State requirement: No statewide requirement
Law: No state law · Authority: Tennessee TDOH · Verified: September 2026
No card in Tennessee, statewide or local. A person in charge must show food safety knowledge; details below.
Tennessee is the clearest “no” in the country. There is no state food handler card, no city or county card, and — unusually — no rule that forces any establishment to employ a certified food protection manager. Almost every other state requires at least one of those three things. Tennessee requires none of them.
That does not mean Tennessee has no food safety law. It means the law works through duties and inspections rather than through credentials. Here is exactly what is required, with the rule numbers, so you can check any employer or training seller who tells you otherwise.
Quick answer
- Statewide food handler card? No.
- Any local card? No. Tennessee law also sharply restricts local food regulation — see below.
- Certified manager required? No. Certification is one of three optional ways for the person in charge to demonstrate knowledge.
- Allergen certificate required? No, despite what the search results suggest.
- What is required? A person in charge who can demonstrate food safety knowledge, and employees trained appropriately for their duties.
The person in charge rule — and why it is not a manager certification requirement
This is the provision that most confuses people, because it mentions certification without requiring it. Rule 1200-23-01-.02(1)(b)1 sets out how the person in charge demonstrates food safety knowledge, and it offers three routes:
The Person in Charge shall demonstrate this knowledge by: (I) Complying with these rules by having no violations of Priority Items during the current inspection; (Pf) (II) Being a certified food protection manager who has shown proficiency of required information through passing a test that is part of an Accredited Program; (Pf) or (III) Responding correctly to the inspector’s questions as they relate to the specific food operation.
The word doing the work is “or”. An establishment can satisfy the rule by having a clean inspection, or by the person in charge answering the inspector’s questions correctly on the day. Holding a certificate is one option among three, not a precondition.
This is the 2013 FDA Food Code formulation. In the 2017 Food Code, the FDA changed this provision so the person in charge must be a certified food protection manager. States that adopted the 2017 or 2022 edition inherited that mandate. Tennessee did not.
Tennessee never adopted the Food Code
Most states adopt a specific FDA Food Code edition by reference, which imports the whole modern structure in one move. Tennessee wrote its own rules instead. Chapter 1200-23-01 tracks 2013 Food Code language closely — you will see “Priority Items” and the “Pf” markers — but the chapter never adopts the Food Code as such.
The enabling statute is permissive on the point. T.C.A. § 68-14-704(3) says the commissioner may adopt “all or part of the Food Code.” It has not been used to adopt an edition carrying the mandatory-manager rule.
The practical consequence: national articles about what “the Food Code requires” are frequently wrong about Tennessee. Check the Tennessee rule, not the model code.
Tennessee restricts what cities and counties can do
Tennessee has two separate preemption provisions, which together are why no Tennessee city has a food handler card.
T.C.A. § 53-8-123(a) is the broader of the two:
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, and except for subdivision (c)(1) … this state is the exclusive regulator of food and drink sellers, vendors, vending machine operators, food establishments, and food service establishments in this state.
That exclusivity is real but not total. Subsection (c)(1) preserves local power over “zoning, building codes, locations, hours of operation, or the issuance of permits.” So a city can still zone you and permit you; it cannot build its own food safety regime on top of the state’s.
T.C.A. § 68-14-704(3) adds a second, narrower bar:
A non-elected body of any municipality, county, or metropolitan government shall not enact any ordinance or issue any rule or regulation pertaining to food safety …
Read that carefully, because it is narrower than it first appears: it binds a non-elected body — a local board of health, for instance. It does not on its face stop an elected city council. The heavy lifting on preemption is done by § 53-8-123, not by this provision.
Memphis has a food handler ordinance that points at a repealed statute
Memphis City Code § 9-52-89, “Food handler requirements”, is still on the books. Its entire text is a cross-reference:
All food handlers shall meet the standards as set forth in T.C.A. § 53-8-108, state department of health rules and regulations, and city Code Title 9, Chapter V, Article II, section 9-52-26
Two things are wrong with it. First, T.C.A. § 53-8-108 was repealed in 2017 (2017 Tenn. Acts, ch. 150, § 5, effective 17 April 2017). Second — and this is the part usually reported incorrectly — the repealed section was headed “Suspension of permits” and dealt with permit-suspension procedure. It was never a food handler standards statute in the first place.
So the Memphis ordinance points at a statute that no longer exists and that never said what the ordinance implies it said. What survives is the reference to the state health rules, which is where you were anyway. Memphis does not issue a food handler card and has nothing for you to buy.
Who inspects your restaurant depends on which county you are in
Most of Tennessee is inspected by the state Department of Health. Five counties — known as “Contract Counties” — run their own food establishment inspection, permitting and enforcement programmes:
- Davidson (Nashville)
- Hamilton (Chattanooga)
- Knox (Knoxville)
- Madison (Jackson)
- Shelby (Memphis)
You will see “six counties” stated elsewhere, usually with Sullivan added. That number is right about a different thing. Tennessee has six locally-governed metropolitan health departments — the five above plus Sullivan — but Sullivan does not run its own food service inspection programme. Six health departments, five contract counties.
None of the five issues a food handler card. Being in a contract county changes who knocks on the door, not what you need to hold.
