Step-by-Step Guide to Getting RBS Certified

Breaking down the steps to get RBS certified, required for all alcohol servers in California by July 1, 2022.

In California, all on-premises alcohol servers and their managers must take a state-approved Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training Program, pass the state exam and be RBS certified by July 1, 2022.

Getting your RBS Certification is easy! Here’s a breakdown of the steps you need to get certified.

1. Enroll in Userve’s RBS Training Course

The first step to getting certified is to complete the RBS Certification course. This is the training you need to undertake in order begin your alcohol server certification exam. The process is fast & very simple. 

• Go to the California RBS Certification Course Page.
• Click Enroll Now
• Enter your account and payment information and complete the signup process
• You can get now get started

Note. You can always refer to your 'Welcome email ' to easily access your login information.

Planning to enroll more than 3 team members? Get in touch with us to learn more about getting a Userve Business Account.

2. Register on the government RBS Portal

The RBS Portal acts as a hub for all of your RBS Certification needs. This is where you will get your Server ID (needed to register for our training course), take the alcohol server certification exam and have access to your certification number after passing the exam. To get started:

• Go to the RBS Portal.
• Click the “Log In/Register” button and select Register.
• In the fields provided:
  • enter a valid email
  • create and validate your password
  • add your legal first and last name
  • click “Register”
• In the email account you provided, find the Registration email and click the link to log in to the RBS Portal.

3. Get your Server ID

You need a Server ID to complete your student registration for any RBS Training Program.

• Login to your RBS Portal account.
• Select “Start Application” under the Server role on the Dashboard.
• Complete the application process and pay the $3 registration fee. This fee is required for the state-provided exam.
• Record the Server ID provided after completing the application and paying the registration fee.

You won’t be able to access your certification exam until you provide your Server ID! You can locate your Server ID via:

1. The registration message sent in the RBS Portal. Click on the envelope icon and find the message titled “Enrollment Registration Completed.”
2. The Server Dashboard. It will be in the box labeled Server Certificate Details.

4. Complete the RBS Training Course

With 100% online access, you can complete your RBS Training in as little as four hours!

• Login to your Userve account and find the RBS Course under “View My Courses.”
• View the Course Introduction.
• Complete the Student Registration on the course page — your Server ID is required.
• Complete the course lessons. Each lesson ends with a practice quiz. You need to score 100% to unlock the next lesson. Each quiz has unlimited attempts.

You’ll receive an email outlining the next steps to take your exam and get certified after completing all lessons. This email will also include a Certificate of Completion confirming that you have finished the Userve RBS Training Program. Please note that this isn’t your official certification, which will be provided to you by the state department after passing the state exam.

5. Take the state exam

You will get access to the state exam after completing all lessons. Getting access to the exam can take up to 24 hours after completing all course lessons.

• Receive email notification confirming exam access.
• Log in to the RBS Portal and under the Server Dashboard, click the “Take Exam” button.
• Take the certification exam! There are 50 multiple choice questions and the passing grade is 70%. You have 3 attempts to pass.

6. Get your certification number

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will issue you your certification number after you pass the state exam. This certification number serves as your training certificate and is what you need to prove you are RBS certified.

Your alcohol server certification number will be recorded on your Server Dashboard in the RBS Portal. You can find it in the training history section at the bottom of the page of the RBS Portal.