Last verified: June 2026. Confirm with the Louisiana Department of Health before paying.
Louisiana doesn’t require a worker food handler card — but its manager requirement is more involved than most states: a two-step, state-issued “gold seal” certificate that has to be posted where the public can see it. Here’s the accurate picture.
Quick answer
Under LAC 51:XXIII.305, each food establishment must have a designated person holding a Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Food Safety Manager Certificate. There’s no statewide food handler card for regular workers.
- Regular workers: no state-required card.
- The requirement: one designated owner or employee per establishment holds the LDH Food Safety Manager Certificate.
- Two steps: (1) pass an 8-hour ANSI-CFP manager course and exam; (2) apply to LDH ($25) for the state “gold seal” certificate.
- Display: the state certificate must be posted conspicuously to the public.
- Valid for: 5 years (both the ANSI certification and the state certificate renew on this cycle).
The two-step “gold seal” — Louisiana’s distinctive process
Most states stop at the ANSI exam. Louisiana adds a state layer:
- Step one — the exam. Complete an 8-hour Food Safety Manager course from an LDH-approved provider and pass a proctored ANSI-CFP accredited exam (ServSafe, Learn2Serve, NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, Always Food Safe, AAA, etc.). This produces a testing-company certificate.
- Step two — the state certificate. Submit that certificate, a completed application, and a $25 payment to LDH. LDH then issues a state Food Safety Manager Certificate bearing a “gold seal.” This state certificate — not just the exam certificate — is what satisfies Louisiana law, and it must be displayed where the public can see it.
Important: a basic food handler certificate does not qualify for the LDH Food Safety Manager Certificate — it doesn’t cover management-level material. You need the manager exam.
How many are required
Louisiana requires one designated certificate-holder per establishment (typically the owner or a manager). Only one state certificate is required per establishment, though many operations certify multiple managers as good practice. Louisiana currently incorporates the 2001 edition of the FDA Food Code by reference.
Do regular workers need a food handler card?
No — line cooks, servers, and dishwashers don’t need a state card. A voluntary ANAB-accredited food handler course is still useful and sometimes required by employers. Note: cottage food (home-based) producers in Louisiana do need to complete an ANSI-accredited food handler certificate to register.
What to do
- Owner/manager: complete the 8-hour ANSI course and exam, then apply to LDH ($25) for the gold-seal certificate; post it for the public; renew every 5 years.
- Cottage food producer: complete an ANSI-accredited food handler certificate as part of registration.
- Regular worker: no state card required; consider a voluntary course.
Louisiana at a glance
| Statewide worker card? | No |
| State requirement | LDH “gold seal” Food Safety Manager Certificate (one designated per establishment) |
| Process | 8-hour ANSI course + exam → apply to LDH ($25) → state certificate |
| Display | Must be posted conspicuously to the public |
| Valid for | 5 years |
| Cottage food | Needs ANSI food handler certificate to register |
| Governing rule / code | LAC 51:XXIII.305; 2001 FDA Food Code |
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The Louisiana Department of Health is the final word.