The allergen certificate that is not required
“Tennessee food allergen certificate” is a heavily searched phrase, and almost everything ranking for it is a training company selling a course. So, plainly: Tennessee law does not require an allergen awareness certificate, course, or documentation from anyone.
What the rules actually impose is a training duty on the person in charge. Rule 1200-23-01-.02 requires that:
Employees are properly trained in food safety, including food allergy awareness, as it relates to their assigned duties.
And an inspector may ask the person in charge to describe “foods identified as major food allergens and the symptoms that a major food allergen could cause in a sensitive individual who has an allergic reaction.”
That is a knowledge duty, tested orally, discharged through ordinary training. No certificate is issued and none is inspected. A course may still be a sensible way to meet the duty — just do not buy one believing the state demands it.
What you actually have to do
If you are taking a food job in Tennessee: nothing to buy, nothing to register. Your employer may run its own training and may require it as a condition of employment; that is a workplace rule and it is lawful. Learn the employee health reporting, handwashing and no-bare-hand-contact rules — those are enforced against your establishment.
If you are the person in charge: you must be able to demonstrate knowledge, by one of the three routes above. Certification is the most durable route because it does not depend on how the inspection goes on the day, but it is optional. If you choose it, an Accredited Program certificate is what the rule contemplates.
If a training seller tells you Tennessee requires a card or a manager certificate: ask for the rule number. There is not one. Compare what they say against Rule 1200-23-01-.02 above.
Food handler card by Tennessee city and county
Tennessee has no statewide food handler card for individual workers. The Tennessee Department of Health permits food establishments and requires a certified food protection manager. Here is how that applies across the state’s major markets:
Nashville and Davidson County
The Metro Public Health Department of Nashville/Davidson County oversees food establishments in Nashville. No individual food handler card is required by Metro ordinance — the certified food protection manager requirement sits on the establishment. Nashville’s downtown and Broadway restaurant corridor hires heavily and turnover is high, so many employers require food safety training independently.
Memphis and Shelby County
The Shelby County Health Department permits food establishments in Memphis, Bartlett, Germantown, and Collierville. No individual worker card is required. The certified manager rule applies at the establishment level.
Knoxville and Knox County
The Knox County Health Department oversees food service in Knoxville and surrounding communities. No food handler card is required for individual workers. University of Tennessee-area establishments hire seasonally in volume.
Chattanooga and Hamilton County
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department permits establishments. No individual food handler card requirement. Chattanooga borders Georgia — a Georgia credential does not transfer, though neither state mandates a worker card.
Clarksville (Montgomery County) and Murfreesboro (Rutherford County)
Neither city requires an individual food handler card. Both are among Tennessee’s fastest-growing markets. Clarksville’s proximity to Fort Campbell and the Kentucky state line means workers frequently cross jurisdictions — Kentucky requirements are set locally and differ, so confirm separately if you work on both sides.
Franklin and Brentwood (Williamson County)
No county food handler card is required. Williamson County follows the state framework of establishment permitting plus certified manager.
Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol (Tri-Cities)
None of the Tri-Cities require an individual food handler card. Bristol straddles the Tennessee-Virginia line — the state border runs down State Street, so confirm which state your establishment is permitted in.
Jackson (Madison County) and Cleveland (Bradley County)
Neither requires a food handler card. Both operate under the standard Tennessee Department of Health framework.
If your employer asks for a card anyway
Tennessee has no statewide or local worker card, and state law restricts what localities may require. Employers often ask for training regardless; an ANSI-accredited online food handler course costs $7–$15.
Tennessee at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Statewide food handler card? | No |
| City or county card? | No — and § 53-8-123 makes the state the exclusive regulator |
| Certified food protection manager required? | No — one of three optional routes under Rule 1200-23-01-.02(1)(b)1 |
| Food Code edition adopted? | None. Tennessee wrote its own rules, tracking the 2013 edition |
| Allergen certificate required? | No — but allergy awareness training is part of the PIC duty |
| Who inspects? | Dept of Health, except in five contract counties |
| Contract counties | Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby |
| Memphis § 9-52-89 | Still on the books; cites a statute repealed in 2017 |
| Cost to a worker | $0 |
Reviewed August 2026 against Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01, T.C.A. §§ 53-8-123 and 68-14-704, the Memphis City Code, and the Tennessee Department of Health environmental health pages.
Running an establishment? See Tennessee 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:
- Kentucky — varies by county
- Virginia — no card required
- North Carolina — no card required
- Georgia — no card required
- Alabama — varies by county
- Mississippi — no card required
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee require a food handler card?
No. Tennessee requires nothing — no state food handler card, no city or county card, and no certified food protection manager requirement. Tennessee is the only state that requires essentially no food safety credential at any level, for workers or management.
Does any city or county in Tennessee require a food handler card?
No. Unlike most other states without a statewide card, Tennessee has no known city or county that has adopted its own food handler card requirement. If you work anywhere in Tennessee, no food safety credential is currently required.
Does Tennessee also require a food manager certification?
No. Tennessee does not require establishments to employ a certified food protection manager. Almost every other state requires at least a manager credential or individual worker training; Tennessee requires neither.