California
| Responsible alcohol training required | Mandatory server permit training for servers, bartenders, and managers for on premise establishments |
| Approved AIM to Serve Courses | Responsible Beverage Service Training |
| State application or license required | All on-premise alcohol servers and managers must have a valid California RBS certification from California ABC accredited RBS training provider and pass an online California ABC administered RBS exam within 60 calendar days from the first date of employment. • Before you complete your registration for this course, you must first obtain a Server ID# from the California RBS website. You will be asked to enter this ID# during your enrollment. • Please make sure the following information entered is IDENTICAL to your California RBS registration: Name, email address, and Server ID#. If any item is not IDENTICAL, your completion information will be rejected by the state. • Once your completion information is processed by California ABC, you will receive a notification that the California RBS certification exam is available and must be completed within 30 days. |
| Class Venue | Online class or In Person class is accepted |
| State Agency | Alcoholic Beverage Control 3927 Lennane Dr, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95834 Phone: (916) 318-6435 abc.ca.gov/contact Regional Offices |
| Certification | Alcohol Certification is valid for 3 years |
| Age to Consume | 21 |
| Age to Pour | 21 |
| Age to Sell | The minimum age for serving alcoholic beverages is 21, except any person between 18 and 21 years of age employed in any bona fide public eating place, which is licensed for the on-sale of alcoholic beverages, may serve alcoholic beverages to consumers only if such service occurs in an area primarily designed and used for the sale and service of food for consumption on the premises, and the primary duties of the employee shall be the service of meals to guests, with the service of alcoholic beverages being incidental to such duties. |
| Age to Serve | 21 (Note: If incidental to food service, an employee who is at least 18 year old may serve alcohol) |
| Dram shop liability law | No, except when alcohol is served, sold, or otherwise provided to an obviously intoxicateed minor. In such case, the server, seller, or provider may be held liable for damages. |
| Carding Requirements | On-premise establishments do not have mandatory carding policy, however it is against the law to serve anyone under the age of 21 Off-Premise establishments must card everyone. This includes grocery stores, package stores, and convenience stores. The ID can’t be expired. An exemption is made for those obviously over the age of 50. |
| Acceptable Forms of ID | Valid U.S. State Driver’s License Valid U.S. State or Federal Government issued Identification Valid U.S. Passport and/or Passport Card Valid Military ID issued by the U.S. Department of Defense Valid Foreign Passport In the event an Armed Forces identification card, Passport or Passport Card is provided as proof of identity and lacks a physical description, but does include date of birth and a photo, further proof of identity shall not be required. Green cards and International Driver’s Licenses are NOT acceptable forms of ID. According to business and professions code 25660; the ABC recommends that licensees accept only “Bona Fide” identification which are currently valid, issued by a Government Agency, and contain the following criteria: • Name of Person • Photograph • Physical Description • Date of Birth • Issued by a Governmental Agency • Must be Valid (Not Expired) Relying on identification using these 6 elements provides a legal defense to a violation of California Code Section 25658. For additional information see Sections 25668-25660 of the B&P Code. |
Tennessee FAQs
Your ABC card is no longer mailed out. Contact the TABC at 615-741-1602 to obtain a copy by email. You can also login to your RLPS account to print off a copy.
Please login to your RLPS account on rlps.abc.tn.gov. If you do not have an account, please contact the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission at 615-532-1915.
An RLPS number is issued after a server permit application has been submitted and paid for with the TABC. This is the identification number used to submit your grade. Without an RLPS number, your grade can’t be submitted. Temporary RLPS numbers are not valid for submitting grades. (Example: 21TMP-1234)
The TN ABC Server permit class is 3.5 hours
Yes, the course/exam have to retaken every 5 years.
The TN Wine vender/clerk course is 1-2 hours.
The TN designated manger course is 1-2 hours.
The application fee to obtain an RLPS number for a TN ABC Server Permit is $20.
There are 2 steps to obtaining a server permit. 1) Submit and pay for a server permit application with the TABC. 2) Complete the TN ABC Server Permit course/exam. The course/exam can either be done online or in person.
24-48 BUSINESS hours after completing the course/exam. This is provided that the correct RLPS number is submitted at the time of completion.
Yes, it is important to keep a copy of your server permit on you when working for inspections.
No, it takes 24-48 BUSINESS hours for your ABC Server permit to be uploaded into your RLPS account.
Please contact the TABC at 615-741-1602 or 615-532-1915
Yes, please provide your employer with a copy of your server permit for inspections. It is also recommended to keep a copy of your permit on you while working.