Last verified: August 2026 against ORS 624.570, OAR chapter 333 division 175, and the Oregon Health Authority approved-provider list. Confirm with OHA or your county before paying.
| Required | Get it within | Valid for |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 30 days from hire | 5 years |
Law: ORS 624.570; OAR 333-150 · Authority: Oregon OHA · Verified: August 2026
Required statewide within 30 days of hire, from an OHA-approved provider. One $10 card works in every county.
Oregon requires a food handler card, and it is one of the best-run programmes in the country from a worker’s point of view: the price is capped by statute at $10 all in, the card works in every county, and if you already hold a food manager certificate it costs you nothing.
The one real danger is buying from the wrong place. Oregon approves providers by name, and OHA warns in its own words that “there are a number of fake online courses saying they are approved in Oregon that are not.”
Oregon food handler card: required within 30 days — but which course you take matters
Oregon requires a food handler card for every food worker, within 30 days of hire, statewide — no county variation. The card costs $10 total (training, test, and card combined — not $10 plus fees), is valid for 3 years in every Oregon county, and the test is open book with a 75% pass mark. The part that catches people is the provider list: several well-known national course sellers are not approved in Oregon, and a card from an unapproved provider does not satisfy the requirement. Oregon also changed its Food Code in January 2026, with a new manager rule coming. Here’s which providers are approved, what changed, and what to do if your employer is asking for something specific.
What it costs — and why $10 is the whole price
This is the most useful thing on this page, because it is the part sellers work hardest to blur.
ORS 624.570(5): “The program fee may not exceed $10.”
And the rule closes the obvious loophole. OAR 333-175-0101(3): providers may charge for materials and deduct the cost from the training and certificate fee “as long as the total cost does not exceed $10 to each individual.”
So the ceiling is on the total, not on one component. A $7 course with a $6 “card issuance fee” or “processing fee” is $13, and that is outside the rule. If a first Oregon card is costing you more than $10, something is wrong.
The exceptions, both in your favour
- Free — OAR 333-175-0101(2): providers “shall not require a fee” from anyone holding a current approved food manager certification or registered as an Environmental Health Specialist. Not discounted. Free. This is badly under-publicised.
- $5 for a duplicate if you lose your card — OAR 333-175-0101(5).
The one way you can pay more than $10
Retakes. OAR 333-175-0101(4) lets a provider charge a new fee “each time a participant takes or retakes all or part of a program or certification assessment.” Multnomah County shows how this works in practice: in its office the test is $5, charged pass or fail, and the card is a further $5. Fail, and the next attempt is another $5.
Online, the $10 typically covers training, test and card together.
⚠️ Approved providers only — and some famous names do not count
Oregon does not use accreditation for food handler training. OHA and county health authorities authorise individual “Designated Agents” by name, and OHA publishes the list.
OHA’s own warning, verbatim: “When getting a food handler card, make sure it is approved in Oregon. There are a number of fake online courses saying they are approved in Oregon that are not, so be sure to get your card from one of the approved providers below.”
The routes OHA lists are Oregon Food Handlers (used by 33 counties), eFoodcard, the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Multnomah County‘s own system. The current list is on OHA’s certification page.
Named as not valid in Oregon
Columbia County Public Health publishes a list of course sites whose cards are “not valid in Oregon”: safewayclasses.com, statefoodsafety.com, learn2serve.com, 360training.com and foodsafetyinstituteofamerican.com.
That is a county health department naming names, and it is worth taking seriously — several of those are large, legitimate national companies whose courses are perfectly valid in other states and simply are not approved here.
Brand recognition is not the test. Note the reverse trap too: orfoodhandlers.com looks like a government site and is not — it is operated by a private company, AboveTraining Inc. It is genuinely approved. The only thing that settles it is OHA’s list.
Where your card works
Everywhere in Oregon, and this is guaranteed twice.
OAR 333-175-0091(1): “A food handler certificate of program completion is valid statewide.” ORS 624.570(1)(b) says an approved programme “is valid in any jurisdiction in the state.”
OHA puts it plainly: “Food handler cards issued in any county are valid throughout Oregon.” Multnomah County confirms from the other side — “your Multnomah County food handler card is good anywhere in Oregon.”
You do not need a new card when you change counties. This is one of the most commonly misstated points about Oregon, sometimes by employers.
Multnomah County (Portland) runs its own
Multnomah is the only Oregon county OHA does not route to Oregon Food Handlers. It operates its own testing platform and issues its own card — valid statewide like any other. Online is $10; in office it is $5 to test, charged pass or fail, plus $5 for the card.
Multnomah also produces the translations of OHA’s official training manual used across the whole state.
Polk, Clackamas and the other 32
Thirty-three counties — including Polk, Clackamas, Washington, Marion, Lane, Deschutes, Jackson, Benton, Linn, Douglas and the rest — are routed by OHA to Oregon Food Handlers. The process, the price and the card are the same wherever you are, and the result is valid statewide.
