Do You Have to Pay for a Food Handlers Card?

A food handlers card proves that you have completed a course on essential food safety principles.

Many states and local health departments require a food handler card to work at a food establishment.

In places where state or local laws don’t require food handler training, many employers still do as a condition of employment.

However, you may wonder whether you have to front the costs to earn your food handlers card if your employeer requires it.

This article explains whether you or your employer has to pay for your food handler card as well as how to earn your food handlers card.

Who needs a food handlers card?

Several states have laws that require a food handlers card — also known as a food handlers certificate — to work at a food establishment.

These laws apply to food handlers like cooks, chefs, dishwashers, baristas, servers, and, if they are cross-trained to work other positions, cashiers and hostesses.

A food establishment is any operation that stores, prepares, packages, stores, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption.

This includes:

• restaurants
• markets
• bars
• convenience stores
• bistros
• healthcare facilities
• schools

Here are the states that require a food handler card to work at a food establishment:

• Alaska
• California
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• New Mexico
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington
• West Virginia

If you don’t live in one of these states, your county can still require food handler training.

This is because some states — known as home rule states — allow counties and municipalities to pass laws and govern themselves within certain limits.

For example, Arizona, New York, Kentucky, and Missouri have no law requiring food handler training, but many of their counties do.

If there exists no state or local law requiring food handler training where you work, employers can still — and often do — require it for employment.

This is because many employers have a strong food safety culture, and understand the benefits of food handler training to prevent foodborne illnesses or food poisoning and maintain a good reputation.

Who has to pay for a food handlers card?

Except California, there exists no state or local law that requires employers to pay for their employees to earn food handler card.

California requires an employer to cover the costs for an employee to enroll in a valid food handler training course as well as pay for the time it takes them to complete the course and test.

For all other states, an employer can require a food handler card before or within a certain period of employment but they don’t have to pay for it.

Employers can do this because the food handler card belongs to the employee — not the employeer — and they can view the training as a necessary qualification that makes someone suitable or qualified for the role.

Take for example a fitness center.

The fitness center would want to hire a qualified personal trainer who holds the proper certification to demonstrate they have the knowledge to effectively and safely train people.

The fitness center wouldn’t need to pay for the personal training certification since it doesn’t own the certification, and because that trainer can choose to work at a different fitness center or work at two fitness centers concurrently with their certification.

So, in this example, even though the training is directly related to the employee’s job as a personal trainer, the employer can require the certification as a necessary qualification for the role without having to pay for it.

However, although employers aren’t require to pay for their employees’ food handler training — unless in California — many employers do cover the cost, recognizing the importance of food safety training while also understanding that the cost can be burdensome to some people.

How to earn your food handlers card

You can easily earn your food handlers card online in under one day.

To get started, enroll with a valid online food handler training provider like FoodSafePal.

Most health departments and employers only accept ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB)-accredited food handler cards.

After enrolling, you can start the self-paced course right away.

Learn about essential food safety topics along the way, such as:

• good personal hygiene
• handwashing
• time and temperature controls
• cross-contamination prevention
• cleaning and sanitizing procedures
• food allergies and cross-contact prevention

After you complete the course, you will have to pass a test to earn your food handlers card.

FoodSafePal’s Food Handler course consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, and you need to answer at least 28 (70%) correctly to earn your food handler card.

Remember, once you earn your food handlers card, it belongs to you and not your employer, so it follows you if you change jobs.

However, don’t forget to give your employer a copy to keep on file for you.

Your food handler cards will generally be good for three years from the date you earn it, but some places may require you to renew it sooner.

The bottom line

Many states and local health departments require a food handlers card before or within a certain period of employment at a food establishment.

Employers can also require food handler training for its employees, but aren’t legally obligated to pay for the training unless they operate in California.

This is because employers can deem the training as a necessary qualification to carry out their job responsibilities, and because the certificate belongs to the employee and not the employeer.

However, many employers that require food handler training of their staff do cover the costs.

To earn your food handler card, simply enroll with a valid online training provider — such as FoodSafePal — complete the training, and pass the test.

Your food handler card will generally be good for three years from the date you earn it, but some places require that you renew sooner.