Do You Need a Food Handlers Card to Work at a Restaurant?

A food handlers card — also known as a food handlers certificate — proves that you have completed a course on food safety.

These courses educate you on how to identify and prevent the various types of food hazards that can lead to food poisoning or foodborne illness.

Due to the importance of safe food handling practices for preventing foodborne illnesses, many places require a food handlers card to work at a food establishment.

However, you may wonder whether this same rule applies to restaurants.

This article explains whether you need a food handlers card to work at a restaurant, and if so, how to earn one.

Do you need a food handler card to work at a restaurant?

A restaurant is a place where foodservice workers prepare, cook, and serve foods and drinks to customers.

There are many different types or styles of restaurants — from fast food to casual to fine dining and more — and the size can vary from small, family-owned establishments to national chains with hundreds of locations.

Restaurant workers are considered food handlers since they handle food and food-contact surfaces like cookware, utensils, and counters.

Therefore, whether you’re a cook, server, or dishwasher you may need to earn a food handlers card if where and for whom you work requires it.

While some positions like cashiers or hostesses don’t handle food or food-contact surfaces, they may be cross-trained to work other positions that do.

As such, at most restaurants, no workers is except from earning a food handler card if the employeer or health department requires it.

Here are the states that require a food handler card:

Other states have no law that require a food handlers card to work at a restaurant, but there may be counties within them that do.

For example, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, New York, and North Dakota, among many others, have no state law requiring food handler training, but many of their counties do.

Additionally, restaurants can still require its employees to earn a food handlers card, even if there is no state or local law requiring it.

Summary

Because restaurant employees handle food and food-contact surfaces, many places require them to earn a food handlers card.

How to get a food handler card to work at a restaurant

The process of earning your food handlers card is quick and easy.

To get started, enroll with a valid online food handler training provider that your employeer or health department accepts.

Most places only accept ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB)-accredited food handler course like FoodSafePal’s.

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ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB)-Accredited

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After enrolling, you can start the course right away.

Learn about:

how food hazards occur and spread
handwashing and good personal hygiene
cross-contamination prevention
cleaning and sanitizing procedures
food allergies and cross-contact prevention

You will need to pass a test at the end to earn your food handlers card, so pay close attention as you progress through the course.

FoodSafePal’s Food Handler test consists of 40 questions, and you need to answer at least 28 (70%) correctly to pass.

Once you pass, your food handlers card belongs to you — not the restaurant at which you work.

This means it follows you if you change jobs, or allows you to work two foodservice jobs concurrently without having to take another food handler course.

Unless you live in California, there exists no law that requires your employer to pay for you to earn your food handlers card since many places deem it a necessary qualification of the job.

However, many places still cover the costs.

Your food handler card expires three years from the date you earn it, but you may need to renew it sooner depending on where you live and work.

Summary

To earn your food handlers card to work at a restaurant, enroll with a valid online training provider like FoodSafePal, complete the course, and pass the test.

The bottom line

Because restaurant workers handle food and food-contact surfaces, you need to earn a food handlers card to work at a restaurant if your health department or employeer requires it.

To earn your food handlers card to work at a restaurant, enroll with a valid online training provider like FoodSafePal, complete the training, and pass the test.