Get Your California RBS Certification to Launch a Restaurant

There are a lot of great businesses that you can consider launching in 2025. One option is to start a restaurant.

The restaurant business has a bad reputation for being hard for entrepreneurs to succeed. However, only 17% of restaurants fail in their first year. You have a pretty good chance of making it work if you know what you are doing and take the right steps. This includes making sure you get the right certification.

If you want to work in the food and drink sector in California, getting your Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) certification is a must. This certification guarantees that servers of alcohol know the laws and understand the responsibilities that go along with serving alcohol. This is the first step for creating a thriving restaurant business.

The process can be harder in California, since the state is very tightly regulated. California has extensive regulations in the restaurant industry, covering labor laws, health codes, and environmental policies. Strict wage laws mandate higher minimum wages and employee benefits than many other states. Restaurants must also comply with stringent food safety and sustainability rules, such as restrictions on plastic utensils and ingredient labeling requirements.

If you are unsure about the steps involved in getting your certification, as well as where you can get California RBS training, here’s a quick but informative guide to help you through the process.

Step 1: Understand the Requirements

It’s very important to know what the requirements are before starting the certification process. In California, everyone who serves alcohol in a licensed establishment must complete an RBS training program.

The RBS program is the base requirement for certification, and it is the law. This program is for anyone who sells or serves alcohol and for anyone who works in a bar. They also have a “renewed” certification, which is good for another three years.

Step 2: Choose an Approved RBS Training Provider

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) maintains a list of RBS training providers that it has approved. Online providers such as CertsUniversity.com offer all of the benefits and training provided at an in-person training center, but from the convenience of your own private location and on your schedule, allowing you to complete the training at your own pace.

Step 3: Complete the RBS Training Course

After choosing an accepted provider, the subsequent step is to register for and finish the California RBS training course. The course generally addresses subjects such as:

• Understanding the alcohol legislation and regulations in California
• Identifying signs of intoxication
• Training in how to politely refuse service to intoxicated customers
• The necessity of checking identification

Step 4: Pass the Certification Exam

Once you have finished the training course, you will be required to take a certification exam. This test is meant to assess how well you understand the content covered in the course. It usually consists of multiple-choice questions, and you are expected to achieve a certain percentage to clear the exam successfully.

Should you not make the passing grade on your first try, most testing agencies will allow you to take a second attempt at the exam after a brief waiting period.

Step 5: Obtain Your RBS Certification

After you have taken and passed the exam, your training provider will present you with your certification as a responsible beverage service (RBS) provider. You will receive a certificate that you can print and keep for your records. However, it’s crucial to note that you should keep a copy of it on file, as prospective employers may ask to see it.

California RBS Training Is Necessary for Working in the Beverage Serving Industry

Obtaining your California RBS certification is a simple matter of knowing what you need to do, selecting an approved training provider, attending that provider’s training, passing a test on the provider’s instruction, and then, as required, refreshing your training and knowledge once in a while. By doing so, you will be better suited to serve your community responsibly.