Last verified: August 2026. Every figure below is sourced to the Southern Nevada Health District’s own regulations and pages, to Nevada statute, or to the health authority named. Links are at the foot of the page.
| Required | Get it within | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| Yes — Las Vegas and all of Clark County (SNHD) | Before your first shift | 3 years |
Law: NAC 446; SNHD rules · Authority: Nevada DHHS / SNHD · Verified: August 2026
Required only in Clark County (Las Vegas). Nowhere else in Nevada issues or requires a card.
Nevada has no statewide food handler card. What it has is one county with a real, strict, mandatory card — Clark County — and nowhere else in the state that requires one at all. Since Clark County holds roughly three quarters of Nevada’s population, that one programme is the answer for most people asking this question.
The most important detail is the one most often reported wrongly: in Clark County you need the card before you start work, not within 30 days of starting. Here is the whole picture, with the numbers.
Quick answer
- Southern Nevada: Clark County (Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, Mesquite, Laughlin): yes. A Food Handler Safety Training Card issued by the Southern Nevada Health District — the card everyone calls a “health card.”
- When: before you begin employment. There is no grace period.
- Cost: $25, valid three years.
- The test: 20 questions, 70% to pass. Try our free SNHD practice test below.
- Where: in person, by appointment, at one of five SNHD offices. First-time applicants cannot do this online.
- Reno, Sparks, Carson City, and every rural county: no food handler card is required. None of them issues one.
- Online courses: a national food handler course does not satisfy Clark County, and is not needed anywhere else in Nevada. There is no part of this state where buying one is the answer.
- Nevada state law: licenses food establishments, not workers. No state card exists.
Running the establishment rather than working the line? See Nevada Food Manager Certification instead — a separate, facility-level requirement.
What it’s called: the official Clark County name is the Food Handler Safety Training Card, and almost everyone calls it a health card. It is also searched as a food handler certificate, food handler certification, food handlers permit and food handlers license — in Nevada these all mean the SNHD card, not a separate credential.
The Southern Nevada (Las Vegas) “health card,” explained
If you work in food in Las Vegas, everyone around you calls it a health card. Your manager will call it that, and so will the health district — SNHD’s own FAQ refers to “the ‘Health Card’ requirement for a food handler in Clark County.”
Its formal name is the Food Handler Safety Training Card. It is the same document. The name matters only because it is worth knowing that a “Las Vegas health card,” a “Clark County food handler card” and an “SNHD food handler safety training card” are three names for one $25 card, and none of them is a medical exam.
It is not a health screening — no vaccination, no TB test
The name misleads people, and one stale page on SNHD’s own website makes it worse: an old copy of the regulations still defines the card as issued “after obtaining a Hepatitis A immunization.” That is out of date and SNHD’s live FAQ contradicts it directly — food handlers “are not required to be screened for tuberculosis and are not required to get any vaccinations.”
The card is a food safety test. Nothing medical is involved.
When you need it: before you start, not 30 days after
This is the single most misreported fact about working in food in Las Vegas. SNHD’s regulations, § 2-601(A):
Except as specified in § 2-602, a person must be in possession of a valid food handler safety training card issued by SNHD prior to employment in a food establishment.
Prior to employment. Not thirty days after, not two weeks after. No grace period appears anywhere in SNHD’s regulations or on any SNHD page. The widely repeated “you have 30 days” comes from course-selling sites, and following it can leave you working without a card you were required to hold on day one.
Once you have it, you must keep it with you: SNHD requires a food handler to “maintain it at his or her work station or on his or her person so that it is available for review by the Health Authority.”
Who needs one
Almost everyone working in a Clark County food establishment. SNHD’s definition of a food handler reaches employers, permit holders, persons in charge, supervisors, anyone on the payroll, family members, volunteers and contractors, anyone who handles, prepares, serves or sells food, anyone “who comes in contact with eating or cooking utensils or other equipment,” and closes with “or any other person working in a food establishment.”
