How to Get Your RSA Certificate in Australia

The steps depend on which state you will be working in, because RSA is state liquor law wrapped around a single national training unit. Work out the state first; everything else follows from it.

The unit is SITHFAB021 Provide responsible service of alcohol. It is the same unit in all eight jurisdictions. What differs is who may deliver it to you, what document you end up holding, and whether that document expires.

Step 1 — Identify the jurisdiction you will work in

Jurisdiction What you end up holding Expires
Victoria A Statement of Attainment for SITHFAB021 and an LCV RSA Certificate of Completion — two documents, two stages Victorian RSA Refresher every three years.
New South Wales Eligible temporary interstate workers can use approved interstate RSA. Permanent movers and security or RSA marshal roles must meet NSW training and competency-card requirements; eligible holders can use bridging instead of the full NSW RSA course. NSW competency card: five years. Interstate concessions have separate eligibility and certificate-age requirements.
Queensland The Statement of Attainment — that is the only document Valid RSA training generally has no expiry; training completed before 2002 must be replaced.
Western Australia The RTO's Statement of Attainment Keep the RSA certificate as training evidence; approved-manager cards have separate renewal requirements.
South Australia Check provider approval and training date. Training from 1 November 2020 must be through a Commissioner-approved RTO. Earlier RSA training need not be repeated solely because of that approval change. No routine RSA renewal period stated in the cited CBS guidance; check applicable licence conditions.
Tasmania Interstate certificates can be accepted under the Commissioner’s conditions. Requirements differ for employees and liquor licence holders; check the appropriate role. No RSA expiry date in the regulator’s FAQ; an employer may request updated training.
Northern Territory Certificates from an RTO registered to deliver RSA are accepted, including interstate certificates. Check certificate age and the NT refresher requirements. NT guidance gives a three-year limit for interstate certificates and directs holders to a refresher; check current renewal guidance.
Australian Capital Territory A certificate from an RTO approved by the Commissioner for Fair Trading, or a recognised interstate certificate Three years from course completion, then an ACT-approved refresher.

Current regulator guidance: NSW, VIC, SA, QLD, WA, NT, ACT, TAS.

If you will work in more than one state, you generally have to satisfy each one separately. There is no single national authorisation.

Step 2 — Get a Unique Student Identifier

For nationally recognised training, a Unique Student Identifier (USI) is generally required before a qualification or Statement of Attainment can be issued, unless an applicable exemption applies. See the official USI exemption guidance. A USI is free at usi.gov.au. If you already have one, recover it rather than creating another.

Three practical points:

A USI request alone does not establish whether a provider is legitimate. Check the RTO registration, its scope and the unit codes on the credential — see beware of RSA course scams.

Step 3 — Choose a provider your regulator accepts

This is the step that goes wrong, because being a Registered Training Organisation is not enough everywhere.

Four jurisdictions run an approved-provider register. Victoria (Liquor Control Victoria), New South Wales (Liquor & Gaming NSW Approved Training Provider), South Australia (the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner's closed list, in force since 1 November 2020) and the ACT (the Commissioner for Fair Trading, with approval renewed annually by 30 June). Tasmania runs one for its licence-holder tier only.

In all of those, a Statement of Attainment from an RTO that is not on the list does not satisfy the requirement, however genuine the training. LCV puts it plainly: complete a course it has not approved and you receive a Statement of Attainment, and "this does not allow you to supply alcohol in Victorian licensed venues or locations". In South Australia there is not even a bridging pathway: either your RTO is on the list or you retrain with one that is.

Victoria approves by delivery mode, which is a refinement worth checking before you pay. LCV publishes two separate lists: in-person course providers, who may deliver in person or online using a live meeting platform, and online course providers, who deliver self-paced online. A provider on one list is not approved for the other mode. LCV also publishes an approved-provider wordmark and tells readers to look for it — but verify the wordmark against the list rather than treating the image as evidence.

Queensland and Western Australia run no register at all. Any RTO with SITHFAB021 on its current scope may deliver it. OLGR directs candidates to the RTO list on training.gov.au. So a provider claiming special OLGR or DLGSC approval for RSA is describing a scheme that does not exist. In those two states the only check is that the provider is a real RTO with the unit on scope. There is a rule behind this too: an RTO may only represent that completing a training product leads to a licensed or regulated outcome where the relevant industry regulator has confirmed it, and no confirmation can exist where no scheme does.

Verify against the regulator's own published register, not against a logo on a provider's website. That includes checking us.

Step 4 — Complete SITHFAB021

The unit covers responsible service principles, recognising and refusing service to intoxicated patrons, minors and secondary supply, and the legal duties on you and on the venue.

