Introduction to The Responsible Vendor Program
Since its creation in 1997, the Louisiana Responsible Vendor training program has been instrumental in providing necessary education to vendors. Louisiana Responsible Vendor Program has trained and permitted thousands of servers in the state of Louisiana. The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) licenses individuals from all three sections of the RV Program, a mandatory certification akin to Florida Responsible Vendor training, (Providers, Trainers and Servers). The three sections of the RV Program encompass the entire process of becoming a server in Louisiana. RV Providers create training programs to facilitate RV Program education through the use of licensed RV Trainers. By making RV Classes available on a regular basis, these RV Providers have successfully facilitated the education and training for the thousands of bartenders, waitresses, sales clerks and other personnel that have been licensed as RV Servers to sell alcohol and tobacco throughout the state. Many call this certification the Louisiana Bar Card.
Responsible Vendor Servers
According to Louisiana law “any employee of a vendor who is authorized to sell or serve alcoholic beverages or tobacco products in the normal course of his or her employment or deals with customers who purchase or consume alcoholic beverages or tobacco products” must attend an RV Class and obtain an RV Server Permit or “bar card” within 45 days of their hire date. RV Classes are held on a regular basis throughout the state and are provided to individuals for a fee of $25 per person. The classes average 2 ½ – 3 hours and include a test which must be passed in order to receive your Responsible Vendor Server Card. Our website features a list of all of the RV Classes being offered statewide so that you can easily find and schedule an RV Class.
The retail locations in Louisiana at which licensed servers are employed are required to keep employment records on site for inspection by ATC Enforcement Agents. This is mandatory as per the Louisiana Responsible Vendor Training guidelines. ATC Enforcement Agents also routinely check the compliance of licensed vendors and their servers. Servers found to sell or serve alcohol/tobacco products in violation of Louisiana can be held liable in criminal or civil court depending on the violation. ATC Agents have begun issuing administrative citations directly to RV Servers for violations of Louisiana Title 26 violations. If you, as a manager, have received an administrative violation, Click Here to access the ATC Prosecutor’s Page where you can obtain information about our administrative violation process.
At ABSEC, we provide multiple methods of training and certification, including private courses, individual training, online training and customized training courses for all of your needs. ABSEC LLC is a Louisiana owned and based company.
Attention to users’ needs and organizational policies place us ahead of our competitors. We have assembled a team of experts in this field who are more than able to provide the top level of instruction and consulting in this arena.
For those able to take our online course, we offer immediate certification as required by Louisiana State law. The server card is issued by the State of Louisiana, but a temporary certificate is issued upon completion of the course and test, giving our students immediate access to written record of attendance and completion.
The alcohol server’s certificate is good for four years, but must be renewed in the manner it was received. (Full recertification by taking the course and passing the test)
Many students prefer to take the course online, instead of having to attend a course in person. Technology has allowed effective online alcohol training courses to finally compete with in-person classes. The course is presented at the student’s pace and can be stopped and restarted, even on another device.
You can use your cellphone, laptop, PC, iPad or other smart device to access the course and complete the certification requirements. The course materials for the alcohol training will also be made available to print and review at a later date.
One of the more common things out students share with us is that many of our competitors lack a telephone number on their website. This prevents students from contacting their provider when there is an issue or question related to the alcohol training course. At ABSEC, we have a contact number that is answered 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.
Many of the web listings are also for websites that are not authorized providers but are trying to sell you a course that gives you similar information, without the state required certification being issued afterwards. Before you enroll in any course, check the Louisiana ATC Website for a list of the currently authorized providers.