Alabama, Kentucky and Oklahoma don’t issue a statewide food handler card. Each state’s food code centers on a certified manager instead, and employee cards come from local health departments, including Jefferson County (Birmingham) in Alabama, Lexington-Fayette in Kentucky and Tulsa in Oklahoma. Mobile County, Alabama, also offers its own food handler course.
| Where you work | Employee card | Manager certificate | Card fee | Card valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham and Jefferson County, AL | Required within 21 days of hire: county class, county online course, or training by a certified manager | State rule for Category 3 and 4 establishments | $15 class, $20 online | Ask JCDH; no expiration listed |
| Mobile County, AL | County card offered (class or online); requirement not stated by MCHD | State rule for Category 3 and 4 establishments | $23 online ($8 course plus $15 county fee) | 1 year, per the county course portal |
| Lexington (Fayette County), KY | Required; Fayette-issued cards only; certified managers exempt | At least one certified manager (state) | $23 | 3 years, per the county course portal |
| Louisville Metro, KY | None listed | Board-issued certificate on the premises whenever open | — | — |
| Northern Kentucky | None listed | Certified food manager on duty at all times | — | — |
| Tulsa, OK | Food handler permit required by city ordinances, carried at work | ANSI certificate registered with the health department | $20 | 3 years |
| Oklahoma City-County | None listed | Nationally certified manager on site | — | — |
Alabama: a manager rule statewide, cards in Jefferson and Mobile counties
Alabama’s food establishment rules (Ala. Admin. Code 420-3-22) put the training duty on the permit holder or a designee. Under Rule 420-3-22-.02(2)(a), Priority Category 3 and 4 establishments need a permit holder or designee with certification from an accredited program, and since January 1, 2020, a certified person in charge has to be present during all hours of operation. Category 3 covers most full-service kitchens: places that handle unpackaged raw animal food, cook, cool or reheat time/temperature-controlled food, or reuse utensils. Category 4 adds a variance or HACCP plan. Category 1 and 2 establishments and temporary events are exempt.
A certificate counts if it was issued within the previous 60 months, or if the person finished an accredited program without certification within the previous 12 months (Rule .08(3)(c)). A missing certification has to be corrected within 120 days (Rule .08(12)(a)(3)). Rules .01 and .03 were republished effective February 14, 2025; Rule .02 was last amended effective October 3, 2016.
The Jefferson County Department of Health goes further: all food workers in the county must be certified within 21 days of their hire date. You can take the classroom course in Room L129 at 1400 6th Ave S, Birmingham ($15, cash or money order, photo ID), take the county’s online course ($20, through its one approved provider), or be trained by a Certified Food Safety Manager and then work only where one is on duty. The online course runs in English, Chinese, Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese. Food handler cards transfer between establishments, while manager-trained certificates transfer only to places with a Certified Food Safety Manager. Our Jefferson County inspection scores guide covers how the county scores restaurants.
The Mobile County Health Department runs food handler classes at Building 6, 251 N. Bayou St., and an online course through a county-branded portal that lists $23 ($8 course plus $15 health department fee), a 70% passing score with two attempts, and a one-year card. In Baldwin County, ADPH offers ServSafe manager training every other month in Robertsdale (Baldwin County page).
Kentucky: one certified manager statewide, a Fayette County card in Lexington
Kentucky’s retail food rule, 902 KAR 45:005, adopts the 2013 FDA Food Code. In a May 30, 2019 release, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services said the new code would require at least one certified food protection manager in each establishment starting that July. Its only certification rule is the manager requirement.
- Lexington-Fayette County Health Department (food handler page) requires food service workers to hold a food handler card issued by the department, a rule its Board of Health passed in 1987. Only Fayette-issued cards count, and certified managers are exempt. The test costs $23 and food manager certification $85, both online. The county course portal lists a three-year card in English, Spanish and Chinese. Our Lexington-Fayette inspection scores guide explains the county’s reports.
- Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness (food safety page) requires a manager with a board-issued certificate on the premises whenever the establishment operates (Louisville Metro Code § 118.02). The online course costs $35, takes about two hours, needs 70% to pass, and lasts three years. A current ANSI-accredited certificate converts to a Louisville certificate for $35 with the same expiration date, and a duplicate costs $10. Our Louisville grades analysis shows how inspections there score.
- Northern Kentucky Health Department (food manager page) requires a certified food manager on duty at all times. Its class costs $100 and meets on the second Monday of each month at the Florence Government Center. It accepts ANAB-listed training finished within the last three years, valid until three years after the original certification, and turns down most online courses.
Oklahoma: a “may” in the state rule, a permit in Tulsa
Oklahoma’s food service rule, OAC 310:257-3-1.1, says at least one person “may” be a certified food protection manager who passed an accredited exam, and low-risk establishments are exempt. A separate section, OAC 310:257-3-1, requires a person in charge on site during all hours of operation.
- Tulsa Health Department (class and permit page) says local city ordinances require food workers to carry a valid food permit from the department while at work. The permit costs $20 through a one-hour online course and lasts three years; renewing means retaking the course, and third-party courses don’t qualify. Hosts who only seat guests and places selling only prepackaged food are exempt, and a volunteer permit is free. Managers take an ANSI-accredited course, then register with the department for $25; that certificate expires five years from issuance. Our Tulsa County inspection search guide shows where the reports are.
- Oklahoma City-County Health Department (food safety page) covers Oklahoma City, Del City, Midwest City, Nichols Hills, Spencer, Harrah, The Village and Warr Acres. Establishments handling unpackaged time/temperature-controlled food need at least one nationally certified food manager on site as the person in charge, one certificate per location, valid five years from the exam date. Temporary events, prepackaged ice cream trucks, farmers market vendors, uncut produce stands and prepackaged-only sellers are exempt. The department lists outside exam providers rather than holding classes.
Before you pay for a food handler course in these states
- Find the health department that inspects your workplace’s address. Tulsa’s permit and Lexington’s card apply only inside those departments’ areas.
- Check where the requirement falls. In Louisville, Northern Kentucky and Oklahoma City it falls on the manager; in Birmingham, Lexington and Tulsa every food worker needs a card.
- Check which courses the department accepts. Jefferson County approves one online provider, Lexington accepts only Fayette cards, and Tulsa rejects third-party courses.
- Keep the card or certificate at work; Tulsa requires the permit in your possession on the job.
Our state-by-state food handler card guide and food manager certification comparison cover the other states.
Alabama, Kentucky and Oklahoma health department pages checked October 30, 2026.