The assessment requirements are specific. You have to be able to:

Victoria adds state-specific content on top of the national unit: Victorian liquor laws, drink spiking, ID checks and preventing secondary supply, the use of prone restraint, harm minimisation, compliance and enforcement, and recognising, preventing and responding to sexual harassment and assault at a licensed venue.

Delivery can be face-to-face or online depending on the state and the provider. Victoria expressly permits both. Online delivery is not itself a problem; provider approval, for the mode you are buying, is what matters.

Step 5 — Victoria only: the second stage

This is the single most commonly missed step on the whole site, so it gets its own heading.

Completing the course does not give you a Victorian RSA certificate. It gives you a Statement of Attainment. The RSA Certificate of Completion only exists after you finish a separate process run by LCV itself:

  1. Complete SITHFAB021 with an LCV-approved provider.
  2. The provider sends your completion details to LCV. Allow a few working days.
  3. LCV emails you a certificate number.
  4. Use that number to create an account on the LCV Learning Hub.
  5. On the Hub, complete all three components: the pre-training survey, the training module Sexual Harassment and Assault: Recognise, Prevent and Respond, and the post-training survey.
  6. Download your RSA Certificate of Completion.

The module is delivered by LCV, not by your RTO, and it is a separate stage after the course rather than part of it. Staff who stop at step 1 hold a Statement of Attainment and no Victorian RSA certificate. Since 1 December 2025 this additional module has been required to work in many Victorian licensed venues.

Record your certificate number the day you get it. You will need it again for the three-yearly refresher. If it goes missing, email contact@liquor.vic.gov.au with your full name, date of birth, when you completed the original course and the name of the training organisation; LCV verifies the details and provides the number. It is printed at the top or bottom of the certificate itself.

And give your employer the right document. LCV states that what the employer keeps on site is the RSA Certificate of Completion, and that "you do not need to give them the Statement of Attainment that course providers issue". Employers can be fined if they do not keep it.

See the Melbourne RSA update for what changed and when.

Step 6 — New South Wales only: get the competency card

NSW has an extra leg, and the card is what authorises you to work.

Document Issued by Valid for
Interim certificate The ATP, and only the ATP 90 days
Competency card with RSA endorsement Service NSW, on L&GNSW authority 5 years

To convert the interim certificate into a card you attend a Service NSW centre in person with the interim certificate and 100 points of original identification, and have a photo taken. The digital card appears in the Service NSW app shortly after. The physical card arrives by post in two to four weeks, and it is sensible to allow up to five.

Only the ATP that delivered your course may issue your interim certificate. Fines apply to ATPs that issue one to a student who did not complete the course with them.

Step 7 — Keep it current

Jurisdiction What keeps it current
Victoria Victorian RSA Refresher every three years.
New South Wales NSW competency card: five years. Interstate concessions have separate eligibility and certificate-age requirements.
Queensland Valid RSA training generally has no expiry; training completed before 2002 must be replaced.
Western Australia Keep the RSA certificate as training evidence; approved-manager cards have separate renewal requirements.
Northern Territory NT guidance gives a three-year limit for interstate certificates and directs holders to a refresher; check current renewal guidance.
Australian Capital Territory Three years from course completion, then an ACT-approved refresher.
South Australia No routine RSA renewal period stated in the cited CBS guidance; check applicable licence conditions.
Tasmania No RSA expiry date in the regulator’s FAQ; an employer may request updated training.

Three Victorian points that are often stated too narrowly:

Note also that Advanced RSA training is a separate thing in Victoria, required only for certain licence types. It is not a renewal of the ordinary certificate.

A common confusion worth clearing up: the five-year figure attached to Queensland, WA, SA and Tasmanian certificates is not a renewal requirement. It is the window in which New South Wales will accept one of those certificates as the basis for its bridging course. In Queensland and WA themselves, the certificate does not expire. See how long does an RSA last.

Already trained interstate?

Into Victoria. Your interstate certificate does not carry over. LCV states that to supply alcohol in a Victorian licensed venue or location you "cannot rely on an interstate RSA certificate". The route in is the free bridging course — which is the RSA Refresher — and completing it gives you a Victorian RSA certificate. Eligibility requires all three of: RSA training approved by a state or territory liquor licensing authority; original training completed within the last three years; and that you were living interstate or overseas if you completed the course online. Applications that do not meet the criteria are declined, and processing takes about 10 working days. Separate exemptions exist for interstate staff supplying alcohol at a producer's event. Confirm your eligibility with LCV before paying for a full course.

