Do servers need RBS certification in California?

Yes, if you serve alcohol. California requires servers and managers at restaurants and bars that serve alcohol to complete Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training and pass the ABC exam within 60 days of starting. The certification lasts 3 years. Servers who handle food also need the California Food Handler Card within 30 days.

What California requires

RBS certification has been required since July 1, 2022, for on-premises alcohol servers and their managers. Source
You must pass the exam within 60 days of your first day of work. Source
RBS certification is valid for 3 years. Source
Servers who handle food need a California Food Handler Card within 30 days. It lasts 3 years. Source

How to list it on your resume

Put these lines under a Certifications and licenses heading near the top, with dates. The employer looks for them first.

Before

Alcohol certified

After

Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) certified, California ABC (expires 2028)

Before

Food handler

After

California Food Handler Card (expires 2028)

Check your server resume for California

What job do you want?

Which state do you work in?

Your resume

Choose a file

PDF or Word (.docx). You can also drag it here.

Or paste your resume

Private. Your resume is read and checked on this device. It is never uploaded, sent or saved. Close the page and it is gone.

Common questions

Do I need RBS to work as a host or busser?

RBS is required for alcohol servers at restaurants and bars and the managers who supervise them. If your job includes taking alcohol orders or serving drinks, plan on getting it.

How do I get RBS certified?

Take the training from an ABC-accredited RBS provider, then pass ABC's RBS exam online. A general alcohol course on its own is not RBS certification.

Do grocery cashiers need RBS?

No. RBS covers on-premises service at restaurants and bars, not stores selling sealed bottles.

What happens if my RBS lapses?

You cannot serve alcohol until you renew. Put the expiration date on your resume so employers see it is current.

Pay for servers in California

See the California minimum wage and work out your take-home pay with the California paycheck calculator.

The full server checklist

The rules above are only for California. For everything else a server resume needs, with a full example, see the server resume checklist.

Sources

Last updated November 15, 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you rely on it.

California ABC: Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training (checked November 15, 2026)
California Health and Safety Code section 113948: Food handler cards (page dated January 1, 2024, checked November 15, 2026) The Legislature's site blocked automated reading on the checked date, so the text was read from a published copy of the statute. SB 476 changes took effect January 1, 2024.