policies for the responsible sale of alcoholic beverages.
- Your role in improving public health and safety.
- How to project a high professional standard.
- How to reduce risk of liability, including criminal (D.A. prosecution), civil (lawsuit), and administrative (ABC accusations) actions.
- How to improve business viability.
- Your important role in prevention efforts.
- That hospitality is more than selling alcoholic beverages.
How long does the course take?
Most students complete the course in about 1-1/2 hours. Some students can complete it in less time, while others may want more time, depending on their own learning styles.
How long do I have to complete the course?
You have 30 days to complete the course. During this time, you can log out and log back in at your convenience, and you will have full access to the training course and course materials.
What kind of verification do I receive to confirm that I took this course?
Upon successfully passing our course, you will immediately receive an email from us congratulating you on completing our training. You will also have access to a full-size, downloadable and printable Certificate of Completion.
We will then notify ABC, usually immediately but generally no later than 24 hours, that you have passed the course. Shortly thereafter, you may receive an email from ABC with instructions on how to take the ABC-administered state certification exam. If you do not receive an email, check your spam or junk mail folder, or log into your account on the ABC Portal to find the exam link. After you pass the state exam, ABC will include your name in its online certification system database which your employer will be able to access to confirm your status.
What if I don’t pass the ABC-administered state certification exam?
We believe you will. But if you don’t, we are here to help you through it in the following ways:
- You will have access to the course giving you an opportunity to review the course material as needed to refresh your memory or learn the material more thoroughly.
- You can download our RBS Training Guide to help you prepare for the exam or refer to as you are taking the exam. It’s allowed!
- You can contact us directly by phone or email for personalized help. Our goal is to help you understand the material so you can pass the test. Because we judge our success by your success, it is as important to us that you become certified as it is to you.
- ABC will allow you up to 30 days after completing our training or three attempts to pass the exam. If you don’t pass on the third try, you will need to sign up with ABC again, pay another $3.00 fee, and retake the training.
Does the course work on mobile devices?
Yes, you can complete the course on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or PC.
How do I access my current training status?
When you sign up for our course, you will establish an online profile. Your training status will remain available to you on your dashboard for as long as your account is active. Unless you cancel your account, it will remain active for 4 years after the completion of your most recent training.
How do I order a replacement certificate?
As long as you have an active account, you will have ongoing access to your dashboard and can download your certificate any time you wish.
How often do I need to take this training?
Your state certification must be renewed every three years. ABC will email you 90, 60, and 30 days prior to the expiration of your certification. We will also email you before your next training to share exciting new benefits for return clients. Stay tuned! We want to be your sole RBS training provider.
Who do I talk to if I have technical issues related to the online course?
We are available by telephone or email during normal business days and hours; however, we often respond on weekends and after hours. Refer to our Contact Us page for contact information.
Am I required to maintain records of server certifications?
Licensees are required to maintain records confirming that those employees who must be certified have valid certifications. In addition, licensees must make such records available to ABC upon request. When ABC begins enforcing this requirement sometime on or after September 1, 2022, they may request to see records of certifications.
Currently, ABC does not issue physical or downloadable certificates. The agency issues what is referred to as a digital certificate wherein the server is issued a certification number that is valid for three years and a record of their certification is maintained in ABC’s RBS database.
ABC recently added the ability for a licensee to set up a License Administrator to manage the licensee’s ABC account online. This also allows the License Administrator to manage their RBS server roster where they can add and remove servers from their rosters and view server certification status. Below is the link to ABC’s FAQs regarding how to create an online account and set up a License administrator (scroll down the page until you find that heading).
https://www.abc.ca.gov/licensing/frequently-asked-questions/
When does my employee have to be certified?
Effective July 1, 2022, all servers and their managers must be certified within 60 days of employment. This means that those employees hired prior to July 1, 2022 have until August 31, 2022 to become certified. All employees hired after July 1, 2022, must be certified within 60 days of hire (first date of employment).
What happens if my uncertified employee serves alcohol?
It will soon be a violation of state law for an uncertified employee to serve alcohol. While it will not be a criminal violation, ABC may take disciplinary action against the ABC license, which may result in the suspension or revocation of the license.
What training options are available for my employees?
We offer three training formats: an online course, live virtual training, and live in-person training. You have the option of offering whichever format works best for your business and personnel needs. In addition, we offer group discounts for all course formats, so contact us for pricing and to allow us to design a training program that fits your needs.
Is it possible to partner with other on-premises licensees in the area to combine training sessions to create cost savings for both licensees?
We welcome and encourage joint training sessions and will work with you to create a training program to serve the needs of several licensees. Please contact us to discuss some options.
Will certification cards be issued at the end of the live training?
Coming soon: Participants in our live training sessions will soon be able to establish a profile on our website and download a full-size certificate of completion shortly after attending the course. We encourage you to keep a copy of their full-size certificate in your records.
Is live training better than online training?
Both live and online training are designed to provide participants with the information needed to serve alcoholic beverages responsibly and pass the state exam. Both trainings provide participants, upon successfully completing the training, with a certificate of completion, a study guide, and other tools and resources to aid them in preparing for and taking the state exam.
