Last verified: August 2026. Confirm with your county health department before paying. Lincoln-Lancaster: Lincoln Food Safety.
State requirement: No statewide requirement
Law: No state law · Authority: Nebraska DHHS · Verified: August 2026
No statewide card, but Lincoln (Lancaster County) and Omaha (Douglas County) require one. Everywhere else, nothing.
Nebraska has no statewide food handler card, and the local picture just changed: Omaha (Douglas County) launched a brand-new mandatory program in January 2026, joining Lincoln, which has required them for decades. Here’s what applies, by location.
Quick answer
- Lincoln (Lincoln-Lancaster County): permit required for all employees, before you start work. $20, valid 2 years, only from the county’s own program.
- Omaha (Douglas County): new mandatory card since January 21, 2026. $20, within 30 days of hire, valid 2 years.
- Everywhere else in Nebraska: no card, permit or licence is required of ordinary food workers. Sarpy County included.
- National online cards don’t count in Lincoln or Omaha. Each names its own program.
Nebraska food handler permit: depends entirely on which city you work in
Nebraska has no statewide food handler card requirement — but two metro areas do, and their rules are different from each other. If you work in Lincoln or Omaha, you need a permit; if you work anywhere else in the state, you do not. The two programs have different issuing authorities, different fees, and different timelines. Here’s which one applies to you.
- Lincoln-Lancaster County (Lincoln): a long-standing requirement under the Lincoln Food Code; $20 (not free); all employees (down to dishwashers); valid 2 years; issued by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, with training at foodhandlers.unl.edu.
- Douglas County (Omaha): NEW mandatory program launched January 21, 2026; $20 (under-18 waiver by in-person application); within 30 days of hire; valid 2 years; via the DCHD/UNL portal.
- Sarpy County: does not require a card (despite some aggregator claims).
- Elsewhere: voluntary; employers may still require it.
What it’s called: Lincoln-Lancaster County issues a food handler permit and Douglas County calls its new credential a food handler card — and both get searched as a food handlers card, food handlers permit, food handler certificate, food handler certification or food handlers license. Nebraska has no statewide name because it has no statewide requirement.
Lincoln-Lancaster County — $20, and for everyone
If you work in Lincoln, the rule is unusually broad: all employees of registered food establishments need a food handler (or manager) permit, and you need it before you start work — not within 30 days of hire. The permit costs $20 and is valid 2 years. You can train and test online or in person, and both routes are official. Because only the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department can issue the permit, be wary of paid sites claiming to sell you a valid Lincoln one — outside courses don’t count. Get it through the county’s own program at foodhandlers.unl.edu.
Douglas County (Omaha) — brand new in 2026
This is the big change. Omaha City Council passed the enabling ordinance (Ord. No. 44358) on August 26, 2025, and the Douglas County Health Department launched its first-ever mandatory food handler program on January 21, 2026:
- Who: all food employees at licensed establishments in Douglas County, including Omaha.
- Cost: $20, and permits are valid 2 years. Workers under 18 can have the fee waived, but it is not automatic — you apply in person at DCHD, 1111 South 41st Street, Suite 130, Omaha.
- Deadline: within 30 days of employment.
- How: through the DCHD/UNL online training portal; the program has tiered levels by job duties.
- Important: third-party courses do not count. Omaha Municipal Code § 11-268 requires the training program “provided by the Douglas County Health Department,” and DCHD says the same — so don’t buy an ANSI/ANAB food handler course expecting it to satisfy Omaha. ANSI accreditation is required only for the manager credential.
- CFPM exemption: holders of a valid Certified Food Protection Manager certification are exempt.
The manager requirement
Both Lincoln and Douglas County require the Person-in-Charge to hold a manager credential, and a Person-in-Charge must be on site during all hours of operation — so in practice every shift needs one. In Lincoln that is an LLCHD Food Protection Manager permit ($30); since a December 2025 amendment it expires when the underlying accredited certification does. In Omaha the Person-in-Charge must be a Certified Food Protection Manager, with an exam from an ANSI-accredited program. Nebraska law sets no CFPM validity period of its own — the term comes from whichever certifier you use.
