Food Handler Card Requirements by State 2026

Food handler card requirements by state fall into three groups. A limited group of states impose worker-level cards or training across the state, Hawaii requires trained coverage at each establishment, and several other states leave worker cards to local health authorities. A manager certificate is not counted as a food handler card here.

What do statewide, local, and none mean?

“Yes” means a state rule reaches food employees across the state, although exemptions and agency boundaries can narrow its reach. “Local” means no universal state worker card was found, but a primary source documents at least one local worker-card rule. “None found” means the state sources reviewed did not establish a card for each food employee; a manager or person-in-charge credential may still be mandatory.

The deadline is measured from the start of employment unless the cell says otherwise. “Before work” means the worker must qualify before beginning covered duties. Prices are government-set amounts or limits, not offers from this site.

State	Statewide requirement	Deadline	Validity	Exam, cost, and approving body
Alabama	None found; state retail food program reviewed	N/A	N/A	No statewide worker card found
Alaska	Yes, except Anchorage uses its own program	Within 30 days	3 years	State exam; 10 dollar fee; Alaska DEC or Anchorage authority
Arizona	Local, by county	County-set	County-set	Accredited course and assessment where required; county and ANAB scope
Arkansas	None found; state Food Protection program reviewed	N/A	N/A	No statewide worker card found
California	Yes, with listed exemptions and preexisting local programs	Within 30 days	3 years	Course and exam; ANAB-accredited California program; at least one option must be 15 dollars or less
Colorado	None found; state retail food rules reviewed	N/A	N/A	Manager rules do not create a card for every worker
Connecticut	None found; state Food Code materials reviewed	N/A	N/A	Manager rules do not create a card for every worker
Delaware	None found; state CFPM rule reviewed	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only, not an all-worker card
Florida	Yes, for public food service employees	Within 60 days	3 years	Division-approved training; no universal separate worker exam; provider-set price
Georgia	None found; state food service program reviewed	N/A	N/A	Manager rules do not create a card for every worker
Hawaii	Yes, limited: one trained employee must be present	During all operating hours	3 years for the state class	State class is free; ANAB-accredited handler courses also accepted
Idaho	None found; state food safety program reviewed	N/A	N/A	State offers an optional worker exam, not a universal card rule
Illinois	Yes, requirements vary by establishment type	Generally within 30 days	3 years for restaurant certificates and specified facilities	ANAB-accredited or IDPH-approved program; an option must cost 15 dollars or less
Indiana	None for every worker; state requirement is a CFPM	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Iowa	None found; Iowa Food Code duties reviewed	N/A	N/A	Employer training duty, not a state worker card
Kansas	None found; state food safety program reviewed	N/A	N/A	No statewide worker card found
Kentucky	Local; Lexington is one example	At start of work in Lexington	3 years in Lexington	Local training and exam; local authority sets price
Louisiana	None for every worker; state program is manager certification	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Maine	None for every worker; state rule is a CFPM	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Maryland	None found; state Office of Food Protection reviewed	N/A	N/A	Local manager rules may apply; no statewide worker card found
Massachusetts	None found; state food safety resources reviewed	N/A	N/A	Manager rules do not create a card for every worker
Michigan	None for every worker; state requirement is a certified manager	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Minnesota	None for every worker; state requirement is a CFPM	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Mississippi	None for every worker; state requires a certified manager	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Missouri	Local; the state confirms local certifications	Local; 15 days in Independence	Local; 3 years in Independence	Local exam; 25 dollars in Independence
Montana	None for every worker; only manager certification is statewide	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Nebraska	Local; Lincoln documents worker permits	Local	Local	Local training and permit
Nevada	Local; Southern Nevada is the main card jurisdiction	Before work in Southern Nevada	3 years	Local exam; 25 dollar first card; SNHD
New Hampshire	None found; state Food Protection program reviewed	N/A	N/A	No statewide worker card found
New Jersey	None for every worker; state rules distinguish handler and manager credentials	N/A	N/A	Manager credential applies to specified operations
New Mexico	Yes	Within 30 days	3 years	Test required; approved handler program; provider-set price
New York	Local; no statewide all-worker card found	Local; NYC requires certified supervision while operating	No expiration for the NYC certificate	NYC supervisor exam; 24 dollar base exam fee; NYC Health
North Carolina	None for every worker; state CFPM guidance reviewed	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
North Dakota	None found; state food and lodging program reviewed	N/A	N/A	No statewide worker card found
Ohio	None for every worker; manager certification applies to higher-risk operations	N/A	N/A	Manager or person-in-charge credential, not an all-worker card
Oklahoma	Local; Norman and Moore require cards	Local	3 years in Norman and Moore	Local class; 10 dollars in Cleveland County
Oregon	Yes, for food service workers; ODA retail establishments differ	Within 30 days	3 years	Approved test; 10 dollar card; Oregon OHA-approved provider
Pennsylvania	None for every worker; one manager certificate is required at covered facilities	N/A	N/A	ANAB-CFP manager credential only
Rhode Island	None for every worker; state licenses food safety managers	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
South Carolina	None found; retail food regulation reviewed	N/A	N/A	Manager rules do not create a card for every worker
South Dakota	None for every worker; state rule addresses food service managers	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Tennessee	None found; state food service rules reviewed	N/A	N/A	Demonstration-of-knowledge and manager provisions, not an all-worker card
Texas	Yes, with exemptions	Within 30 days	Printed expiration; 2 years if none is printed	TXDSHS- or ANAB-accredited course; provider-set price
Utah	Yes	Within 30 days	3 years	State-approved training and exam; permit fee capped at 15 dollars plus provider charge
Vermont	None found; state food and lodging rules reviewed	N/A	N/A	Manager rules do not create a card for every worker
Virginia	None for every worker; state requires a CFPM	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Washington	Yes	Within 14 days, with employer training first	2 years initially; 3 or 5 years on renewal	State exam; 10 dollar card; local health department
West Virginia	Local, under state parameters	Within 30 days if locally required	1 to 3 years	Local program or nationally recognized course; statewide reciprocity can cost up to 10 dollars extra
Wisconsin	None for every worker; most covered businesses need a certified manager	N/A	N/A	Manager credential only
Wyoming	None found; state food safety program reviewed	N/A	N/A	No statewide worker card found