So servers, bartenders, bussers, dishwashers, line cooks, prep cooks and hosts who clear plates are all covered.
The four exemptions
§ 2-602 exempts:
- A person who only handles packaged, non-TCS food and handles TCS food only “incidentally, outside the normal and usual course of the person’s assigned duties”;
- Temporary trainers, guest chefs and similar personnel working “not more than seven calendar days within a 6-month period”;
- Registered Environmental Health Specialists;
- Volunteers working in a school kitchen under the supervision of a Certified Food Protection Manager.
There is also a substitution rather than an exemption: an SNHD-issued Certified Food Safety Manager card meets the health card requirement, so a certified manager does not need a separate handler card.
What a Las Vegas health card costs
SNHD’s fee schedule, effective 1 January 2026:
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| First-time card | $25 |
| Renewal — not expired, or expired more than two years ago | $25 |
| Renewal with late fee — expired within the last two years | $40 |
| Duplicate or replacement card | $20 |
| Retest, if you don’t pass | $5 |
$25 is the whole cost of a first card. The test is included in that fee, and SNHD’s study materials are free on its website — there is nothing you need to buy beforehand.
Payment is by debit, credit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, money order, cheque or approved voucher. Cash is accepted at every office except Laughlin.
How to get one, step by step
- Book an appointment at snhd.org. First-time applicants cannot test online — SNHD is explicit: “All first-time applicants must schedule an appointment to take the food safety test at one of our offices.” Appointments fill up; book as soon as you have a start date.
- Study, if you want to. SNHD publishes free official study materials on its website — the only preparation you need. The test is not difficult, but it is timed and closed-book.
- Bring valid original ID (see below — this is where people get turned away).
- Take the test. 20 multiple-choice questions, 70% to pass, 30 minutes, offered in 29 languages. “No notes, books, or reference material will be allowed.”
- Pay $25 and have your photo taken. The card is issued immediately.
If you don’t pass, you pay a $5 retest fee and come back — but not the same day. SNHD requires you to “come back no earlier than the next business day.”
Where to test
Five locations, all by appointment, each with its own testing days:
| Location | Address | Testing days |
|---|---|---|
| SNHD main facility | 280 S. Decatur Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107 | Mon–Thu |
| Fremont Public Health Center | 2830 E. Fremont St., Suite 110, Las Vegas, NV 89104 | Tue–Fri |
| Henderson Public Health Center | 220 E. Horizon Dr., Suite B, Henderson, NV 89015 | Mon–Thu |
| Mesquite Public Health Center | 150 N. Yucca St., Suite 5, Mesquite, NV 89027 | Mon, Wed, Fri |
| Laughlin Public Health Center | 55 Civic Way, Laughlin, NV 89029 | Mon–Thu |
What ID to bring — the rules are strict
This is the most common reason for a wasted appointment. SNHD’s rules, in its own words: “All identification documents must be originals, not photos, digital versions, photocopies or scans.” Documents must be legible, not torn or taped together, and “Expired documents are not considered valid and are not accepted.”
You need either one document showing both a photo and your date of birth:
- US passport or passport card
- US military ID
- Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
- Employment Authorization Card
- A driver licence from any US state, DC or a US territory
- A foreign driver licence
- Matricula consular
- Photo electoral card issued within the last 10 years
- A foreign passport without a US visa (subject to verification)
Or two documents — one photo ID (a local work ID, Sheriff’s Card, school ID or Veteran Health ID) plus a certified birth certificate or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Your full name must appear on the photo ID and must match the name on the certificate.
The test is available in 29 languages
English, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Farsi, French, Haitian, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Nepali, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese.
What the SNHD food handler test covers
The SNHD test is 20 multiple-choice questions, 30 minutes, closed-book. You need 14 of 20 correct (70%) to pass. SNHD’s free study materials are on its website — no paid course is required or useful for preparation.
