Do waiters, food servers and security staff need an RSA in NSW?
Waiters, bottle shop and security staff who serve alcohol in NSW need an RSA. See which roles need one and how to book one of our RSA courses.
Written byEdway
The short answer
In New South Wales, the RSA rule follows the alcohol, not the job title. If your work involves selling, serving or supplying alcohol, you need an RSA.
That covers many waiters, bottle shop staff and security staff. Working as a food server or bartender is an excellent way to earn and socialise at the same time, and an RSA certificate is your ticket in.
Who needs Responsible Service of Alcohol certification
Liquor & Gaming NSW says RSA applies to a range of workers involved in the sale, service or supply of alcohol. The roles it names include:
- service staff, and food and beverage attendants
- retail liquor salespeople
- winery and brewery staff
- promotional staff
- RSA marshals and security staff
- volunteers
The rule applies in pubs, clubs, restaurants, bottle shops, stadiums and festivals.
Pub and restaurant waiters
A waiter in a licensed restaurant needs an RSA if they serve alcohol. The duty comes from serving drinks, not from waiting tables.
In practice, most waiters in a licensed pub or restaurant take drink orders or carry drinks to tables. If that is part of your job, you need an RSA before you start.
Your RSA training course shows you how to provide proper service and maintain a safe, enjoyable environment in your workplace. Are you ready to become a pub waiter in Sydney? Your RSA certification is the place to start.
Food servers who do not pour
Plenty of food servers spend most of a shift on plates, not glasses. In a busy licensed venue, though, the roster moves fast. A drink order at the table or a glass of wine to carry out is all part of the job.
Holding an RSA means you can say yes to every shift and every duty. It shows the venue you are ready to work anywhere on the floor.
Selling alcohol in a bottle shop or at an event
Retail liquor salespeople are named in the Liquor & Gaming NSW list. So are promotional staff, and winery and brewery staff.
The rule also applies at stadiums and festivals. Volunteers count too. If you pour drinks at a club or an event, you need an RSA even when you are not paid.
You must be 18 or older to sell, serve or supply alcohol in New South Wales. There is a narrow exception for under-18s, but only with approval from the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority.
Security and crowd controllers
Liquor & Gaming NSW names security staff and RSA marshals among the workers the RSA rule applies to. If you work security at a licensed venue, an RSA is part of the job.
If you hold an RSA from another state, these roles always need a New South Wales bridging course and the New South Wales RSA competency card. That applies even to temporary work.
RSA training Sydney: what you need before you book
Here is how to get an RSA in New South Wales. There is no prerequisite course and no minimum age for the training. You need:
- Photo ID.
- A Unique Student Identifier (USI).
- To complete a language, literacy, numeracy and digital (LLND) check after booking. You can try a free 10-minute practice check first to see the level.
In New South Wales you can choose:
- A classroom day at Mona Vale, Darlinghurst or Seven Hills, running 6 to 7 hours.
- Self-paced online study of about 6 hours. You have 2 months from your confirmation email to finish.
Prefer an RSA course online? Study at your own pace, from your phone or laptop, whenever it suits you.
Edway Training (RTO 91401) delivers the course and issues your Statement of Attainment. Edway Training is a Liquor & Gaming NSW Approved Training Provider.
After the course you receive a Statement of Attainment for SITHFAB021 and a 90-day interim certificate. You then visit Service NSW in person to get your RSA competency card. The card is valid for 5 years, and its cost is included in the course fee. The guide to getting your RSA in NSW walks through each step.
If your job also involves gaming machines, you need a separate course called RCG.
Next step
See dates, locations and the price on the RSA course page. Choose New South Wales to see the options.
Our RSA courses run in Mona Vale, Darlinghurst and Seven Hills, or online. Make a booking and get started on your new career!
Sources
- Liquor & Gaming NSW — training requirements for liquor and gamingWho must hold an RSA in New South Wales and the competency-card requirement
- Liquor & Gaming NSW — competency cardsInterim certificate, the Service NSW application and the 5-year card
- Edway knowledge base — courses/rsa/index.mdRoles covered, delivery options, entry requirements, issuing RTO and outcome in New South Wales
- Edway knowledge base — courses/rsa/recognition.mdSecurity and RSA marshal roles needing the New South Wales bridging course and card
- Edway knowledge base — courses/rsa/work.yamlWaiter in a licensed restaurant as a role that needs RSA