Two counties, Lake and Wheeler, do not appear on OHA’s routing list. We could not establish how they are served and would rather say so than guess — if you are there, contact OHA or your county environmental health office directly.
The test
- 75% to pass — OAR 333-175-0081.
- Open book. OAR 333-175-0061: “When being assessed, food handlers may refer to the training manual or printed text,” and may also use “handwritten notes developed onsite during training.” Most people do not know this.
- Online is allowed, as is self-training and instructor-led.
- Accommodations are built into the rule — the assessment may be taken orally, or with reading assistance, and providers must make reasonable accommodations for disabilities including issuing restricted certificates.
- Providers must rotate test versions at least quarterly, and OHA or the county reviews providers on site at least every three years.
We are deliberately not telling you how many questions are on the test. No official Oregon source states a number, and the figures circulating online are not sourced.
The training manual is free
OHA publishes the official Food Handler Self-Training Manual at no cost, in English plus Arabic, Chinese, Chuukese, French, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Nepali, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. You can study from it before paying anyone anything. Note that individual testing platforms offer fewer languages than the manual does.
Renewal
Three years from issuance, then start again. OAR 333-175-0031(2): when a certificate expires, “the food handler must successfully complete the program and pay the appropriate fee.” There is no renewal discount, no continuing-education route and no grandfathering.
The clock runs from the date you passed, not from when you started work — Multnomah states it as “three years from the date the test was passed.”
If you hold the food manager certification instead, that runs on a five-year cycle.
Who is exempt
- Temporary restaurants — intermittent, seasonal and single-event. Individual workers need no card, but at least one person with a valid card must be on the premises at all times. The same rule applies to facilities run by benevolent organisations.
- Food manager certificate holders and registered Environmental Health Specialists — exempt from needing the card, and entitled to one free if they want it.
- Anyone not working in a facility licensed under ORS 624.020 or 624.320.
Note who is not exempt: the definition of food handler expressly includes managers, cooks, wait staff, dishwashers, bartenders and bus persons. If you touch food, equipment or utensils, you are in.
⚠️ Oregon changed its Food Code in January 2026 — and a manager rule is coming
This is new, and most sources have not caught up. Several still say Oregon uses the 2009 Food Code, including legal databases and two of OHA’s own pages.
Oregon adopted the 2022 FDA Food Code, effective 1 January 2026, by amendment to OAR 333-150-0000. The current rules document is titled “2026 Food Sanitation Rules.”
With it comes a certified food protection manager requirement — but not yet, and this is worth being precise about because it is being widely misreported now that the code has been adopted:
- From 1 January 2029 — at least one person in charge must be a certified food protection manager.
- From 1 January 2031 — at least one person in charge working each day must be certified, and must be present during the hours representing the highest food safety risk.
As of today, Oregon does not require a certified food protection manager. Anyone telling you otherwise is reading ahead by three years. And note this is a manager obligation — it is a different credential from your food handler card, with a different price and a different renewal cycle.
What else you owe
Oregon’s training content rules double as a clear statement of the duties themselves:
- Report and stay home. You must report diarrhea, vomiting, fever, jaundice, or sore throat with fever — and not work while symptomatic.
- The 24-hour rule. After vomiting or diarrhea you may not work until 24 hours after symptoms have gone.
- Handwashing — warm water and soap, scrubbing roughly 15 to 20 seconds, with a double wash after using the restroom or after contact with bodily fluids.
- Cross-contamination — raw meats stored below and completely separate from ready-to-eat food.
- The danger zone is 41°F to 135°F, and food held there four hours or more cannot be made safe again.
There is also a statutory backstop most workers never see: under ORS 624.080, a notice about communicable disease exclusion must be posted in all restrooms of licensed establishments, and the state may order immediate exclusion of an employee from all restaurants.
Food handler cards by Oregon city
Oregon routes all 35 counties (except Multnomah) through the state’s single approved provider, Oregon Food Handlers at oregonfoodhandlers.com. The card, cost ($10), and process are identical regardless of city. Here is how the major cities map:
Salem (Marion County)
Salem and the rest of Marion County use the statewide Oregon Food Handlers system. Take the online course, pass the test, pay $10. Your card is valid statewide immediately. There is no Salem-specific or Marion County-specific card.
Eugene and Springfield (Lane County)
Lane County is routed through Oregon Food Handlers. Eugene and Springfield workers follow the same process as the rest of Oregon — online course, $10, statewide card. The University of Oregon and other large employers often handle training internally but the same $10 card satisfies the 30-day requirement.
Bend (Deschutes County)
Deschutes County uses the statewide system. Bend’s food service industry has grown significantly with the city’s population, but the food handler card requirement and process are the same as everywhere else in Oregon outside Portland.
Hillsboro and Beaverton (Washington County)
Washington County — which includes the major Portland suburbs of Hillsboro and Beaverton — is routed through Oregon Food Handlers, not Multnomah County’s program. Even though these cities are in the Portland metro area, they do not use the Multnomah County Food Handler Certification. Use the state system.