The questions cover five topic areas:
- Personal hygiene — when and how to wash hands, when to exclude an ill worker, policies on eating and drinking at the station
- Foodborne illness — the major pathogens (Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Listeria), how they spread, which symptoms require excluding a worker from the establishment
- Time and temperature control — the danger zone (41 °F – 135 °F), safe cooking temperatures for different proteins, correct cooling methods
- Cross-contamination prevention — refrigerator storage order (raw proteins stored below ready-to-eat food), colour-coded equipment, allergen separation
- Cleaning and sanitising — the difference between the two, chemical concentrations, three-compartment sink procedure, required frequency
Most first-time applicants pass without extensive preparation. The questions reflect what a food worker does on a shift — practical knowledge, not memorised statute text.
SNHD food handler practice test: 15 sample questions
These are our own practice questions, written to match the five areas the Southern Nevada Health District test covers. They are not the real test questions, which SNHD does not publish. If you can answer these, you are ready: the real test is 20 questions and you need 14 right.
-
What is the temperature danger zone, where bacteria grow fastest?
- A. 32 °F to 100 °F
- B. 41 °F to 135 °F
- C. 50 °F to 150 °F
- D. 0 °F to 41 °F
Show answer
B. 41 °F to 135 °F Keep cold food at 41 °F or below and hot food at 135 °F or above. Between the two, bacteria multiply quickly.
-
What minimum internal temperature must chicken and other poultry reach?
- A. 135 °F
- B. 145 °F
- C. 155 °F
- D. 165 °F
Show answer
D. 165 °F Poultry, stuffed foods and reheated leftovers need 165 °F. Ground beef needs 155 °F; whole fish, steaks and chops 145 °F.
-
A coworker had diarrhea and vomiting last night. What should happen?
- A. They work but wear gloves
- B. They tell the person in charge and stay home
- C. They work only at the register
- D. Nothing if they feel better
Show answer
B. They tell the person in charge and stay home Vomiting and diarrhea must be reported to the person in charge. The worker is excluded until symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
-
How long should the whole handwashing process take?
- A. 5 seconds
- B. At least 20 seconds
- C. At least 2 minutes
- D. Until hands feel clean
Show answer
B. At least 20 seconds Wet, soap, scrub for 10 to 15 seconds, rinse and dry: about 20 seconds in total. Scrubbing between the fingers and under the nails matters most.
-
Which item belongs on the lowest shelf of the walk-in cooler?
- A. Ready-to-eat salads
- B. Raw fish
- C. Raw ground beef
- D. Raw chicken
Show answer
D. Raw chicken Store top to bottom by cooking temperature: ready-to-eat food, seafood, whole cuts of beef and pork, ground meat, then poultry at the bottom.
-
Cooked food must cool from 135 °F to 70 °F within how long?
- A. 30 minutes
- B. 2 hours
- C. 4 hours
- D. 6 hours
Show answer
B. 2 hours Two hours from 135 °F to 70 °F, then a further four hours to 41 °F or below: six hours in total.
-
Which is a safe way to thaw frozen chicken?
- A. On the counter overnight
- B. In warm water
- C. In the refrigerator
- D. Next to the grill
Show answer
C. In the refrigerator Thaw in the refrigerator, under cold running water at 70 °F or below, in the microwave if it is cooked right away, or as part of cooking.
-
Can you touch ready-to-eat food, like a sandwich or salad, with bare hands?
- A. Yes, if hands were just washed
- B. No, use gloves, tongs or deli tissue
- C. Yes, if it will be served within an hour
- D. Only at a buffet
Show answer
B. No, use gloves, tongs or deli tissue Bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food is not allowed. Use single-use gloves, utensils or deli paper.
-
What is the correct order in a three-compartment sink?