Into NSW, permanently. You do the NSW bridging course, not the full course, if your existing certificate is recent enough:

Trained in Accepted if issued within
QLD, WA, SA, TAS 5 years
VIC, ACT, NT 3 years

Outside those windows it is the full NSW course. Either way you still end up obtaining a NSW competency card; there is no pathway that skips it.

Into NSW, temporarily. If you do not live permanently in NSW, hold approved interstate certification, can produce it on request and understand NSW liquor law, you do not need the bridging course. Two exceptions: anyone doing security work or RSA marshal duties at NSW licensed premises needs the NSW card regardless of where they live.

Into South Australia. No pathway at all. Your RTO must be on the Commissioner's approved list, or you retrain. Training completed before 1 November 2020 is grandfathered.

Into Tasmania. Fine as serving staff. Not accepted for the licence-holder tier, which requires a Commissioner-approved RTO delivering Tasmanian content with practical assessment.

Into the ACT. Recognised under section 193(2) of the Liquor Act 2010, but it expires three years from your original completion date, after which you do an ACT-approved refresher.

An RSA Statement of Attainment is a national training record, but permission to serve alcohol depends on the destination’s rules. NSW permits eligible temporary interstate workers; permanent movers and security or RSA marshal roles must meet NSW training and competency-card requirements, using bridging where eligible. Victoria offers bridging to eligible interstate holders. SA applies approved-provider rules to training from 1 November 2020, with earlier training not required to be repeated solely for that change. QLD and WA require suitable national RSA evidence. Tasmania distinguishes staff from licence holders; the ACT and NT have local currency and refresher requirements. Check the regulator before your first shift. See RSA recognition by jurisdiction, NSW’s rules and SA’s rules.

What a real certificate looks like

An accredited outcome is a Statement of Attainment naming SITHFAB021, issued by an RTO, showing the unit code and the RTO number. The prescribed elements go further, and they are worth knowing as a checklist: the RTO's name, registration code and logo; the full title and national code of each unit as listed on the National Register; the NRT logo used per its conditions of use; the signature of an authorised individual; the organisation's seal, corporate identifier or unique watermark; and the prescribed statement that a VET statement of attainment is issued by an NVR registered training organisation when an individual has completed one or more accredited units or modules.

A document called a "Certificate of Achievement" or "Certificate of Completion" with no unit code and no RTO number is not nationally recognised, whatever the content covered. The one exception to watch for: Victoria's genuine licensing document is called an RSA Certificate of Completion, but it comes from LCV and sits alongside a Statement of Attainment rather than replacing one.

When it has to arrive. An RTO must not issue certification documentation to anyone it has not assessed as meeting the requirements of the training product, and where you have been assessed as competent the certification must issue within 30 calendar days from the completion of the assessment, provided you completed the product and paid all agreed fees. In Victoria, build in the additional few working days before LCV emails your certificate number, and the Learning Hub stage after that.

Non-accredited training produces no Statement of Attainment, does not qualify you to work in licensed premises in any Australian state, and carries no standing with any liquor regulator — even where the content taught is accurate. See why nationally recognised certificates matter and the difference between a good and a bad course provider.

Where we can help

We hold SITSS00071 Responsible service of alcohol on our scope of registration and deliver SITHFAB021. It also holds SITSS00070 Hospitality Compliance, which packages SITHFAB021 with SITXFSA005 and SITXFSA006.

Where your state runs an approved-provider scheme, confirm our current status on that regulator's own register before enrolling. We appear on LCV's approved RSA course provider list under in-person providers, and are not on LCV's separate online list. Three we can state plainly as negatives: we are not on the Tasmanian Commissioner's register, were not on the ACT Access Canberra approved list as at 1 September 2026, and are not an approved provider with Liquor & Gaming NSW.

About us

We are Complete Hospitality Training, RTO 3722, CRICOS 04242E. Level 3, 28 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, and 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010. Contact melbourne@cht.edu.au or +61 3 9654 1554.

We link to the relevant course and regulatory sources in this guide. Check those sources for current requirements, and confirm course availability, delivery, fees and entry requirements with us before enrolling.

How long does the course take?

A face-to-face session is usually a single day, and online delivery is shorter. Confirm the current timetable directly rather than relying on a figure printed on a page. In Victoria, allow extra time for the LCV Learning Hub stage, and in NSW for the card appointment.

Can I do it online?

In many states, yes. Victoria expressly permits in-person and online delivery, and the NSW bridging course is online and self-paced. What matters is that the provider is approved where approval is required — and in Victoria, approved for the mode, because LCV keeps separate in-person and online provider lists. See RSA online (/courses/rsa-online/).

