RSA Study Guide (Australia) 2026

What RSA is and who needs it

Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) is the training that people who sell or serve alcohol must complete in Australia. It teaches you how alcohol affects people, how to spot intoxication, how to refuse service safely and how to stop alcohol reaching people under 18.

In Victoria and Queensland the course is built on the national unit SITHFAB021 Provide responsible service of alcohol, and WA requires the nationally accredited RSA course. NSW courses are run by providers approved by Liquor & Gaming NSW. Each state adds its own laws, and each state sets its own rules about who needs RSA, how fast you must get it and how long it lasts. There is no single government exam. Your training provider assesses you and, if you pass, issues proof of training.

Who usually needs RSA

Bar staff, wait staff and anyone who pours, serves or takes orders or payment for alcohol.
Bottle shop and other packaged liquor staff.
In NSW, also security staff, crowd controllers, promotional staff and volunteers who supply alcohol.
In WA, bar staff, supervisors and crowd controllers who sell, supply or serve alcohol.

Licensees and managers often need extra management training on top of RSA, such as the RMLV certificate in Queensland or the Course in Management of Licensed Premises in WA.

RSA rules in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA

State	Regulator	Deadline for new staff	How long it lasts
NSW	Liquor & Gaming NSW	Interim certificate lets you work for 90 days while you get your competency card	Card shows an expiry date; do the online refresher before then
Victoria	Liquor Control Victoria	Before you start, or within one month	Refresher every 3 years
Queensland	Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR)	Within 30 days of starting	Does not expire (courses before 2002 are not valid)
WA	Racing, Gaming and Liquor	Within 28 days of starting	The state's training page sets no RSA expiry; approved manager cards last 5 years

New South Wales

Only Approved Training Providers can run the course. When you pass, you get an interim certificate valid for 90 days.
Take the interim certificate to Service NSW and complete a 100-point ID check to get your competency card. A digital card is available in the Service NSW app.
Before your competency expires, do the online refresher (about 60 to 90 minutes). You must get 100% on its multiple-choice assessment.
If your training was more than five years ago, or you are new to the industry, you need the full course. Doing the full course again does not extend a current card.
Same-day alcohol delivery staff need separate Responsible Supply of Alcohol Training (RSAT).

Victoria

You need a current RSA Certificate of Completion to supply alcohol at a venue with a general, on-premises, late night or packaged liquor licence.
You can do the training from 16, but you must be 18 to serve alcohol.
After the course you finish extra steps on the Liquor Control Victoria Learning Hub, including a sexual harassment and assault module, then download your certificate.
The RSA Refresher is free, online, takes about 90 minutes and must be done every 3 years.
Give your employer a copy of the Certificate of Completion. They must keep it on site for inspectors and police.

Queensland

Complete the nationally recognised course with a registered training organisation (RTO) within 30 days of starting work.
You get a Statement of Attainment, not a card. A statement of attendance does not count.
Licensees must keep copies of staff Statements of Attainment on the premises.
Under-18s may serve in hotels, restaurants and cafes with RSA, unless the venue has an adult entertainment permit.
Licensees and approved managers with a current RMLV certificate (valid 3 years) do not also need RSA.

Western Australia

Staff need at least the nationally accredited RSA course, completed within 28 days of starting.
Give your employer a copy of your RSA certificate. An RSA card from another state is not accepted as evidence on its own.
A restricted approved manager card needs RSA. An unrestricted card needs the Course in Management of Licensed Premises.
Juveniles (under 18) may serve alcohol only with meals, with prior approval, after enrolling in or completing an approved course, and under supervision at all times.

Alcohol, standard drinks and the body

A standard drink in Australia always contains 10 grams of pure alcohol. Every alcohol container sold in Australia must show how many standard drinks it holds. Most drinks served in venues are more than one standard drink.

Drink	About how many standard drinks
30 ml spirits (40%)	1.0
375 ml can of mid-strength beer (3.5%)	1.0
375 ml can of full-strength beer (4.8%)	1.4
425 ml glass of full-strength beer	1.6
100 ml red wine (13.5%)	1.0
150 ml restaurant serve of red wine	1.6
750 ml bottle of red wine	8
330 ml high-strength pre-mixed spirit (7%)	1.8

National guidelines

Healthy adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any one day.
People under 18 should not drink alcohol.
People who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol.

How alcohol affects people

Alcohol slows down the brain and affects how people think, feel and act. The liver breaks down most of the alcohol, and an average healthy person takes about one hour to break down one standard drink. Coffee, cold showers and vomiting do not help. Only time lowers blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

BAC	Common effects
Up to 0.05	Feeling relaxed, talkative and more confident
0.05 to 0.08	Poorer judgement and movement, fewer inhibitions
0.08 to 0.15	Slurred speech; poor balance, coordination, vision and reflexes
0.15 to 0.30	Needs help to walk, trouble breathing, may lose consciousness
Over 0.30	Coma and death are possible

Alcohol affects people faster when they drink on an empty stomach or weigh less. Sex, physical and mental health, medical conditions, and medicines or other drugs also change its effects.

