Last verified: June 2026. Confirm with the Arkansas Department of Health Food Protection Program before paying.
Arkansas doesn’t require a worker food handler card — the state Health Department says so in plain language. Its real requirement is a certified manager. Here’s the accurate picture, including a myth worth correcting.
Quick answer
Under the Arkansas Rules Pertaining to Retail Food Establishments, each facility must have a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM). There’s no statewide food handler card for regular workers.
- Regular workers: no state-required card — the Arkansas Department of Health “does not require food handlers to earn a card, certificate, or license.”
- The requirement: at least one supervisory employee per establishment is a CFPM, via an accredited (ANSI-CFP) exam.
- Effective: September 7, 2019 (existing establishments had until September 7, 2020 to comply).
- Exemptions: low-risk operations — those selling only commercially prepackaged foods, or only low-risk non-TCS foods (as determined by ADH).
Correcting a common myth
Some course-seller pages claim “every employee who prepares or serves food in Arkansas must get a food handler’s card within 30 days.” That’s not the state rule. The Arkansas Department of Health’s own Food Protection FAQ is explicit that food handlers are not required to earn a card, certificate, or license. What Arkansas requires is a certified manager. Don’t pay for cards for your whole staff thinking the state mandates it (though individual employers or some local jurisdictions may).
The certified-manager requirement
Effective September 7, 2019, the Rules Pertaining to Retail Food Establishments require that at least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility — someone with the authority to direct and control food preparation and service — be a CFPM who passed a test that’s part of an accredited program. Establishments operating before that date were given one year (until September 7, 2020) to comply. Arkansas’s rules are built on the FDA Food Code.
Who’s exempt
The CFPM requirement doesn’t apply to retail food establishments whose business model is low-risk for foodborne illness — specifically those that only provide commercially prepackaged foods, or only low-risk non-time/temperature-control-for-safety (non-TCS) foods, as determined by the Arkansas Department of Health.
Do regular workers need a food handler card?
No — Arkansas doesn’t require one. Voluntary training is still encouraged, supports the ADH’s food-safety interventions, and is sometimes required by employers or local jurisdictions. An ANAB-accredited food handler course (typically valid 3 years) is the standard voluntary option.
What to do
- Owner/manager: ensure a supervisory employee holds a CFPM via an accredited exam (unless your operation qualifies for the low-risk exemption). Renew per your provider’s cycle.
- Regular worker: no state card required; consider a voluntary course, and check your local jurisdiction.
Arkansas at a glance
| Statewide worker card? | No (ADH says so directly) |
| State requirement | One CFPM (supervisory) per establishment |
| Effective | Sept 7, 2019 (existing establishments by Sept 7, 2020) |
| Exempt | Prepackaged-only / low-risk non-TCS operations |
| Governing rule | Arkansas Rules Pertaining to Retail Food Establishments |
| Regulator | Arkansas Department of Health, Food Protection Program |
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The Arkansas Department of Health is the final word.