How much does it cost?

It varies by state, provider and delivery mode, and a fee printed on a page ages badly. Confirm the current fee directly. What an RSA course costs (/news/how-much-does-an-rsa-course-cost/) explains what actually drives the difference between providers.

Do I need it before my first shift?

Safest answer: yes. But several jurisdictions do set a grace period. Victoria allows completion before you start supplying alcohol or within one month of first supplying it. Queensland allows 30 days from starting employment. Western Australia allows 28 days, and requires you to give your employer a copy. Do not rely on a grace period you have not confirmed with your own regulator, and note that most venues want evidence at hiring anyway.

Is my certificate valid in another state?

An RSA Statement of Attainment is a national training record, but permission to serve alcohol depends on the destination’s rules. NSW permits eligible temporary interstate workers; permanent movers and security or RSA marshal roles must meet NSW training and competency-card requirements, using bridging where eligible. Victoria offers bridging to eligible interstate holders. SA applies approved-provider rules to training from 1 November 2020, with earlier training not required to be repeated solely for that change. QLD and WA require suitable national RSA evidence. Tasmania distinguishes staff from licence holders; the ACT and NT have local currency and refresher requirements. Check the regulator before your first shift. See RSA recognition by jurisdiction (/rsa/), NSW’s rules (https://www.nsw.gov.au/business-and-economy/liquor-and-gaming/training/rsa-bridging) and SA’s rules (https://www.cbs.sa.gov.au/sections/LGL/RSA-approved-providers).

I finished the course in Victoria. Why does my employer say I do not have an RSA?

Almost certainly because you have the Statement of Attainment and not the LCV RSA Certificate of Completion. Check your email for a certificate number from LCV and complete the three Learning Hub components. The certificate, not the Statement of Attainment, is the document your employer needs on site.

I never received a certificate number from LCV. What now?

Allow a few working days after your course for the provider to send your details through, then contact your provider. If it still has not arrived, or you had one and lost it, email contact@liquor.vic.gov.au with your full name, date of birth, when you completed the original course and the name of the training organisation. LCV can also be reached on 1300 182 457.

Is the Victorian refresher only for licensees?

No. LCV requires the free RSA Refresher every three years of anyone holding a Victorian RSA certificate. Licensees have separate obligations of their own under ss 108AA and 108AC of the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998.

Do I need a USI if I am only doing one short course?

For nationally recognised training, a USI is generally required before your qualification or Statement of Attainment can be issued, unless an applicable exemption applies. We can explain the requirements for your enrolment. See the official USI exemption guidance (https://www.usi.gov.au/students/create-your-usi/exemptions-usi). Creating a USI is free; recover an existing one rather than creating another. Your USI must not be printed on your qualification or Statement of Attainment.

I think I already have a USI but I cannot find it.

Use the recovery function at usi.gov.au rather than creating a new one. A second USI splits your training history between two records.

My certificate is lost. Do I have to do the course again?

No. Ask the RTO that issued it for a re-issue — RTOs must retain records of the certification documentation they have issued for 30 years, and your completion is also recorded against your USI. For the Victorian certificate number specifically, email LCV with your name, date of birth, completion date and training organisation.

Nothing has arrived and it has been over a month.

Ask. Certification must be issued within 30 calendar days from the completion of the assessment, once you have completed the training product and paid all agreed fees. If it does not arrive, use the provider's complaints process — RTOs must have one with procedural fairness, published procedures and escalation avenues, and must tell you the timeframe they apply.

I hold SITHGAM022. Does that cover me for gaming work in Victoria?

No. Victorian Responsible Service of Gaming is free government-delivered training, and the Department of Justice and Community Safety states expressly that nationally accredited SITHGAM training does not satisfy it. There is no bridging course and no exemption. See how to get a bar and gaming licence (/news/how-do-i-get-my-bar-gaming-license/).

Is there a minimum age?

It differs by state and the rules are different kinds of rule. Victoria: LCV states you may complete the RSA training under 18, but must be 18 to serve alcohol. Queensland sets no minimum age under the Liquor Act 1992, and under-18s may serve alcohol in hotels, restaurants and cafes where the venue holds no adult entertainment permit. Western Australia takes a different approach and penalises a licensee who employs a juvenile to sell, supply or serve alcohol, with a $10,000 penalty under the Liquor Control Act 1988 (WA). Check your own state rather than assuming a national 18-plus requirement.

What if the provider turns out not to be approved?

Lodge a complaint with both the state liquor regulator and your consumer protection authority, and complete accredited training again with a provider on the regulator's list. In Victoria that is LCV on 1300 182 457 and Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 558 181.

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