What to do, by location
- Lincoln (Lancaster County): get the $20 permit through the county program before you start work — required for every food employee.
- Omaha (Douglas County): complete the DCHD/UNL program within 30 days of hire ($20; under-18 waiver by in-person application). Outside courses do not qualify.
- Sarpy County or elsewhere: no card required; a voluntary ANAB-accredited course is optional and employer-dependent.
Food handler permit by Nebraska city
Only two Nebraska jurisdictions require a food handler permit — Lincoln-Lancaster County and Douglas County. Everywhere else, no permit is required by law. Here is where the major cities land:
Omaha (Douglas County)
Douglas County launched its food handler permit requirement in 2026. If you work in food service in Omaha, you need the county permit. See the Douglas County section above for cost and process. This also covers Elkhorn and the parts of Omaha that extend into Douglas County.
Lincoln (Lancaster County)
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department requires a $20 food handler permit for all food workers. This is the state’s longest-running program and applies to everyone handling food, including part-time and seasonal staff at University of Nebraska-area establishments.
Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista (Sarpy County)
Sarpy County does not require a food handler permit. Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista, and Gretna fall outside both the Lancaster and Douglas County programs. Offutt Air Force Base food service operates under federal rules, not county ones. Many Sarpy County employers require training anyway, but there is no county card to obtain.
Grand Island (Hall County)
No food handler permit is required. The Central District Health Department serves Hall County and does not issue individual worker permits.
Kearney (Buffalo County) and Hastings (Adams County)
Neither city requires a food handler permit. Both fall under district health departments that license establishments but do not certify individual workers.
Fremont (Dodge County), Norfolk (Madison County), North Platte (Lincoln County)
None of these cities require a food handler permit. Note that North Platte is in Lincoln County — which is a different jurisdiction from the city of Lincoln in Lancaster County. The Lincoln-Lancaster permit requirement does not apply in North Platte.
Outside Lincoln-Lancaster and Douglas counties
Outside the Lincoln-Lancaster and Douglas County programs, Nebraska requires no card and employers commonly ask for training — an ANSI-accredited online food handler course costs $7–$15. Inside those two counties you need the county permit; an online card does not substitute.
Nebraska at a glance
| Statewide requirement? | No — FDA Food Code 2022 via Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-2,257.01 (Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture) |
| Lincoln-Lancaster County | Required; $20; all employees; 2 years; before you start work |
| Douglas County (Omaha) | NEW Jan 21, 2026; $20 (under-18 waiver, in person); 30 days of hire; 2 years; DCHD/UNL portal only |
| Sarpy County | Not required |
| Manager rule | Manager-credentialed Person-in-Charge on site during all hours, in Lincoln-Lancaster & Douglas |
| Elsewhere | Voluntary; employer-dependent |
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your county health department is the final word.
Running an establishment? See Nebraska 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:
Frequently asked questions
Does Nebraska require a food handler card?
Nebraska has no statewide food handler card. Requirements are county-issued. Douglas County (Omaha) launched a mandatory programme in January 2026. Lancaster County (Lincoln) has its own requirement. Most other Nebraska counties have no worker card.
How much does a Nebraska food handler card cost?
$20 where one is required: Lincoln-Lancaster County (before you start work) and Douglas County, Omaha (within 30 days of hire). Both are valid 2 years and must come from the county program. Elsewhere in Nebraska no card is required.
Which Nebraska counties require a food handler card?
Douglas County (Omaha) made its programme mandatory in January 2026. Lancaster County (Lincoln) has its own requirement through Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. Most other Nebraska counties have no individual worker card requirement.
Does Nebraska also require a food manager certification?
Yes — but that’s a separate certification with its own rules. See our Nebraska Food Manager Certification page for the details.