- A. Sanitize, wash, rinse
- B. Rinse, sanitize, wash
- C. Wash, rinse, sanitize, then air-dry
- D. Wash, sanitize, towel-dry
Show answer
C. Wash, rinse, sanitize, then air-dry Wash, rinse, sanitize, then let items air-dry. Towels can recontaminate a sanitized surface.
-
What is the difference between cleaning and sanitizing?
- A. They are the same
- B. Cleaning removes dirt; sanitizing reduces germs to safe levels
- C. Sanitizing removes dirt; cleaning kills germs
- D. Cleaning is only for floors
Show answer
B. Cleaning removes dirt; sanitizing reduces germs to safe levels Clean first to remove food and dirt, then sanitize. Sanitizer does not work well on a dirty surface.
-
Hot food on a buffet line must be held at what temperature?
- A. 100 °F or above
- B. 120 °F or above
- C. 135 °F or above
- D. 165 °F or above
Show answer
C. 135 °F or above Hot-held food must stay at 135 °F or above. Check it with a thermometer at least every few hours.
-
How do you check a probe thermometer using the ice-point method?
- A. It should read 0 °F in ice water
- B. It should read 32 °F in ice water
- C. It should read 41 °F in ice water
- D. It should read 212 °F in ice water
Show answer
B. It should read 32 °F in ice water Stir crushed ice and water, insert the probe and wait. It should read 32 °F; adjust it if it does not.
-
Which of these is one of the major food allergens?
- A. Rice
- B. Sesame
- C. Carrots
- D. Olive oil
Show answer
B. Sesame The nine major allergens are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame.
-
A cutting board was used for raw chicken. What must happen before it is used for lettuce?
- A. Wipe it with a towel
- B. Rinse it with water
- C. Wash, rinse and sanitize it
- D. Flip it over
Show answer
C. Wash, rinse and sanitize it Wash, rinse and sanitize any surface that touched raw meat before it touches ready-to-eat food. Separate color-coded boards help.
-
Which illness can a food worker spread even before showing symptoms, and is often linked to jaundice?
- A. Hepatitis A
- B. Food allergy
- C. Heat stroke
- D. Sunburn
Show answer
A. Hepatitis A Hepatitis A can spread before symptoms appear. Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin or eyes, must be reported to the person in charge.
Southern Nevada food handler study guide: the numbers to know
Most test questions come back to a handful of numbers. Learn this table and SNHD’s free study materials and you will pass.
| Topic | The rule |
|---|---|
| Cold holding | 41 °F or below |
| Hot holding | 135 °F or above |
| Danger zone | 41 °F to 135 °F |
| Poultry, reheated food | 165 °F |
| Ground beef and pork | 155 °F |
| Whole fish, steaks, chops | 145 °F |
| Cooling | 135 °F to 70 °F in 2 hours, to 41 °F within 6 hours total |
| Handwashing | About 20 seconds, 10 to 15 of them scrubbing |
| Thermometer check | 32 °F in ice water |
| Sick worker | Report vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice to the person in charge |
Want more? Our general food handler practice test has 15 more questions with explanations.
Renewing your card
Cards last three years. Renewal is a shorter test — 10 questions instead of 20, still 70% to pass — and costs $25, or $40 if your card expired within the last two years.
The catch worth knowing: you can only renew online every other time. SNHD’s rule is that if you last tested in person, you may renew online; if you last renewed online, you must come in. In its words: “you can renew online rather in person at every other renewal.” Card numbers starting 1–9 qualify for online renewal; numbers starting 0 do not.
An online renewal produces a certificate, not a card — “NO physical card will be mailed” and none is waiting for collection. The certificate replaces the physical card and is valid for three years. Online renewal is at snhd.org/online-renewal.
Why an online food handler course won’t work in Clark County
Search for a Nevada food handler card and you will be offered a national online course for around $10 to $15. In Clark County it will not get you a card.
