Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) cheat sheet

RSA law makes it an offence to sell or supply alcohol to a person who is intoxicated; the offence applies to the licensee, the server and the supervisor on duty.

Serving alcohol to a minor is an offence with penalties that typically apply to both the individual server and the licensed venue; fines and licence conditions can result.

Licensees must display the licence or permit where required and keep it available for inspection by authorised officers at any time the venue trades.

Permitted trading hours are set by the licence or permit; sales or supply outside those hours are unlawful even if the customer has already paid.

A licensee or approved manager must be present or contactable as the licence requires; absence of the required manager can itself breach licence conditions.

Authorised officers (police, liquor licensing inspectors) may enter licensed premises, inspect records and require production of evidence of age.

RSA certificates are usually valid for a fixed period and must be renewed or refreshed; working without a current certificate breaches licensing rules.

Venues must maintain public liability and, where required, provide free drinking water and food; failure can breach licence conditions.

Penalties escalate for repeat offences, supply to minors, and supply to intoxicated persons; courts may suspend or cancel a licence.

Intoxication is assessed by observable signs, not by blood alcohol estimates: look at speech, balance, coordination, behaviour and appearance.

Common physical signs: slurred or slow speech, bloodshot eyes, loss of coordination, staggering, fumbling with money or phone, spilled drinks.

Behavioural signs: loud or aggressive talk, inappropriate comments, drowsiness, mood swings, over-familiarity, confusion about time or place.

A useful rule: two or more reliable indicators across different categories (speech, balance, behaviour) support a refusal decision.

Rate of drinking and time elapsed matter: rapid consumption of strong drinks raises risk faster than the same amount spread over hours.

Food intake, body weight, hydration, medication and fatigue all affect how quickly a person becomes intoxicated.

Do not rely on a single sign; a person with a disability, illness or injury may show similar signs without being intoxicated.

Progressive monitoring: reassess the customer after each drink; signs worsening over the session confirm the need to stop service.

Refusal should be calm, brief and clear: state that service is being stopped, give the reason (intoxication or age), and do not argue or negotiate.

Use 'I' statements and a neutral tone; avoid accusing language that escalates the customer's response.

Offer alternatives: water, food, a taxi, or a call to a friend; give the person a face-saving way to leave.

Never serve the refused customer again during the same visit; note the refusal so other staff do not serve them.

If the customer becomes aggressive, step back, keep a barrier between you and them, and call the manager or security.

Call police if there is a threat of violence, weapons, or the person refuses to leave after being asked.

Do not physically restrain or remove a customer unless trained and authorised; physical intervention creates legal risk.

Record the refusal: time, description, reason, action taken and witnesses; this protects staff and the venue if a complaint follows.

Notify other staff and the duty manager immediately so the refusal is enforced consistently across the venue.

Acceptable proof of age is usually a current photo driver licence, passport, or government-issued proof-of-age card; expired or damaged documents are not acceptable.

Check the photo matches the person, the date of birth shows they are 18 or over, and the document is genuine and unaltered.

Use the 'challenge 25' rule: if the customer looks under 25, ask for proof of age before serving.

If proof is doubtful, refuse service and do not accept a promise to return with ID later in the same visit.

A person who presents false ID commits an offence; the server should retain the ID only if authorised by law and report the incident.

Minors must not be served, and adults must not buy alcohol for minors; both the buyer and the server can be liable.

Venues must prevent minors from drinking on the premises; monitor groups and check that drinks are not passed to underage companions.

Keep a refusal log for age-related refusals; patterns help identify repeat attempts and support staff training.

Provide free drinking water and encourage food; hydration and food slow alcohol absorption and reduce harm.

Promote lower-strength and non-alcoholic options; display them clearly and price them competitively.

Avoid promotions that encourage rapid or excessive drinking, such as all-you-can-drink offers or drinking games.

Arrange transport options: display taxi numbers, keep a phone available, and support designated-driver arrangements.

Train staff in RSA, first aid and emergency procedures; refresher training keeps skills current.

Manage the venue layout: adequate lighting, clear exits, safe capacity, and security presence at entry and bar areas.

Monitor the crowd for signs of trouble and intervene early; a calm approach prevents escalation.

Display responsible-service signage, including proof-of-age and intoxication warnings, where customers can see it.

Duty of care requires the venue to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm to customers and staff.

If a customer is intoxicated, stop service, offer water and food, and arrange safe transport home; do not let them drive.

Never serve a customer who is clearly intoxicated, even if they insist; the duty of care overrides commercial pressure.

If a customer becomes unwell, provide first aid, call an ambulance if needed, and stay with them until help arrives.

Assist customers with disabilities by providing accessible entry, seating and service without compromising RSA rules.

Keep emergency exits clear and know evacuation procedures; staff should be able to direct customers safely.

Record incidents involving injury, aggression or refusal; these records support duty-of-care compliance and insurance claims.

Cooperate with police and ambulance officers and follow their directions during an emergency.

Record incidents as soon as practicable: date, time, location, people involved, what happened, action taken and witnesses.

Use objective language; describe observable facts, not opinions or conclusions about the person's character.

Keep refusal logs, incident reports and ID-check records for the period required by the licence or regulator.

Store records securely and make them available to authorised officers on request.

Report serious incidents (violence, injury, police attendance) to the licensee or approved manager immediately.

Review incident records regularly to identify patterns and improve staff training and venue procedures.

Do not alter records after the fact; corrections should be dated and signed by the person making them.

Confidentiality: share incident information only with those who need it for safety, legal or regulatory purposes.