Arizona Food Handler Card: A Comprehensive Guide

A food handler card — also known as a food handler certificate, license, or permit — proves that have completed a course on food safety.

Owing to the importance of food safety for preventing foodborne illnesses, many states, cities, and counties require food workers to earn a food handler card.

However, you may wonder whether Arizona or any of its cities or counties require a food handler card.

This article explains everything you need to know about an Arizona food handler card, including whether it’s required, how to earn one, and more.

Do you need a food handler card in Arizona?

Arizona does not have a law requiring food handler cards for food workers.

However, individual counties can establish their own food handler training requirements.

Here are the Arizona counties that require a food handler card (1):

Coconino
Gila
Greenlee
La Paz
Maricopa
Mohave
Pinal
Santa Cruz
Yavapai
Yuma

If you handle, prepare, serve, sell, give away, or handle food-contact surfaces like utensils or equipment in one of these counties, you must earn a food handler card.

While some counties don’t specify when you must obtain your food handler card, most require it within 30 days of employment.

If you live in a county that doesn’t require food handler training like Apache, Cochise, Graham, Navajo, or Pima, your employer may still require it, in part because Arizona strongly encourages it.

Summary

While Arizona doesn’t have a law regarding food handler training, many of its counties require it to handle, prepare, serve, sell, give away, or handle food-contact surfaces.

How do you get an Arizona food handler card?

Each county requiring food handler training has its own requirements.

Some counties issue and only accept county-specific food handler cards, while others accept food handler cards issued by other counties.

However, all counties accept food handler training programs accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), like FoodSafePal.

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Here’s a breakdown of each county’s food handler training requirements:

County	County-issued
Coconino	Yes
Gila	No
Greenlee	Yes
La Paz	Yes
Maricopa	No
Mohave	No
Pinal	No
Santa Cruz	No
Yavapai	Yes
Yuma	Yes

The time it takes to earn your food handler card varies by organization and whether you earn it through your county, but you can expect to finish the course and test in two hours or less.

The course covers essential food safety topics, including:

The test includes questions on these topics. The number of questions and the minimum passing score varies by the organization or county.

Most organizations, including most counties, allow one free retake if you don’t pass the first time.

Some counties charge a fee on top of the cost to complete the course if you choose to earn your food handler card through an organization rather through them.

Coconino charges an $8 fee to create a county-specific food handler card, while La Paz charges a $15 conversion fee.

Summary

Some Arizona counties issue county-specific food handler cards, but all counties accept ANAB-accredited food handler courses, such as FoodSafePal’s.

How long does an Arizona food handler card last?

An Arizona food handler card is valid for three years, except if it is issued by Yavapa, in which case, it expires in two years.

When your card is near its expiration, you must retake a county-approved food handler course to renew it.

Renewing your food handler card every three years ensures that you stay current and fresh on important food safety practices.

In either case, whether you’re earning your food handler card for the first time or renewing it, makes sure to provide your manager with a copy to show health inspectors that you’re current in your training.

Most food handler training programs — including county-specific — issue certificates as a PDF, making it easy to print or email a copy to your manager.

If you lose your food handler card or certificate, you can redownload it from the organization in which you earned it or contact them to request another copy.

Some counties charge a reprint fee.

Summary

Arizona food handler cards expire three years from the date you earned it, except if you earned it through Yavapa, in which case, it expires in two years. Renewing your card every three years keeps you current on the best food safety practices and principles.

The bottom line

Arizona doesn’t have specific food handler training requirements, but many of its counties do.

Arizona counties that require a food handler card include: Coconino, Gila, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.

While not required in other counties, Arizona strongly encourages food handler training if you handle, prepare, serve, sell, give away, or handle food contact surfaces like utensils or equipment.

Some counties have their own food handler training programs, but all accept those that are accredited by ANAB.