Last verified: June 2026 against the California Department of Public Health, LA County Public Health guidance, and the San Diego County food handler program. Confirm with your county health department before paying.
| Required | Get it within | Valid for | Provider must be |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 30 days from hire | 3 years | ANSI/ANAB-accredited |
Law: Cal. Health & Safety Code § 113947.1 · Authority: California Department of Public Health · Verified: June 2026
California has two wrinkles that trip people up: a law (SB 476) that changed who pays for the card, and three counties that run their own program and won’t accept the statewide card. Here’s the whole picture in plain English.
Quick answer
If you handle food in a California food facility, you must get a food handler card within 30 days of being hired and keep it valid for as long as you work as a food handler. The card comes from an ANAB-accredited course approved by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). You finish the course, pass the exam, and print the card the same day.
- Who needs one: anyone who handles food, food-contact surfaces, or utensils — cooks, servers, bartenders, bussers, and more.
- Deadline: within 30 days of hire (statewide). San Diego County is shorter — 10 days.
- Cost: the law does not cap prices — it guarantees choice. At least one approved course must be available at no more than $15 including the card, so a compliant option always exists at or below that. Real prices often run $7–$15. And under SB 476, your employer pays — see below.
- Valid for: 3 years.
- Where it’s valid: statewide — except San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego counties (see below).
Ready to get this done? This ANAB-accredited online course works for most of the state — note it doesn’t cover San Bernardino, Riverside, or San Diego counties (see below).
On price: California does not cap what a course may charge — §113948(h)(2) only guarantees that at least one option exists at $15 or less, and suspends the card requirement entirely if none does. Shop on price if it matters to you.
What it’s called: California law says food handler card, and that is the term on the CDPH-recognised, ANAB-accredited credential. You will also see the same thing searched and advertised as a food handler certificate, food handler certification, food handlers permit or food handlers license — including in job ads. In California they all mean the card described here.
SB 476: your employer pays, not you
Since January 1, 2024, California law (SB 476) requires employers to cover the cost of the food handler card and to pay you for the time you spend training and testing. You’re also supposed to be relieved of other duties while you do it.
- An employer cannot require you to already have a card as a condition of getting hired. The 30-day clock starts after you’re hired, and they pay for it.
- If you paid for your own card before starting a job, that’s generally fine to use — but a new employer still has obligations for any required training going forward.
- Employers must keep records showing every food handler has a valid card, and produce them for inspectors on request.
California food handler card by county: the three-county exception
A point of accuracy worth knowing: the law does not name these three counties. Health & Safety Code § 113948(f) grandfathers any “existing local food handler program that took effect prior to January 1, 2009” — San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino are simply the counties that qualified. Pages claiming the statute names them are wrong, though the practical result is the same.
This is the single most expensive mistake in California. San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego counties run their own food handler programs that pre-date the state law, and the statewide card is not accepted there. If you work in one of these three counties, get the county-specific course from the start.
The dual-card rule (the part nobody explains)
It cuts both ways, and this is where people get caught: if you work in one of the three counties and also at a place outside those counties, you need both — the county card for the local job and a statewide California card for the outside job. A San Diego county card alone does not cover a shift in Orange County, and a statewide card alone does not cover a shift in San Diego. Working across the county line means carrying both.
San Diego County
San Diego runs the most distinct program of the three, under San Diego County Code (full guide: San Diego County food handler card):
- What’s required: either a valid food handler card from a county-authorized training school, or a County of San Diego food handler test administered by a certified food safety manager.
- Deadline: within 10 days of starting work (shorter than the statewide 30).
- Validity: 3 years. Renewals require attending a 3-hour training course through an approved school.
- Low-cost option: a county training packet is available for $2.00 in person at the San Diego Environmental Health office, 5500 Overland Ave, Suite 170, San Diego, CA 92123.
San Bernardino & Riverside Counties
Both counties require their own card rather than the statewide one, but they are not the same as each other — and the difference catches people out.
