West Virginia Food Handler Card: A Comprehensive Guide

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

Owing to the importance of safe food handling to prevent foodborne illnesses, many states and counties requires that food workers earn a food handler card.

However, you may wonder whether West Virginia or any of its counties requires you to earn a food handler card.

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

Do you need a food handler card in West Virginia?

West Virginia requires you to earn a food handler card if you work at a food establishment (1).

West Virginia defines a food establishment as an operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption.

Examples of food establishments include:

• restaurants
• bars
• catering operation
• retail food stores
• schools
• food stands
• mobile food trucks
• food bank
• farmers markets
• healthcare facilities, including nursing home and hospitals

However, while West Virginia requires foodservice workers to earn a food handler card, each county establish its own requirements for food handler training.

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

How do you get a West Virginia food handler card?

Most West Virginia counties have their own food handler training requirements.

Some counties issue and only accept county-specific food handler cards, while others accept food handler cards that are approved statewide.

Here’s a breakdown of each county’s food handler training requirement (2):

County	County-issued
Barbour	Yes
Berkeley-Morgan	Yes
Boone	Yes
Braxton	Yes
Brooke	Yes
Cabell	Yes
Calhoun	Yes
Clay	Yes
Doddridge	Yes
Fayette	Yes
Glimer	Yes
Grant	Yes
Greenbrier	Yes
Hampshire	Yes
Hancock	Yes
Hardy	Yes
Harrison	Yes
Jackson	Yes
Jefferson	Yes
Kanawha	Yes
Lewis	Yes
Lincoln	Yes
Logan	Yes
Marion	Yes
Marshall	Yes
Mason	Yes
McDowell	Yes
Mercer	Yes
Mineral	Yes
Mingo	Yes
Monongalia	Yes
Monroe	Yes
Nicholas	Yes
Ohio	Yes
Pendleton	Yes
Pleasants	Yes
Pocahontas	Yes
Preston	Yes
Putnam	Yes
Raleigh	Yes
Randolph	Yes
Ritchie	Yes
Roane	Yes
Summers	Yes
Taylor	Yes
Tucker	Yes
Tyler	Yes
Upshur	Yes
Wayne	Yes
Webster	Yes
Wetzel	Yes
Wirt	Yes
Wood	Yes
Wyoming	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 take the assessment in two hours or less.

Regardless of the county in which you live, the food handler course will cover essential food safety topics, including:

• time and temperature controls for food safety
• good personal hygiene
• food contamination prevention
• cleaning and sanitizing procedures

The final 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 assessment the first time.

The cost to earn your food handler card also varies depending on whether you earn it through an organization or through your county.

If you earn your food handler card through an online organization, many counties charge a health department fee — usually $10 — on top of the cost to take the course.

For example, if the cost to enroll in an online organization is $15, you may have to pay $25.

Some counties also allow you to earn a food handler card for an extra cost that is accepted everywhere in West Virginia.

How long does a West Virginia food handler card last?

Most county-issued food handler cards are valid for three years, but some expire 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 two to 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, make sure to provide your manager with a copy to prove to health inspectors that you’re training is both approved and current.

Most food handler training programs — including those issued through your county — 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.

The bottom line

West Virginia requires you to earn a food handler card if you work at an establishment that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption.

Each county has its own food handler training requirements and issues its own food handler card, but you can also earn your food handler card through approved online organizations.

Most West Virginia food handler cards expire in three years from the date of issuance, while other counties expire in two years.