Both live and online have their own unique advantages. While both are interactive, some participants prefer in-person training because they enjoy listening to a live expert, being able to ask questions and get immediate answers, and hearing the trainers’ professional stories and experiences that bring the training to life. Other participants enjoy the freedom and flexibility of online training because they can take the course at their convenience, 24/7, without disrupting their work schedule, and may find it more efficient for their needs. This is why we provide you with a choice.
Do you offer special rates for multiple licensees and trade or industry association members?
We do offer special rates and benefits for larger groups, and would be happy to create a custom training program for your group. Please contact training@certifiedalcoholtraining.com.
What will my business receive after our staff has been trained?
Coming Soon: After completing a group training course, we will provide you with a window decal to prominently display near your front entrance. This decal conveys your establishment’s professionalism and commitment to the safety and welfare of your employees and customers. It identifies your business as a partner with Certified Alcohol Training in creating a safer California.
Can more than one employee use the same computer to take the course?
Yes
More than one employee can use the same computer to sign up for, purchase, and/or take the online course, but not simultaneously.
Each employee must log onto the computer under their own ID and then log off before another user logs on to complete these same activities.
When more than one person attempts to access their account with us or ABC, it could create problems.
Where do I locate my ABC server ID number?
ABC issues two very similar numbers to each person signing up for the state exam. One is an application tracking number and the other is the ABC server ID number. The ABC server ID number is the one that appears either on your Dashboard in the ABC Portal (under Server Certificate Details) or within the content of the email you receive from ABC when you signed up for the exam.
How do I make a group purchase and add staff members to my group so they can access the course?
Please follow the below instructions:
- Go to certifiedalcoholtraining.com.
- Scroll down to the Online Training course option and click “Enroll Now.”
- Select “Group” and boxes will appear asking if you want to enroll yourself, for the number of courses you wish to purchase (minimum: 2) and the group name, such as the business name. Click “Add to Cart.”
- On the next screen, if you have a coupon code, enter it in the “Coupon Code” box, then click “Apply Coupon.” Confirm order, change quantity of courses if desired, review Cart Totals, and if okay, click “Proceed to Checkout.”
- On the next screen, enter your billing information, create a username and password, and enter payment method. You may purchase through PayPal or by credit card without a PayPal account. After you select your payment method, you will be taken through the purchase process.
- You will then be automatically logged into your Groups Dashboard where you may click RBS Training Guide to download the training guide. This is a supplemental document to the actual course and a study guide for the state exam.
- On the group page, you may add group members by clicking “Enroll New User.” An Enroll New Users box will appear where you will enter the first and last name and email addresses of each group member. Click “Submit” or “+ Add more users.” If you would like to enter several names at one time, click “Upload via CSV” for a sample format and instructions.
- Your group page will be updated to reflect the new group members. Each new user will each receive an email with login instructions using their email and a computer-generated password.
- Once you have used up all existing purchased courses, you can purchase additional courses and add more group members from your dashboard.
- To do this, from your group dashboard, click the Courses tab at the top of the page, then click “Enroll Now.”
- Click “Group” and an option will appear that says, “I want to.” Click the drop-down menu and select “Increase seats to existing group.” The “Group Name” box will change giving you a drop-down menu where you will Select Group Name (your group) within the list.
- Enter the number of courses you want to add, and click “Add to Cart.”
You’ll then go through the purchase process. Return to your group dashboard where you should now have an “Enroll New Users” button allowing you to proceed with adding your new members.
- To access your own personal account and course (if you chose to enroll yourself), click on the person icon. Under “Your Courses,” click the circle box next to the course title to begin the course.
As a group leader, am I able to monitor the progress my employees are making toward completing the online course?
Yes, as a group leader, you will be able to log into your account at any time and click the “Group” tab, then “Report” to see the progress your employees are making toward completing the online course.
What do I do if I’ve completed the course, but my state exam is not available to me?
If you’ve completed our course but the state exam is not available to you on your ABC dashboard, it is likely because the last name and/or ABC server ID number you entered on our site is different from the information on file with ABC and ABC has not accepted our automated transmission. When this occurs, we will generally be be able to manually transmit the information to ABC within a short period of time. Please check your ABC dashboard periodically for the exam to be made available to you. In some rare instances, we may notify you by email with further instructions. Please check your inbox or spam folders as your security settings may have diverted the email. If you are unable to find this email, please contact us immediately at support@certifiedalcoholtraining.com. Do not update your account information on our site yourself; we will do that once you inform us of the correct information.
What languages are the ABC-administered state exam available in?
The RBS state exam is currently available in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese languages, and it will soon be offered in Tagalog, Hindi, and Punjabi. Servers may select their exam language of choice once they have accessed the exam by clicking on the globe icon in the upper right-hand corner of the exam portal.
What do I do if my state exam has expired?
ABC requires the state exam to be taken and passed within 30 days of completing RBS training from an approved training provider. Technically, when an exam expires, ABC requires that the server retake training and purchase a new state exam. The FAQ below comes from ABC’s website.
To extend your training date in the ABC portal, please purchase a new course by clicking into https://certifiedalcoholtraining.com/product/online-course/. This will provide you access to your current course, quizzes, and support material. Once you feel you are ready to take the state exam, please email us at support@certifiedalcoholtraining.com and provide us with your name and new ABC server ID number, and we will update the ABC portal to reflect your new training date so that your new exam will be released. This will give you an additional 30 days to take the state exam.
We encourage you to download the RBS Training Guide to review and use as a resource and to check your answers while taking the state exam.