- Riverside County: valid 2 years, not 3. Riverside is the only one of the three on a two-year cycle — its ordinance says the certificate expires “at the end of the month that occurs 2 years after the date it was issued.” You must get it within 7 days of starting, and only the Riverside County programme counts. Cost $28.
- San Bernardino County: valid 3 years. You have 14 calendar days, and only if you are supervised by someone holding a food safety certificate. The county is blunt about the source: cards must come from San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services only — “food handler cards from other counties, programs or companies are not an acceptable substitute.” Cost $22.
Full guides: Riverside County food handler card and San Bernardino County food handler card.
In both counties, confirm before you buy. A statewide ANAB-accredited card that is perfectly valid in Los Angeles is worth nothing in Riverside or San Bernardino.
⚠️ One part of the state law DOES reach all three counties
This is the most missed detail in California. The statute exempts the three grandfathered counties from the food handler card section “except for subdivision (i)” — and subdivision (i) is the SB 476 employer-pays rule.
So even in San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino, your employer must pay for the card, must treat the training and exam time as paid hours worked, and must relieve you of other duties while you do it. San Bernardino County says so itself: SB 476 “will only apply to San Bernardino County workers under subdivision (i),” and “employers are responsible for the cost of food handlers card training, including the time it takes to complete the training and examination.”
If you are in one of the three counties and were told to buy your own card on your own time, that is wrong.
Los Angeles County (including the City of Los Angeles)
Los Angeles County — which includes the City of Los Angeles — uses the statewide CDPH-approved food handler card. The County’s Environmental Health Division enforces the state Retail Food Code, so any ANAB-accredited online course valid statewide is accepted in LA City and throughout unincorporated LA County alike. There is no separate “City of Los Angeles food handler card” program; the city falls under county jurisdiction for food safety.
- What’s required: a valid statewide California food handler card from an ANAB-accredited provider.
- Deadline: within 30 days of hire.
- Cost: employer pays under SB 476; at least one option must be available for $15 or less.
- Valid for: 3 years statewide.
If you work in LA County, you do not need a separate county card — the statewide card is your card. The same course that works in Sacramento works in Los Angeles.
Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County — home to San Jose — operates under the statewide California food handler card law and does not run a separate local program. An ANAB-accredited online course valid statewide covers workers in Santa Clara County, including San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View. The County’s Environmental Health Department enforces the same 30-day hire deadline and employer-pays rule as the rest of the state.
- What’s required: a valid statewide California food handler card from an ANAB-accredited provider.
- Deadline: within 30 days of hire.
- Cost: employer pays; at least one option ≤ $15 by law.
- Valid for: 3 years.
California food handler card by county — the other major metros
Outside San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego, the statewide California Food Handler Card applies. One card from any ANSI-accredited provider covers you. Here is how that works in the state’s largest counties:
Orange County (Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach)
Orange County accepts the statewide California Food Handler Card. The OC Health Care Agency does not run a separate county program, so a card from any ANSI-accredited provider is valid throughout the county. Your employer must pay for the card and the training time under SB 476.
Alameda County (Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward)
Alameda County follows the statewide rule. Alameda County Environmental Health accepts any ANSI-accredited food handler card. There is no Oakland-specific or Berkeley-specific card — the state card covers the entire county including Fremont, Hayward, San Leandro, and Alameda itself.
Sacramento County (Sacramento, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights)
Sacramento County Environmental Management accepts the statewide card. No separate county program exists. The same card works across Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Folsom, and Rancho Cordova.
San Francisco (City and County)
San Francisco accepts the statewide California Food Handler Card. The San Francisco Department of Public Health licenses food facilities but does not issue individual worker cards. One state card covers every establishment in the city.
Contra Costa County (Concord, Richmond, Antioch, Walnut Creek)
Contra Costa Health Services accepts the statewide card. No county-specific program. The card is valid across Concord, Richmond, Antioch, Walnut Creek, and Brentwood.
Fresno County and the Central Valley
Fresno County accepts the statewide card, as do Kern County (Bakersfield), San Joaquin County (Stockton), Stanislaus County (Modesto), and Tulare County (Visalia). The Central Valley has no local exceptions — the state card is what you need throughout.
Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties
Both counties accept the statewide California Food Handler Card. Ventura County Environmental Health and Santa Barbara County Public Health license establishments but issue no separate worker credential.
San Mateo, Marin, Sonoma, and the North Bay
All accept the statewide card. There is no separate North Bay or Peninsula program — one ANSI-accredited card covers San Mateo, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano counties.
Who’s exempt
California’s Retail Food Code exempts food handlers at certain workplaces. Per state and county guidance, exempt settings include:
- Public and private school cafeterias
- Certified farmers’ markets
- Grocery stores, convenience stores, and drug stores (the store itself — separately-owned food facilities inside may still be covered)
- Commissaries and mobile support units
- Licensed health care facilities and elderly nutrition programs (administered by the California Department of Aging)
- Bed and breakfasts
- Facilities used to confine adults or minors (county jails, juvenile halls, camps, ranches, residential facilities)
- Facilities with approved in-house food safety training, or covered by a qualifying collective bargaining agreement
- Certified Food Protection Managers — the higher credential covers you. See California Food Manager Certification for details.
If you’re not sure whether your specific workplace is exempt, your county health department can tell you.
How to get your California food handler card
- Confirm your county. If you’re in San Bernardino, Riverside, or San Diego, use the county-approved course. Everywhere else, a statewide CDPH-approved, ANAB-accredited course works.
- Take the course online. It runs about 75–90 minutes and is available in multiple languages from the larger providers.
- Pass the exam and print your card immediately. (Exam length and passing score vary by provider and county.)
- Give a copy to your employer for their records.
Renewal
The card is valid for 3 years. Renewing means taking the course and exam again (in San Diego County, a 3-hour course). Because the card transfers with you between employers during those 3 years, you don’t need a new one every time you change jobs within the validity window — as long as you stay on the same side of the three-county line.
Is there a free California food handler card?
Not a $0 course by statute — but effectively free to you as the worker, in most cases. The law doesn’t require a free course; it requires at least one option at $15 or less (§113948(h)(2), quoted above), and separately, SB 476 requires your employer to pay for it: §113948(i)(1) requires the employer to cover the time and cost of training and testing. So if your employer is following the law, you personally shouldn’t be paying anything — the “free” part comes from who’s paying, not from the course itself being free to buy. Be skeptical of any course advertised as free with no employer or CDPH backing it; a genuinely no-cost course to you should come through your employer, not a random ad.
ServSafe, and other named providers
ServSafe is one of the most-searched names for California specifically. California’s own accreditation standard for food handler courses is ANSI accreditation — the state “shall post on its internet website a link to the internet website of ANSI-accredited food handler training programs” (§113948(h)(1)). We have not independently confirmed that ServSafe’s food handler course (a separate product from its manager-level ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification) is currently on that ANSI-accredited list for California specifically. Check CDPH’s posted list, or ask the provider directly, before assuming any named brand — ServSafe included — is the accredited option for your situation.
What’s on the exam, and is there a free practice test?
California’s statute sets the accreditation standard and the price/delivery guarantees but doesn’t publish its own state practice test or answer key — exam content is set by whichever ANSI-accredited provider you use, not by CDPH directly. Most accredited providers bundle a practice test or study guide into their paid course. If having one matters to you, confirm it’s included before you enroll.
Is there a minimum age to get a California food handler card?
California’s food handler card law (Health & Safety Code § 113948) does not set a minimum age for the card itself. The practical floor is set by child labor law: minors under 14 generally cannot work in commercial food establishments; 14- and 15-year-olds may work in food service with restrictions. If you are 14 or older and legally authorized to work, there is no separate age barrier to getting a food handler card. Most ANAB-accredited online providers will sell the course to anyone who can pay — the employer and the labor code are what determine whether you can actually work.