The regulation requires a card “issued by SNHD,” and SNHD applies that regardless of what training you have already done: “you will need to pass the Southern Nevada Health District’s food safety test to demonstrate your knowledge.” A ServSafe, StateFoodSafety, 360training, Learn2Serve or eFoodHandlers food handler certificate does not satisfy Clark County.
The useful way to think about it is not online versus in person — it is whose credential. Clark County accepts exactly one: its own. The only alternative route in the regulation is § 2-601(B), the Certified Food Safety Manager card, and that is still an SNHD-issued card.
An online course can be reasonable preparation if you want to study before the test. It is not a substitute, and nobody should sell it to you as one.
The rest of Nevada: no card required
Outside Clark County, Nevada asks nothing of individual food workers. Not Reno, not Carson City, not the rural counties. Every Nevada health authority was checked for this guide, and Clark County is the only one that issues or requires a food handler card.
For comparison, Kansas food handler card covers a state with a true statewide worker card requirement.
Nevada splits food regulation five ways, and it is worth knowing which one you are under:
| Authority | Covers | Worker card? |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Nevada Health District | Clark County — Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, Mesquite, Laughlin | Yes |
| Northern Nevada Public Health (formerly Washoe County Health District) | Reno, Sparks, Incline Village | No |
| Carson City Health & Human Services | Carson City and Douglas County | No |
| Central Nevada Health District | Churchill County and the City of Fallon, Pershing, Mineral, Eureka | No |
| State — Nevada Department of Agriculture | Elko, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Nye, Storey, White Pine | No |
Reno and Sparks (Washoe County)
There is no Washoe County food handler card. The health district — now operating as Northern Nevada Public Health — has no card requirement for non-manager employees, no district-issued credential, no fee and no expiry. If you have read that Reno runs its own mandatory online card programme, that is wrong; no such programme exists.
What inspectors look for is training, not a credential. The standard in NNPH’s own inspection field guide is that “All food employees have received food safety training as it relates to their duties” — an expectation on the establishment, satisfied by whatever training your employer provides.
Washoe’s real requirement is a Certified Food Protection Manager, under Chapter 040 of its food regulations, for every establishment except Risk Level 1 and temporary ones. Risk Level II establishments need one in a supervisory role; Risk Level III need one “physically present during all food handling operations.”
And here is a difference worth knowing if you manage in both markets: Washoe accepts nationally accredited outside exams — ANSI-accredited programmes recognised by the Conference for Food Protection — while Clark County accepts outside accreditation only for its manager card and never for the food handler card. Two neighbouring jurisdictions, opposite answers.
Carson City and Douglas County
No food handler card. Carson City Health and Human Services — which handles food establishments for Carson City and Douglas County — publishes 19 environmental health forms and none is a food handler card application; its fee schedule lists permits only. The one requirement it states about people is managerial: an operator should be ready to tell the inspector “your plans for ensuring that a Certified Food Safety Manager will be on duty at all times that your establishment is open for business.”
Carson City did once run food handler testing. That page now returns a 404 and the programme appears to have been discontinued — but the dead page is still indexed by search engines, which is probably why the claim keeps circulating.
Fallon, Fernley and the rural counties
No food handler card anywhere. The Central Nevada Health District — a newer authority that covers Churchill County and the City of Fallon, Pershing, Mineral and Eureka — enforces the state rules and requires no card and no handler training. The nine counties still regulated by the state are the same: permitting there asks only for manager certification.
One note if you are comparing sources: Central Nevada Health District is recent, and older material — including some still on state websites — describes 13 state-regulated counties rather than nine, because it predates those four counties moving across.
Does a card transfer between Nevada jurisdictions?
Two simple answers, in opposite directions:
- Moving to Las Vegas: nothing transfers. The regulation requires a card issued by SNHD, so you test from scratch as a first-time applicant, in person, for $25 — whatever card or certificate you hold from Reno, from another state, or from an online provider.
