We confirmed statewide food handler card rules in nine states on official pages: California, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Utah, New Mexico and Alaska. Most give a new worker 30 days to get trained (Florida allows 60, Washington 14), and the card or certificate lasts two to three years. Elsewhere the rule, where there is one, comes from a county or city health department, such as the Southern Nevada Health District around Las Vegas.
Below: what each state requires, which fees the state itself sets, and where to find a course the state accepts. All pages checked October 24, 2026.
Food handler card rules by state
| State | Deadline after hire | Valid for | Fee set by the state | Where to train |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 30 days | 3 years | Not set by statute | An ANSI-accredited food handler program; a few counties with their own earlier programs are exempt (Cal. Health & Safety Code 113948) |
| Texas | 30 days (25 TAC §228.31(d)) | 2 years | Not set | A DSHS-accredited or ANSI-accredited program; DSHS keeps the registry (Texas DSHS food handlers, DSHS FAQ) |
| Illinois | 30 days; retrain every 3 years (restaurants) | 3 years | Not set | An ANSI-accredited program, or a local health department program approved by IDPH (410 ILCS 625, Public Act 99-0062) |
| Washington | 14 days | 2 years first card; 3 years on renewal; 5 years with extra training | $10 | Only foodworkercard.wa.gov online, or your local health department (Washington DOH food worker card, Spokane Regional Health District) |
| Oregon | 30 days | 3 years | $10 | An approved provider listed by the Oregon Health Authority (Oregon Health Authority) |
| Florida | 60 days | 3 years | Not set | A program approved by the DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants (Fla. Stat. 509.049) |
| Utah | Training in 14 days; permit in 30 days | 3 years | Permit fee up to $15, uniform statewide (R392-103-4) | An approved provider, then a permit from your local health department (Utah Code 26B-7-413) |
| New Mexico | 30 days | 3 years | Not set | An ANSI/ASTM E2659-09 accredited food handler program (7.6.2.8 NMAC); Albuquerque and Bernalillo County enforce their own programs |
| Alaska | 30 days (Anchorage: 21 days) | 3 years | $10 test ID | Only DEC’s own test, or the Municipality of Anchorage card; Anchorage accepts only its own card (Alaska DEC food worker cards) |
Where the rule comes from a county or city
In some states the requirement is local. The Southern Nevada Health District requires a Food Handler Safety Training Card for anyone working in a food establishment it regulates. Since January 1, 2026 the card costs $25, including the in-person test, and lasts three years; details are in our Nevada food handler card guide.
Arizona sets the rule county by county: Maricopa County’s 30-day deadline, three-year validity and the cards it accepts are in our Arizona food handler card guide. In Missouri the card is local: Kansas City’s health department issues a three-year card after a $20 class, or a $25 online course plus an ID check within 30 days, as our Kansas City food handler card guide explains. Independence, Columbia and St. Louis rules are compared in our Missouri food handler card guide. For any state not listed, ask the county or city health department that inspects the restaurant. Colorado, which has no statewide card but requires a certified manager in charge, is covered in our Colorado food handler card guide. Kansas, Idaho and Montana also have no statewide card law; the manager rules and county options are in Kansas, Idaho and Montana food handler card rules. Michigan and Virginia set a certified-manager rule instead of a worker card; see the Michigan food handler card rules and the Virginia food handler card rules.
How to get a card that counts
- Find out which health department covers the restaurant. A card from another state is generally not accepted; Washington and Oregon say so directly.
- Use a course from that state’s approved list. Washington and Oregon warn about sites that sell cards the state won’t accept.
- Finish within the deadline after your hire date, and give your employer a copy. Florida, for example, requires the restaurant to show proof of training at inspection.
- Note the expiration date and renew before it passes. Utah requires renewal within seven days of expiration.
Food handler card vs food manager certification
A food handler card is a short basic course for most kitchen and service staff. A Certified Food Protection Manager credential is a longer course with a proctored exam accredited under Conference for Food Protection standards, usually held by at least one manager per restaurant. It lasts longer: Illinois and Utah both set five years for the manager credential (410 ILCS 625, Public Act 99-0062, Utah Code 26B-7-412). In several states the manager credential also covers the food handler requirement; Oregon, for example, accepts a valid manager certificate in place of a food handler card. State-by-state manager rules are in our food manager certification comparison.
How often inspections flag missing training
Two of the inspection datasets we track record this directly. From October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, Chicago cited item 57, “All food employees have food handler training,” on 542 of 4,788 routine restaurant inspections (11%). King County cited its food worker card item on 217 of 10,605 routine inspections (2%); there it is a red critical item, so it makes the inspection Unsatisfactory. Those counts are our own, from the Chicago Data Portal and King County Open Data, pulled October 24, 2026.
To see where a restaurant stands, look up its inspection history in King County, Chicago or any city in our score guide. How often those inspections happen is in how often restaurants are inspected, and the inspection score reader explains a result on each city’s own scale.