Your Guide to Responsible Beverage Service

Research shows that 60% of adults say they drink alcohol quite regularly. This accounts for adults between the ages of 18 to 29 years old.

If you own a California establishment, you may want to offer alcoholic beverages. This is something that RBS training can help you to do.

When it comes to California alcohol laws, you need to be very careful. If a business or establishment wants to serve alcohol, it needs to do this by state regulations.

Keep reading to find out what RBS training is and how to serve alcohol responsibly.

Understand State Laws

When it comes to California alcohol laws, you need to understand the specifics. It is not enough to have a general understanding of how you can legally serve alcohol.

Every state is going to have different regulations, so you need to do specific research. The same applies to California, where there are specific regulations for establishments.

One thing to keep in mind is the California alcohol laws regarding driving. No matter where you go, drinking and driving is going to be illegal in the US.

California alcohol laws regarding driving could create a criminal offense. Drinking and driving will often result in a DUI, which can have serious repercussions.

As an establishment, you may want to remind people of this when serving alcohol. Here are some other regulations you will need to follow when serving alcohol.

Time Regulations

You may not realize this, but there are California alcohol hours to follow. This is very common, and the majority of states have drinking hours.

California alcohol hours include restrictions from 6 AM to 2 AM. This applies to all establishments 7 days a week, restricting alcohol sales at night.

It is also important that you let your customers know about these times. You may want to have a sign that is visible so that people know when they can legally purchase drinks.

It’s very important that you only sell alcohol after 6 in the morning, stopping after 2 AM. If you break that law, you will be held responsible even if a customer asked you to.

Legal Ages

When it comes to selling alcohol, you also need to consider the age limits. For example, underage drinking in California is a criminal offense.

Under-age drinking in California includes anyone under the age of 21. This is the same throughout the US, so there isn’t too much you need to remember.

Drinking alcohol under the age of 21 is a criminal offense. Keep in mind that selling alcohol to minors is also a very serious offense for establishments.

That is why you need to require ID before selling alcohol to anyone. Do not be sure decision on appearances alone unless they have a valid ID to show their age.

Source High-Quality Products

To responsibly sell alcohol, you need to source your products well. It is important that you are buying the best quality alcohol you can find.

High-quality alcohol is safer and is going to sell better. You need to make sure your sources are reputable and trustworthy so you can continue working with them in the future.

One type of alcohol to stay away from is 190-proof grain alcohol. This alcohol is banned in many US states, including California.

Only Sell on Site

A very important detail for establishments to remember is location limitations. When you are certified to sell alcohol, that only includes on-site beverages.

A license does not mean you can go out and sell alcohol anywhere. You are only allowed to sell alcohol in your establishment.

It is also important to look into any details around people leaving with their drinks.

Take RBS Training

Another step establishments need to take is taking RBS training online. This stands for responsible beverage service training.

Completing this training ensures you know what you are doing when serving alcohol. This also takes some of the stress away since you will know all the legalities.

Whether you’re an establishment or a business, you need to do this before serving alcohol. You may be wondering who within the organization has to be RBS certified.

The reality is that everyone needs to have their certification. This goes for anyone who is serving alcohol, as well as managers of the establishment.

This is often necessary because anyone in the establishment could start serving alcohol. It also makes sense to have everyone certified so that they can legally serve.

What Is RBS Training?

Now that you know the details about serving alcohol responsibly, what is RBS training? This is a good question to ask if you want to make sure you are fully equipped to serve alcohol.

RBS training is what provides you with your RBS certification. It covers on-premises consumption so that you can serve alcohol safely.

To start your RBS training, you need to register with California ABC. Register as an alcohol server, which also includes managers.

You can then move on to take your RBS training at the official RBS Training site. You will be able to take your California alcohol server certification exam on the portal.

A huge benefit to responsible beverage service training is that it is online. RBS training online is convenient and accessible for anyone to accomplish.

Is RBS Training Mandatory?

Something establishments also need to know about is mandatory requirements. As of July 1, 2022, RBS training became a requirement.

Now, alcohol servers and managers have to complete an ABC-approved RBS training program. They also need to complete the exam no later than August 31, 2023.

These dates applied to establishments that were already selling alcohol. Those who are just starting to serve alcohol need to get this before ever doing so.

Servers and managers also need to get their RBS certification within 60 days of employment. This is very important as it allows everyone to legally serve alcoholic beverages.

Your establishment could get into a lot of trouble if people do not have the right certification.

How Long Does It Take?

Now that you know what RBS training is, you may be worried about how long it is. This is an understandable concern when you hear the words training and exam.

The good news is that this does not take nearly as long as it sounds. In fact, RBS training usually only takes two hours to complete.

Something else to note is that this does not have to be done all in one sitting. You can take as many breaks as you need to throughout the course.

Everything that you have completed will be saved, so if you get out of it, you won’t lose your place. When you are ready, your exam will also become available in the RBS portal.

Don’t worry if you don’t pass the exam the first time you try. You are allowed to take this exam three times before you can’t take it again.

You only need to achieve a 70% score for it to be a passing grade. It costs three dollars to take the exam, and you will need to pay for each attempt.

Does RBS Certification Expire?

You may feel worried about how long your RBS certification is going to last you. After all, most certifications will expire after a specific amount of time.

The same thing will happen to your RBS certificate, and you will need to replace it. RBS certification expires after you have had it for three years.

When it has expired, you will need to retake the training course as well as the exam. Doing everything over again every three years is a good way to stay up-to-date on the regulations.

You will need to make sure you are aware of the date your certificate will expire. It is your responsibility to make sure you get it replaced as soon as possible.

If you’re selling and serving alcohol with an expired license, that’s considered illegal.

RBS Training: Serving Alcohol Responsibly

California establishments may be wondering if they’re required to take RBS training. This is an important part of serving alcohol responsibly and following regulations.

As of 2022, RBS training became a rule in California. It’s necessary for servers and managers in an establishment that handles alcoholic beverages.

The good news is that the training and exam are easy to take. You have several tries to pass the exam, and it only needs to be re-taken every three years.

Are you interested in taking your RBS training online for your establishment? Contact us today at RBS Training to get started.