Recognising intoxication

Each state uses its own legal words: intoxicated in NSW and Victoria, unduly intoxicated in Queensland and drunk in WA. Victoria, Queensland and WA all use the same idea. A person is intoxicated when their speech, balance, coordination or behaviour is noticeably affected and you reasonably believe alcohol (or in Queensland, alcohol, drugs or another substance) is the cause. NSW staff use the GL4003 Intoxication guidelines from Liquor & Gaming NSW.

Sign type	What you might see
Speech	Slurring, muddled speech, losing the train of thought, rambling
Balance	Swaying, staggering, bumping into furniture, falling over
Coordination	Fumbling money, spilling or dropping drinks, struggling to pick things up
Behaviour	Loud, argumentative or aggressive, annoying others, offensive language, confusion, vomiting, dozing at the table

Think before you decide

Some disabilities and medical conditions cause similar signs. Talk with the person first so you do not discriminate.
Think about how much you and other staff saw them drink and whether they smell of alcohol.
People may have been drinking before they arrived, so one drink in your venue does not mean they are sober.
The amount it takes to become intoxicated varies from person to person.

Refusing service and duty of care

All four states make it an offence to supply alcohol to an intoxicated person. Watch for a sober friend buying drinks for them too: Liquor Control Victoria says letting customers buy alcohol for an intoxicated person, called secondary supply, is against the law.

How to refuse

Act early, while the person can still be reasoned with.
Politely tell them you will not serve them more alcohol and explain why. Point to the refusal signs behind the bar.
Do not call them a drunk. Stay calm: if they raise their voice, lower yours.
Do not give 'one last drink', and do not let them finish the drink they have.
Tell your manager and the other staff so no one else serves them.
Record the refusal in the incident register, especially if there were threats or aggression.

Look after the person

Offer water, food, non-alcoholic drinks and time. Offer to call a taxi or a friend.
If they must wait, move them to a quiet, well-lit area away from the bar and gaming rooms, and have a staff member watch them. NSW guidance says to check at least every 10 to 15 minutes if constant watching is not possible.
Ask a sober friend to help get them home, and make sure they leave safely and do not hang around outside.
If someone has trouble breathing or cannot be woken, call an ambulance at once and stay with them.

Staying or leaving

NSW: allowing an intoxicated person to stay is an offence (up to $11,000), unless medical help or transport has been arranged and they are monitored. Once staff know someone is intoxicated, they must not serve them again, even if they seem to sober up.
NSW: a removed person must not re-enter the venue for 24 hours or stay within 50 metres without a reasonable excuse.
Victoria: a drunk, violent or quarrelsome person who refuses to leave when asked commits an offence.
Queensland: a refused patron may stay if closely monitored with no access to alcohol. A patron asked to leave must go at once, and staff may use necessary and reasonable force if they refuse.
Queensland: venues must provide water free or at a reasonable cost.

Minors and checking ID

In all four states it is against the law to sell or supply alcohol to anyone under 18. NSW and Victoria advise checking the ID of anyone who looks under 25. If you are unsure a person is 18 and they have no acceptable ID, refuse service.

How to check ID

Ask the person to take the ID out of their wallet, and check it in good light.
Check it is current and has a photo and a date of birth.
Compare the photo with the person's face and look for holograms and other security features.
Feel the photo, date of birth and edges for tampering.
Work out the age from the date of birth. Licences, passports and photo cards are also issued to under-18s.

State	Examples of accepted ID	Suspected fake ID
NSW	Driver licences (including digital and interstate), passports, NSW photo card, government proof-of-age cards, Keypass	Avoid handling a customer's phone when checking digital ID
Victoria	Australian licences and learner permits (physical or digital), proof-of-age cards, Keypass, passports, Victorian marine licence; foreign licences with an English translation or International Driving Permit	May confiscate fake or borrowed ID (not digital licences) and must hand it to Victoria Police
Queensland	Photo ID card, Australian licence or learner permit (including Queensland digital), foreign licence, any passport, proof-of-age card	Confiscate and send to OLGR with a report; never take a phone
WA	WA Photo Card, Australian licence or learner permit with photo, passport, proof-of-age cards, Keypass; digital licences from NSW, SA, Queensland and Victoria	Photos or screenshots of ID are not accepted

Under-18s on licensed premises

NSW: minors may be in some areas only with a responsible adult, such as a parent, step-parent or guardian.
Queensland: minors may be on premises in limited cases, such as eating a meal or with a supervising adult, but not under a nightclub licence after 5 pm.
WA: juveniles may be present with a responsible adult, while getting a meal in a dining area, or in other limited cases. A juvenile there without a lawful reason faces up to $2,000 and the licensee up to $10,000.