To serve alcohol in Australia you need the RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol), but each state has its own rules. A certificate from one state is not always enough in another: in New South Wales and Victoria a bridging course may be needed. In Western Australia and Queensland, the national certificate does not expire. In Victoria it must be renewed every 3 years.
The RSA in each state
| State | Deadline to get it | Validity | Certificate from another state |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | You can already work with the provisional certificate, 90 days | 5-year card | Bridging course, with conditions |
| Victoria | Before starting or within the first month | 3 years | Free bridging course, with training from the last 3 years |
| Queensland | 30 days from starting | Does not expire | Valid if it is a Statement of Attainment for the national course |
| Western Australia | 28 days from starting | Does not expire | The page does not say |
| South Australia | The page does not say | The page does not say | The page does not say |
| Tasmania | Done or enrolled within 3 months | The page does not say | Valid for staff who serve |
| Northern Territory and Canberra | We could not check | We could not check | We could not check |
Details by state
New South Wales
- Who: anyone who sells, serves or supplies alcohol, including security staff and volunteers.
- Where: only with providers approved by Liquor & Gaming NSW, in this finder. A course from another provider does not give you the card.
- Format: in a classroom or online, depending on the provider.
- Card: with the provisional certificate you go to Service NSW with documents adding up to 100 points of identity. They take your photo there. It can take up to 5 weeks.
- Bridging course: it is for people who have moved permanently to this state. A certificate from Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia or Tasmania from the last 5 years is accepted, or one from Victoria, Canberra or the Northern Territory from the last 3.
Victoria
- Who: anyone who offers drinks, takes orders or payments, serves or pours drinks in venues with a general, on-premises, late night or packaged liquor licence.
- Where: providers approved by Liquor Control Victoria, in person or online.
- Renewal: every 3 years, with a free refresher of about 90 minutes.
- Training in another state: you can ask for the free bridging course. The process takes up to 10 business days.
- Age: you can take the course under 18, but you must be 18 to serve.
Queensland
- Who: most staff who serve alcohol, such as bar and floor staff.
- Course: Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol, code SITHFAB021, with a registered provider.
- Document: a Statement of Attainment. A simple attendance certificate is not valid, and there is no physical card.
- Exception: certificates from before 2002 are not valid.
Western Australia
- Who: staff who sell or serve alcohol.
- Course: also SITHFAB021. Clubs can use their own course.
- Validity: the page says these courses do not expire in this state, and that it asks for no further training once they are done.
South Australia
- Who: all staff who sell or serve alcohol, volunteers included, and security staff. There are exceptions for some licences.
- Where: since 1 November 2020, only with the approved providers. The list had 32 when we looked at it. Anyone who did it before that date does not have to repeat it.
- Questions: 131 882, option 5, answers questions on validity and courses from other states.
Tasmania
- Course: SITHFAB021 is recognised, as long as it includes a practical assessment.
- Other states: for staff who sell or serve, courses from anywhere in Australia are recognised. For licence holders the rules are different.
- Age: at least 16, or 18 in areas that are off limits to minors.
How it works in the job
In Queensland and Victoria, the employer keeps a copy of the certificate for inspections. In Tasmania they keep the copy or proof of enrolment. In Western Australia they keep the copy and a training record.
Price: in New South Wales it depends on each provider, and the first card is included in the enrolment. In the other states we have not seen an official figure.
What does hospitality pay?
The general hospitality and restaurant awards give these adult rates from July 2026:
| Category | Per hour | Casual, our calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory | A$25.74 | A$32.18 |
| Level 1 | A$26.44 | A$33.05 |
| Level 2 | A$27.08 | A$33.85 |
A casual has a minimum of 2 hours per shift. In restaurants, Saturday is paid at 150% and public holidays at 250%, with the 25% already included. All loadings and entitlements are in minimum wage and rights.
Does hospitality count for a second visa?
Only in some areas. The rules for the 417 and 462 visas include tourism and hospitality in northern Australia, in remote and very remote areas and in the postcodes 4406, 4416, 4498 and 7215. The work must be done after 21 June 2021. There are more details in how the visa works. The second visa rules may change with the announced ballot.
If you are choosing a destination, see the pages for Cairns, Darwin, Sydney or Melbourne. For your CV, see what a CV for Australia looks like.
What we could not confirm
- Northern Territory and Canberra: we could not check their pages. We only know how New South Wales treats their certificates.
- South Australia: the page does not say whether there is a deadline, an expiry or a refresher.
- Western Australia and Tasmania: they do not say how long the course lasts.
- People without local documents: we do not see how those who have been in the country a short time get the 100 points in New South Wales. Liquor & Gaming NSW answers on 1300 024 720.
- Whether an online course is valid in another state: we have not confirmed this.
- General hospitality loadings: we could not read its table. We give the restaurant one.
Sources
All seen on 5 November 2026.
- RSA, Liquor & Gaming NSW, official.
- Competency cards, Liquor & Gaming NSW, official.
- RSA bridging, Liquor & Gaming NSW, official.
- Find a training provider, Liquor & Gaming NSW, official.
- Responsible service of alcohol training, Victoria, official.
- RSA certification, Queensland, official.
- Liquor management and training, Western Australia, official.
- Key responsibilities of liquor licensees, South Australia, official.
- RSA approved providers, CBS South Australia, official.
- Responsible service of alcohol, Tasmania, official.
- Responsible service alcohol course, Tasmania, official.
- Hospitality Industry (General) Award, MA000009, official.
- Restaurant Industry Award, MA000119, official.
- LIN 22/012, specified work 417, compilation of 5 April 2025, official.
- LIN 22/013, specified work 462, compilation of 5 April 2025, official.