Kansas, Idaho and Montana have no statewide food handler card law. Idaho and Montana require at least one Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) per establishment. In Kansas, a CFPM certificate is one of three ways the person in charge can show food safety knowledge. Optional worker training exists too, such as RiverStone Health’s free class in Billings and Idaho’s $48 state exam.
Many training-seller pages for these states describe a 30-day deadline and a $15 legal price cap. Those terms match card laws in states such as Illinois and Utah, which cap course or permit prices at $15; the official pages below for Kansas, Idaho and Montana state no such rule. For every state’s card law side by side, see food handler card requirements by state.
| State | Food code in force | Worker card | Manager rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Kansas Food Code 2022 (2017 FDA Food Code), K.A.R. 4-28-8, effective June 2, 2023 | No state or Wichita requirement | CFPM is one of three ways the person in charge can show knowledge (2-102.11) |
| Idaho | IDAPA 16.02.19 (2013 FDA Food Code) | Optional state exam certificate, valid 5 years | At least one manager or supervisor must be a CFPM (since July 1, 2018, per Panhandle Health District) |
| Montana | ARM 37.110.260 (2013 FDA Food Code), effective January 1, 2015 | No state requirement | CFPM required: 90 days for a new license, 45 days after losing one (ARM 37.110.262) |
Kansas: KDA inspects, and Wichita repealed its card in 2018
Restaurant inspections in most of Kansas are done by the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Lodging program (785-564-6767, KDA.FSL@ks.gov), under the Kansas Food Code 2022. The code includes FDA section 2-102.11 but leaves out 2-102.12, the section that makes a CFPM mandatory in the FDA model. Section 2-102.11 asks the person in charge to show knowledge in one of three ways: a clean inspection with no priority violations, a CFPM certificate, or correct answers to the inspector’s questions. KDA says a certified manager helps improve compliance. For Kansas inspection reports rather than training, see Kansas food inspection records across the 2026 system change.
- Wichita: the city repealed its food handler card ordinance (City Code Chapter 7.20) on September 18, 2018, after issuing about 15,000 cards a year. The city’s food page says there is currently no citywide or statewide card requirement.
- Johnson County: the county health department says KDA handles food concerns (county: 913-826-1200; KDA: 785-564-6767).
- Kansas City, Kansas: the Kansas City, Missouri food handler permit covers the Missouri side only. Our Kansas City food handler card guide explains that program.
Idaho: a CFPM rule and an optional $48 state exam
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare writes the Idaho Food Code (IDAPA 16.02.19), and the seven public health districts issue permits and inspect. The department’s food safety page says every food establishment must have at least one manager or supervisor who is a Certified Food Protection Manager, using an ANAB-accredited exam. Panhandle Health District dates that rule to July 1, 2018.
Idaho also runs an optional Idaho Food Safety Exam, often called a food handler’s card: 40 questions, 75% to pass, 45 minutes, unlimited attempts, English or Spanish, valid five years. Central District Health lists the fee as $48. The department says this certificate does not meet the CFPM requirement, so a manager still needs an accredited CFPM exam. Boise-area inspection reports are covered in Central District Health food inspection records.
| Health district | What its food page offers | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Central District Health (Boise) | ServSafe CFPM class, 8 hours, $150 ($73 for the test only) | 208-327-7499 |
| Panhandle | Free state food safety class; card valid only in Idaho; requires a trained supervisor | 208-415-5220 |
| North Central | ServSafe class, $150, retake $45 | 208-799-3100 |
| South Central | ServSafe CFPM class, 7 hours, $150, also in Spanish | 208-737-5900 |
| Southeastern | Links to the state exam | 208-233-9080 |
| Eastern | Inspectors check manager and supervisor training | 208-522-0310 |
| Southwest | Food page marked “coming soon” | Not listed |
Montana: the CFPM 90-day rule and optional county classes
Montana adopted the 2013 FDA Food Code in ARM 37.110.260, effective January 1, 2015. Under ARM 37.110.262, a new license holder has 90 days after the license is issued to have a CFPM, and an existing one has 45 days after its CFPM leaves. Temporary stands that serve no time/temperature control foods, only beverages, or only commercially precooked foods are exempt. DPHHS’s food manager training page says food manager certification is the only certification the state requires, and Cascade County says Montana law sets no course or certificate requirement for food handlers. Montana inspection reports are kept by county and city health departments; see Montana hotel and restaurant inspection records.
- Yellowstone County (Billings): RiverStone Health runs a free two-hour class that issues a local Food Handler Card, offered as optional training (RiverStone Health, 406-256-2770).
- Cascade County (Great Falls): an optional ServSafe Food Handler class through MSU Extension for about $10, and a ServSafe Manager course for $125 (406-454-6980).
- Missoula County: at least one CFPM per establishment; plan review costs $285 (Missoula Public Health, 406-258-4755).
- Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, Flathead: their food pages list contacts only (406-582-3120, 406-457-8900, 406-751-8130). Flathead Valley Community College proctors ServSafe exams for $35.
Checklist for a new hire or a new restaurant in Kansas, Idaho or Montana
- Which agency inspects you: KDA in most of Kansas, your public health district in Idaho, your county or city health department in Montana
- Whether your employer or a local program asks for a card
- Whether a seller’s 30-day deadline or $15 cap appears on your state or local agency’s page
- In Idaho and Montana, who your CFPM is, the certificate’s expiration date, and that the exam was ANAB-accredited
- In Montana, the date your license was issued (the 90-day clock) or the date your CFPM left (45 days)
- In Idaho, whether a course you are buying is the official state exam or a private product
Manager certificate rules in other states are compared in food manager certification by state.
KDA, Wichita, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Idaho public health district, Montana DPHHS and county pages checked October 24, 2026.