Does Tennessee require a certified food manager?
No — Tennessee’s food service establishment rule does not include a certified food protection manager provision at all. Unlike most states, Tennessee’s Department of Health regulation is a self-contained code that never adopted the FDA Food Code’s Chapter 2 “Management and Personnel” framework, so the certification concept found almost everywhere else simply isn’t part of Tennessee’s rule text.
What Tennessee’s rule actually covers
Tennessee’s Food Service Establishment rule (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 1200-23-1) is organized into six sections, per its own table of contents:
1200-23-1-.01 Definitions — 1200-23-1-.04 Fees
1200-23-1-.02 Food Sanitation — 1200-23-1-.05 Loss of Permit Document
1200-23-1-.03 Establishment Permitting and Inspection System — 1200-23-1-.06 General Provisions
None of those six sections addresses manager certification. The rule’s definition of “employee” covers supervisory and management staff, but attaches no certification requirement to the role:
“Employee” means the permit holder, individuals having supervisory or management duties, or any other person working in a food service establishment.
The Food Sanitation section (1200-23-1-.02) does reference a “person in charge” in passing — for example, requiring that person to contact the Department if food isn’t held at required temperatures — but nowhere requires that person, or anyone else on staff, to hold a food protection manager certificate.
What was checked
The full text of Chapter 1200-23-1 was reviewed for any mention of “manager” or “certified”; the only hits were unrelated references to interstate shellfish certification numbers. This is consistent with Tennessee never having adopted the FDA Food Code’s certified-manager paragraph, unlike states such as North Dakota that explicitly exclude it after adopting the rest of the code — Tennessee’s own rule was never built on that framework to begin with.
This is an absence-based finding, similar in character to Montana’s: the rule simply has no certified-manager provision to point to. If you need current, authoritative confirmation, check directly with the Tennessee Department of Health, Division of General Environmental Health.
Does this apply in Davidson County, Shelby County, or Knox County?
The answer is the same everywhere, because there is no statewide certification requirement to apply: Tennessee’s Food Service Establishment rule (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 1200-23-1) contains no certified food protection manager provision, in Nashville (Davidson County), Memphis (Shelby County), Knoxville (Knox County), Chattanooga (Hamilton County) or anywhere else in the state.
What does vary locally is who permits and inspects you: the large metro counties — including the Metro Public Health Department in Nashville/Davidson County and the Shelby County Health Department in Memphis — run their own food establishment permitting and inspection programs under the state rule. We found no Davidson County or Shelby County ordinance imposing a local food manager certification, but this was not an exhaustive check of every metro code; if a Nashville or Memphis inspector asks for a certificate, ask which rule requires it and confirm with the county health department directly. An ANAB-CFP accredited certificate from any provider is the standard national credential if your employer or insurer wants one regardless.
Renewal and recertification
Food manager certifications are typically valid for 5 years. Renewal requires retaking an accredited exam — there is no shortened recertification pathway that replaces the full exam. Start the renewal process 60–90 days before your expiration date to avoid scheduling delays that could put your establishment out of compliance.
If your certification has already lapsed, you can retake the exam immediately with no waiting period. EduClasses offers an online renewal prep course that’s shorter than the initial course and focused on updated regulations.
Summary
| Requirement | Tennessee’s rule |
|---|---|
| Certified food protection manager on staff | Not addressed — no such provision exists in the current rule |
| Person in charge | Referenced for specific duties (e.g., temperature-failure reporting), not a certification requirement |
| Food Code framework | Tennessee’s rule is self-contained; it does not adopt the FDA Food Code’s Management and Personnel chapter |
Looking for the worker card instead? See Tennessee Food Handler Card.
See manager certification requirements for all states.
Provider and cost comparison
All major national providers are accredited under the ANAB-CFP standard and accepted in most states. Remote proctoring via webcam is available from every provider — no travel to a testing centre required.
| Provider | Exam only | Course + exam | Remote proctoring | Retake policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ServSafe (NRA) | ~$36 | ~$150–$180 | Yes | Separate fee per attempt |
| StateFoodSafety | ~$69 | ~$99 | Yes | Free retake with some packages |
| Prometric (NRFSP) | ~$99 | ~$149 | Yes | Separate fee per attempt |
| Learn2Serve (360training) | ~$59 | ~$99 | Yes | Free retake included |
| Always Food Safe | ~$55 | ~$95 | Yes | Varies by package |
What the exam covers
All ANAB-CFP accredited exams test the same six core domains regardless of provider:
- Employee health and hygiene — illness exclusion, handwashing, bare-hand contact rules
- Temperature control — cooking temperatures, cooling parameters, hot and cold holding limits
- Cross-contamination prevention — storage order, allergen management, surface sanitation
- Cleaning and sanitizing — chemical concentrations, contact times, ware-washing
- Pest control and facilities — exclusion, approved materials, plumbing basics
- HACCP principles — hazard analysis, critical control points, corrective actions, record-keeping
80 questions, 2-hour time limit, 75% passing score, closed-book, proctored. Certification is valid for 5 years in most states; some states (Hawaii, South Dakota) require renewal sooner.
Practice test and study materials
Before sitting the exam, a timed practice test is the most reliable way to find weak spots. EduClasses includes chapter quizzes and a full-length practice exam in their online prep course — see the food manager certification course.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee require a food manager certification?
Yes. Tennessee adopts the 2013 FDA Food Code by reference with its mandatory certified manager provision intact.
Does Tennessee also require a food handler card?
No. Tennessee requires nothing from individual workers: no state food handler card, no city or county card. The rules place a training duty on the person in charge, tested orally at inspection; no certificate is issued.
Which certification programmes does Tennessee accept?
Any programme accredited under the national ANAB-CFP standard. All five major providers listed above qualify. Check the current approved list with your state health authority before enrolling, as state lists can change.
What is the difference between a food handler card and a food manager certification?
A food handler card is a worker-level credential — typically $10–$20, a short online course, no proctored exam. A food manager certification is a facility-level management credential — $90–$180, a rigorous proctored 80-question exam covering six food safety domains, valid for 5 years in most states.