Food Handler Card Requirements by State (2026)

Not sure you know the rules yet? Take the free 15-question food handler practice test — the same five topic areas every state exam draws on, with a full answer key.

Which states require a food handler card?

Ten states require a food handler card for individual workers statewide: Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. West Virginia is an eleventh case — state law mandates the requirement but the permits are issued county by county.

In the other 39 states there is no statewide worker card. Most instead require a Certified Food Protection Manager per establishment — an obligation that sits on the business, not on you as an individual worker. A further group leaves the decision to counties and cities, which is why two workers in the same state can face completely different rules.

Does a food handler card transfer between states?

Generally no. There is no national reciprocity system for food handler cards, and no federal registry. Each state sets its own rules about what counts, and a card issued under one state’s program does not automatically satisfy another’s.

What travels is ANSI-accredited training. Several states accept any ANSI-accredited food handler course rather than running their own program, so one accredited certificate can satisfy multiple states. But this is acceptance, not reciprocity — the accepting state decides, and some states refuse outside credentials entirely.

Three situations catch people out:

• State-run programs do not accept outside cards. Utah requires a permit issued by your local health department after approved training. A national online card alone will not make you compliant.
• County programs do not transfer within a state. An Oklahoma card from Tulsa County does not work in Cleveland County, and vice versa. Alabama’s Jefferson and Mobile county cards likewise do not cross.
• Anchorage runs its own program. Alaska has a statewide card, but the Municipality of Anchorage requires its own. A state card does not substitute inside Anchorage.

If you work across a state line

Border metros are where this bites hardest. The rule follows where the establishment is, not where you live, so working two jobs across a line can mean two credentials:

• Portland–Vancouver: Oregon and Washington both require worker cards, and neither accepts the other’s.
• Texarkana: Texas requires a state-accredited card; Arkansas requires none. The rule changes mid-city.
• Kansas City: Missouri’s metro counties run their own permit programs; the Kansas side does not.
• Bristol, TN/VA: the state line runs down State Street.
• Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky: Ohio sets training requirements; Kentucky devolves to local health departments.
• Lewiston–Clarkston and Coeur d’Alene–Spokane: Idaho requires no card, Washington does.

What a food handler card costs across states

Where a card is required, the cost is usually modest and often capped by law:

• Statutory caps: Washington charges $10 and no one may charge more. West Virginia caps county fees at $10. Illinois guarantees at least one approved module at no more than $15.
• Typical online range: $7–$15 in states that accept ANSI-accredited courses, such as Texas ($6–$15) and California.
• County programs: $10 in Cleveland County, Oklahoma; $20 in Tulsa County; $15 in North Dakota’s First District; $20 in Lincoln-Lancaster County, Nebraska.
• Who pays: California’s SB 476 requires the employer to cover both the cost and the training time. Illinois restricts what can be passed to workers.

Manager certification is a different and more expensive credential — typically $90–$180 for a proctored exam valid five years.

How long a food handler card lasts

Validity varies by state rather than following a single national standard. Two to three years is the common range — Texas cards run two years, Oklahoma county permits and Alaska’s card run three. Illinois restaurant workers renew every three years while non-restaurant workers have no statutory renewal at all. Because the issuing authority sets the term, the expiry printed on your own card is the only reliable answer.

When your card does expire, most states have you retake the standard course rather than sit a shorter renewal-only version. See food handler card renewal for grace periods, cost, and how renewal works state by state.

Food handler card vs. food manager certification

For the manager-level credential specifically, see food manager certification requirements by state.

These are different credentials and the distinction decides which one you actually need.

• Food handler card — worker level. A short online course, typically $7–$20, usually no proctored exam. Held by the individual.
• Certified Food Protection Manager — supervisory level. A proctored, ANAB-CFP accredited exam, typically $90–$180, valid five years. The obligation sits on the establishment, which must have a certified manager, not on every worker.

Most states require only the manager credential. That is why “does my state require a food handler card” so often has the answer no — but your employer needs a certified manager.

Hiring a new food worker? Download the free new-hire food safety checklist (PDF) — one page covering certification, hygiene, illness reporting, temperatures, and cross-contamination. Print, sign, and file.

How to find your state’s requirement

Use the table above to find your state, then open that state’s guide for the detail that matters: which counties differ, what the card costs, how long it lasts, and which providers are actually accepted. If your state has no statewide rule, the guide identifies the counties and cities that set their own.

One rule applies everywhere: the requirement follows the establishment’s location. Check the county your restaurant is in, not the one you live in.