What do the major card states require?

California

The California Department of Public Health says covered retail food handlers must maintain a card from an ANAB-accredited California food handler program. The underlying Retail Food Code requires a course and exam, sets the hire deadline and renewal period shown above, and preserves certain older local programs. It also exempts specified settings, so a worker should check the facility type rather than assume every food job is covered.

Texas

The Texas Department of State Health Services FAQ applies the rule to employees who work with unpackaged food, food equipment, utensils, or food-contact surfaces. Texas accepts programs approved by TXDSHS or ANAB, and an accredited certificate has statewide reciprocity. Course vendors set their own prices. Certified food managers and several limited categories are exempt.

Washington

The Washington State Department of Health requires training and the Washington food-safety exam. The only authorized online route is the state food worker site linked by the department. Initial and renewal periods differ, and the longest renewal requires documented additional food-safety training. A card issued through a local health department works statewide.

Illinois

The Illinois Department of Public Health distinguishes restaurants from non-restaurant facilities. Restaurant workers generally use an ANAB-accredited handler program, while IDPH can approve internal or local programs in defined cases. The IDPH FAQ explains that some non-restaurant training stays with the employer and does not transfer.

Arizona

Arizona does not impose one worker card statewide. Arizona Revised Statutes section 11-269.12 instead sets standards when a county chooses to require one, including the ASTM certificate-program standard and county control over timing and renewal. Maricopa County requires its food-handling employees to pass an exam from an ANAB-accredited provider. Cost and expiration therefore depend on the provider and local rule.

New Mexico

The New Mexico Environment Department rule requires covered food employees to pass a food-handler test and possess a valid card. It allows a regulator-approved employer program in place of individual cards and lists exemptions for certain employees, volunteers, temporary operations, and certified managers. The state rule does not set a retail price, so the approved provider controls the cost.

Nevada

Nevada does not use one statewide worker card. In Clark County, the Southern Nevada Health District requires a card before covered employment, administers the test, and issues the credential. Its current fee page includes the exam in the first-card price shown above. That local card should not be presented as a Nevada-wide credential.

Florida

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation requires public food service employees to complete division-approved food handling and hygiene training. The rule is training-based and does not impose one separate statewide worker exam. An approved provider or approved in-house program supplies the documentation, and price depends on that route.

New York

The state sources reviewed did not establish a food handler card for every New York worker. New York City instead requires a certified food-protection supervisor to be on site while a covered establishment operates. NYC Health offers the online course without charge, then requires the in-person final exam and base fee shown above. Its official FAQ says the certificate does not routinely expire.

How should a worker use this table?

Start with the row for the work location, then identify the regulator printed on the establishment permit. State rules can exempt temporary operations, prepackaged-food businesses, volunteers, or workers who already hold a manager credential. Local rules can be stricter, especially in states marked Local.

For an accredited course, verify the issuer in the ANAB certificate issuer directory under the correct state scope. ANAB explains that handler certificate programs and food protection manager certifications are different credentials. Confirm the course with the regulator before paying when the state uses its own exam or approved-provider list.

State guides in depth

The table above is the fast answer. These guides go further for the states people ask about most, with the local ordinances, published fees and county exceptions the table cannot hold: