Overview
Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training is mandatory in Australia for people who sell, serve or supply alcohol. There is no single national exam. Each state and territory sets its own rules and approves its own training providers, so details vary by location. This page describes New South Wales (NSW), regulated by Liquor & Gaming NSW, as one clearly labelled worked example. Check the regulator in your own state before enrolling.
Who needs it (NSW)
The training applies to service staff, food and beverage attendants, retail liquor salespeople, winery and brewery staff, promotional staff, RSA marshals, security staff and crowd controllers, and volunteers.
New to the industry, or your RSA training was more than five years ago: do the full course.
Completed NSW RSA in the last five years: only the RSA Refresher course is needed.
Coming from another state: see the RSA Bridging course page on the regulator's site.
Same-day alcohol delivery needs separate training, Responsible Supply of Alcohol Training (RSAT).
Course and assessment (NSW)
The course includes the national unit Provide responsible service of alcohol (SITHFAB021) plus NSW-specific topics: NSW liquor laws, managing intoxication and refusing service, preventing underage drinking (ID checks and secondary supply), harm minimisation, and compliance and enforcement. It can be classroom or online and must be delivered by a Liquor & Gaming NSW Approved Training Provider (ATP).
The refresher is an online course of about 60 to 90 minutes. It ends with a multiple-choice assessment, and you must answer every question correctly to pass. The official pages do not state a pass mark or question count for the full course.
Fees
The price varies by approved training provider. For the full course it includes the cost of your first NSW competency card. For a refresher you pay only the competency card issue cost, listed in the regulator's fee schedule.
How to apply (NSW)
Complete an RSA course with an Approved Training Provider.
You receive an interim certificate, valid for 90 days, which lets you work straight away.
Take the interim certificate and 100 points of ID to a Service NSW centre to get a competency card holder number. A digital card is available through the Service NSW app, and the physical card is posted.
After the course
The NSW competency card is valid for 5 years and has your photo. You must show it to police or compliance officers on request, and fines can apply if you cannot. Do the refresher before the card expires to extend it, because a full course taken earlier does not extend the expiry date.
Is an RSA certificate from another state accepted in NSW?
Not automatically. The regulator points interstate applicants to its RSA Bridging course page to find out whether they need the RSA or the NSW RSA Bridging course.