- Leaving Las Vegas for anywhere else in Nevada: there is nothing to transfer to. No other Nevada jurisdiction requires a card, so you need nothing.
What Nevada state law actually requires
Nevada licenses food establishments, not the people who work in them. NRS 580.900(1): “it is unlawful for any person to operate a food establishment unless the person possesses a valid permit issued to him or her by the food safety authority.” There is no worker permit, worker licence or state card anywhere in Nevada law.
A currency note, because most pages on this subject have not caught up. Nevada’s food establishment statute used to be NRS Chapter 446. That chapter was repealed in its entirety with effect from 1 July 2025 and re-enacted as NRS Chapter 580, with authority transferred from the Division of Public and Behavioral Health to the Nevada Department of Agriculture. Any page still citing NRS 446 — including, at the time of writing, one of SNHD’s own pages — is citing a repealed chapter. The regulations, NAC Chapter 446, keep their number and remain in force.
Two further things are worth knowing about the state layer. Nevada is unusual in that it does not adopt any edition of the FDA Food Code by reference — NAC 446 is a standalone Nevada-drafted code, modelled on the Food Code’s structure but written in Nevada’s own words. And NAC 446 has not been substantively revised since August 2015, so it now sits with an agency that has yet to publish its own retail food programme pages. Expect this area to change.
How Clark County gets to have a card at all
Because Nevada lets a local board of health replace the state’s rules rather than merely add to them. NRS 580.210(2): a local board of health may adopt regulations it considers necessary, which “(a) Become effective when approved by the Department… and (c) Supersede the regulations adopted by the Department.” That is how a card requirement that exists nowhere in Nevada law binds every food worker in Las Vegas.
The manager requirement
Separate from any worker card, Nevada requires a person in charge present during all hours of operation (NAC 446.051), and that person must generally be a certified food protection manager who has passed a test “that is part of an accredited program” (NAC 446.052). Low-risk and temporary establishments may instead satisfy an inspector by answering questions correctly.
Worth noting precisely: Nevada state law names no accrediting body — not ANSI, not ANAB, not the Conference for Food Protection. It requires a programme “evaluated and listed by an accrediting agency as conforming to national standards,” or “other training acceptable to the health authority.” The ANSI requirement you will see quoted is SNHD’s and Washoe’s, imposed locally, not Nevada’s.
Nevada at a glance
| Statewide worker card? | No — Nevada licenses establishments, not workers |
| Clark County (Las Vegas) | Required. SNHD Food Handler Safety Training Card — the “health card” |
| When you need it | Before you begin employment. No grace period |
| Cost | $25 first card · $25 renewal · $40 late renewal · $20 replacement · $5 retest |
| Valid for | 3 years |
| How | In person by appointment at one of 5 SNHD offices. First-time applicants cannot test online |
| The test | 20 questions, 70% to pass, 30 minutes, 29 languages, closed book |
| Medical requirement | None. No vaccination, no TB screening |
| Online course accepted in Clark County? | No. Preparation only — the card must be issued by SNHD |
| Reno, Carson City, rural counties | No card required. None issued |
| Manager rule | Certified food protection manager / person in charge — an establishment requirement |
| Governing law | NRS 580 (NRS 446 repealed 1 Jul 2025); NAC 446; SNHD 2023 Food Regulations § 2-601 |
If you are the manager or person in charge at a Nevada food establishment, see Nevada food manager certification — a separate requirement covering CFPM credentials and the SNHD Food Manager Card.
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:
- California — card required
- Arizona — varies by county
- Utah — card required
- Oregon — card required
- Idaho — no card required
Frequently asked questions
How much is a food handlers card in Las Vegas?
$25 for a first card, including the test, valid three years. Renewal is also $25, or $40 if your card expired within the last two years. A replacement is $20 and a retest is $5. SNHD’s study materials are free.
How long do I have to get my health card after being hired?