California at a glance
| Required? | Yes, statewide |
| Deadline after hire | 30 days (San Diego County: 10 days) |
| Cost | At least one course ≤ $15 by law (often $7–$15); no price cap; employer pays under SB 476 |
| Valid for | 3 years |
| Who pays | Employer (SB 476, since Jan 1 2024) |
| Statewide card valid? | Everywhere except San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego |
| Work across county lines? | You may need both a county card and a statewide card |
| Renewal | Retake course + exam |
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The three-county exception, the dual-card rule, and workplace exemptions are easy to get wrong — your county health department is the final word.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a California food handler card cost?
Real prices often run $7–$15. California does not cap what a course may charge, but at least one approved course must be available for $15 or less, including the card. Under SB 476, your employer must pay for it. For other states, see how much a food handler card costs in every state.
How long does a California food handler card last?
The card is valid for 3 years. Renewing means taking the course and exam again. The card moves with you between employers during those 3 years, as long as you stay on the same side of the San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego county line.
What is the minimum age to get a California food handler card?
California’s food handler card law (Health & Safety Code § 113948) sets no minimum age for the card itself. The practical floor comes from child labor law: minors under 14 generally cannot work in commercial food establishments, and 14- and 15-year-olds may work in food service with restrictions.
Do grocery store workers need a food handler card in California?
It depends on what you do. California’s law (Health & Safety Code §113948) covers employees who handle unpackaged food. Grocery workers who only stock sealed, packaged items are generally exempt. Workers who handle unpackaged produce, deli items, or prepared foods are covered and need a card within 30 days of hire.
Can I use my California food handler card in another state?
No. Food handler cards are state-specific and not transferable. If you move to another state or work at a location in another state, you’ll need to meet that state’s requirements. Some states have no card requirement at all; others require a different accreditation standard.
Does my California food handler card work in San Diego, Riverside, or San Bernardino County?
No. These three counties have their own separate programs and do not accept the statewide ANSI/ANAB-accredited card. You must get the county-specific card for whichever county your employer is located in. If you work across county lines, you may need both.
How long does the California food handler card course take?
Most ANSI-accredited online courses take 1–2 hours to complete. California law does not set a minimum course length, but it does require accreditation by ANSI under the ANSI/ASTM E2659 standard. The exam is typically 40 questions; you need a 70% or higher to pass.
Can I take the California food handler card course in Spanish?
Yes. Several ANSI-accredited providers offer the course in Spanish. California law does not require a specific language, but demand for Spanish-language courses is high and most major providers accommodate it. Confirm language options with your chosen provider before enrolling.
What score do I need to pass the California food handler card exam?
The passing score is set by each accredited provider, but the standard across most ANSI-accredited courses is 70%. You typically have multiple attempts. The exam covers basic food safety: temperature control, cross-contamination, personal hygiene, and proper storage.
Does my employer have to pay for my food handler card in California?
Yes, since January 1, 2024 under SB 476. Employers must cover the cost of the food handler card and provide at least two hours of paid time for employees to complete the training. Employers cannot require employees to pay out of pocket or complete training on unpaid time.
What happens if I work without a food handler card in California?
Employees have 30 days after hire to obtain their card (10 days in San Diego County). Working beyond that window without a card can result in fines for the employer, not the employee. Health inspectors can cite a food facility for having uncertified staff during a routine inspection.
Can culinary students skip the California food handler card requirement?
Students enrolled in an accredited culinary program are typically exempt while working within that program’s supervised facilities. However, once you take a paid position at a commercial food establishment, the exemption no longer applies and you need a card within 30 days of starting work.
Is a ServSafe certificate the same as a California food handler card?
Not necessarily. California requires ANSI-accredited food handler training. ServSafe offers both a food handler course and a manager-level certification — they are different products. Before using a ServSafe food handler certificate to satisfy California’s requirement, confirm that the specific course is on CDPH’s posted list of ANSI-accredited providers. When in doubt, check the CDPH website or ask your county health department.
California also requires each food facility to have a certified owner or employee — a separate requirement from your handler card. See California Food Manager Certification.
Work across a state line?
Food handler rules follow the establishment’s location, not where you live. If you work in a neighbouring state, its requirements may be different:
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