Gresham (Multnomah County)
Gresham sits within Multnomah County, so it uses the Multnomah County Food Handler Certification program — not the statewide Oregon Food Handlers system. Same as Portland: the county runs its own program, and the Multnomah card is valid statewide.
Medford and Ashland (Jackson County)
Jackson County is on the statewide system. Medford and Ashland workers use Oregon Food Handlers. No local card required.
What to do
- Check the provider against OHA’s list first. Not the vendor’s own claim — several large national brands are explicitly not valid here.
- Do not pay more than $10 for a first card. The total is capped. A separate “card fee” on top of a course fee is outside the rule.
- If you hold a food manager certificate or are a registered EHS, ask for it free. Providers may not charge you.
- Study the free OHA manual first. It costs nothing, it is in eighteen languages, and the test is open book anyway.
- Do not buy a new card when you move counties. Yours is already valid statewide.
- Diary your expiry. Three years from the test date, and renewal is the full course and test again.
Oregon at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Card required? | Yes |
| Deadline | 30 days from date of hire |
| Cost | $10 total ceiling — training, test and card combined |
| Free for | Food manager certificate holders and registered EHSs |
| Duplicate card | $5 |
| Validity | 3 years from the date you passed |
| Valid statewide? | Yes, expressly |
| Renewal | Full course and test again |
| Pass mark | 75%, open book |
| Approval mechanism | OHA named list — not accreditation |
| Training manual | Free from OHA, 18 languages |
| Food Code | 2022 edition, effective 1 January 2026 |
| Certified manager required? | Not yet — 1 Jan 2029, tightening 1 Jan 2031 |
| Temporary restaurants | One carded person present, not all staff |
Sources: ORS 624.080, 624.510, 624.560 and 624.570; OAR chapter 333 division 175 (rules 0011, 0021, 0031, 0041, 0051, 0061, 0071, 0081, 0091, 0101 and 0111); OAR 333-150-0000; Oregon Health Authority certification, manual and food code pages and its Significant Rule Changes document; Multnomah County Environmental Health; and Columbia County Public Health. Requirements were checked against statute and rule text, not against training providers. Note that several legal databases and two OHA pages still describe Oregon as using the 2009 Food Code — that was superseded on 1 January 2026.
Managing or supervising an Oregon food establishment? See Oregon Food Manager Certification.
Approved provider comparison
Oregon law caps the cost of a food handler card at $10 — the price you pay to the provider cannot legally exceed $10. Large national providers that typically charge $15 have Oregon-specific pricing. Only providers on the OHA-approved list count — some well-known national brands are explicitly not on Oregon’s list.
| Provider | Oregon price | Time | Valid | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StateFoodSafety | ~$10 | 1–2 hrs | 3 years | OHA-approved; ANAB-accredited |
| Learn2Serve (360training) | ~$10 | 1–3 hrs | 3 years | OHA-approved; free retake included |
| Always Food Safe | ~$10 | 1–2 hrs | 3 years | OHA-approved |
ServSafe’s food handler course is not on Oregon’s approved list. Completing a ServSafe handler course does not satisfy the Oregon requirement — you would still need to complete an OHA-approved course. Verify current provider status at the OHA website before enrolling.
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:
- Washington — card required
- California — card required
- Nevada — varies by county
- Idaho — no card required
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon require a food handler card?
Yes — Oregon requires a food handler card (officially called a “food handler certificate”) for most food service workers within 30 days of hire. The requirement is statewide under OAR 333-150-0000.
What is Oregon’s “food handler certificate” — is it the same as a food handler card?
Yes. Oregon’s official term is “food handler certificate,” but workers, employers, and inspectors use “food handler card” interchangeably. The two terms refer to the same worker-level food safety credential.
How much does an Oregon food handler card cost?
Oregon law caps what providers can charge, making it one of the cheapest card-required states in the country. See the provider comparison section on this page for the current capped rate.
Which providers are approved for Oregon food handler cards?
Oregon Health Authority maintains a closed approved-provider list. StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve, and Always Food Safe are on it. ServSafe’s handler course is explicitly not on the Oregon list — do not use it to satisfy the Oregon requirement. Verify the current list at the OHA website before paying.
Does Portland (Multnomah County) have its own food handler card requirement?
Yes — Multnomah County Environmental Health runs its own food handler card programme for the City of Portland and unincorporated Multnomah County, separate from the state OHA programme. The Multnomah County card must be obtained from a Multnomah County-approved provider. The state OHA card alone does not satisfy the Multnomah County requirement if you work within their jurisdiction.
Does Oregon also require a food manager certification?
A manager-level requirement is being phased in under Oregon’s January 2026 Food Code adoption. The full certified food protection manager mandate takes effect in 2029 (tightening in 2031). For current requirements, see Oregon Food Manager Certification.