You are supposed to have it before you start. SNHD’s regulation requires a valid card “prior to employment in a food establishment,” and there is no grace period in the rules. The commonly repeated “30 days” is not SNHD’s rule.
Can I get my Las Vegas health card online?
Not for your first one — SNHD requires all first-time applicants to test in person by appointment. Renewals can be done online, but only every other cycle: if you renewed online last time, you must test in person this time.
Do I need a food handler card in Reno?
No. Washoe County — Northern Nevada Public Health — requires no food handler card and does not issue one. Employers are expected to train staff appropriately, and establishments need a certified food protection manager, but there is no card for a worker to buy or hold.
Is a Nevada food handler card the same as a health card?
In Clark County, yes — “health card” is what everyone calls the SNHD Food Handler Safety Training Card, including SNHD. It involves no medical examination, no vaccination and no TB test.
Will my food handler card from another state work in Las Vegas?
No. Clark County requires a card issued by SNHD, so you test with SNHD as a first-time applicant regardless of what you hold. Going the other way, no other Nevada jurisdiction requires a card at all.
What does the food handler test cover?
Twenty multiple-choice questions across five areas: personal hygiene, foodborne illness and its causes, time and temperature control, cross-contamination prevention, and cleaning and sanitising. Thirty minutes, 70% to pass, closed-book. SNHD’s own free study materials cover everything on the test.
Where do I book my SNHD food handler appointment?
On the SNHD food handler program page. Appointments fill — book as soon as you have a confirmed start date, not after you begin work.
What ID do I need for my SNHD appointment?
Original documents only — no photos, scans or photocopies, and nothing expired. Either one document with your photo and date of birth (passport, US state driver licence, Permanent Resident Card, Employment Authorization Card, military ID, foreign driver licence, matricula consular and several others), or a photo ID plus a certified birth certificate with matching names.
What happens if I fail the test?
You pay a $5 retest fee and take it again, but not the same day — SNHD requires you to return no earlier than the next business day. The pass mark is 70%.
Do bussers, dishwashers and bartenders need one?
In Clark County, yes. SNHD’s definition covers anyone who handles or serves food and anyone who comes into contact with eating or cooking utensils or equipment, and ends with a catch-all covering “any other person working in a food establishment.” It also reaches volunteers, family members and contractors.
How do I renew my Nevada health card?
SNHD cards last three years. Renewal is a shorter test, 10 questions instead of 20 with 70% to pass, and costs $25, or $40 if your card expired within the last two years. You can renew online only every other time: if you last tested in person you may renew online, and if you last renewed online you must come in. An online renewal produces a certificate rather than a physical card.
Is there a Southern Nevada food handlers card practice test?
SNHD publishes free study materials but not its test questions. This page has 15 original practice questions covering the five areas the SNHD test covers, plus a one-table study guide of the numbers to know.
How many questions are on the SNHD food handler test?
20 multiple-choice questions for a first card, 30 minutes, closed book, 70% to pass (14 of 20). Renewal tests have 10 questions.
Official sources
- SNHD — Food Handler Safety Training Program (fees, locations, appointments)
- SNHD — Regulations Governing the Sanitation of Food Establishments (2023) (PDF; § 2-601 and § 2-602)
- SNHD — Duplicate and replacement cards
- NRS Chapter 580 — Food Establishments (the chapter that replaced NRS 446)
- NAC Chapter 446 — Food Establishments
- Nevada Department of Agriculture — Food Safety
- Nevada DPBH — Food Establishments (the SB 466 transfer notice)
- Northern Nevada Public Health — Certified Food Protection Manager FAQ
- Northern Nevada Public Health — Food Regulations (PDF)
- Carson City Health & Human Services — Food Establishment Inspections
- Central Nevada Health District — Environmental Health Services
- Nevada DPBH — which authority covers which county
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The Southern Nevada Health District and your county health authority are the final word.
Managing or supervising a Nevada food establishment? See Nevada Food Manager Certification.
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