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State Cert Guide

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Do I need a food manager certification in Texas?

Your workplace may need at least one certified food manager on staff. It depends on the food it serves and on who permits it: the state, or your city or county. You earn the certificate by passing an approved exam. The state doesn't run the exam or the course, so pick a provider from its lists before you pay.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
A 14-hour classroom or online training program for people new to the food industryIf you're new to the food industry, a training program may offer a 14-hour course, in a classroom or online. If you already have enough food industry knowledge, a test site or an internet exam provider gives you the exam.
Verified. Texas Department of State Health Services · Licensing of Certified Food Manager Training Programs (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Where you can test
Any accredited exam provider or training program can give you the examThe exam you pass has to be one that DSHS or ANSI-CFP approves.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
Five yearsYou earn it by passing a DSHS or ANSI-CFP approved exam, and the state says it lasts that long.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check whether your workplace needs one. Texas says food establishments that handle, prepare or serve exposed time/temperature control for safety foods may be required to employ a certified food manager. The rule asks for at least one employee who supervises and manages and can direct how food is prepared and served. If a city or county health department permits your place, ask that department what it requires. A city can pass a rule that requires a certified food manager on site at all times. A county with 4 million people or more may require a certified or trained food manager on site at all times.

  2. Step 2. Choose where you'll take the exam. The state says you earn the certificate by passing a DSHS or ANSI-CFP approved food manager exam. Start with the state's list of CFM training programs or the ANSI-CFP provider directory. Don't send money to DSHS. It doesn't run the training or the exam, and it doesn't give out certificates.

  3. Step 3. Take the training if you're new to the food industry. The exam comes at the end, and passing it earns a certificate that is valid in Texas. If you already have enough food industry knowledge, a licensed test site or an internet exam provider can give you the exam. Training and exams come in languages other than English. Ask the program or exam provider.

  4. Step 4. Keep your certificate and post it where customers can see it. If you lose it, contact the exam provider for a replacement. A certificate from an ANSI-CFP provider gets national reciprocity. One from a DSHS provider gets state reciprocity.

Before you pay

Don't pay DSHS. The state says not to apply or send money to DSHS to register for a training program or an exam.

Check the provider against the state's list of CFM training programs or the ANSI-CFP directory. The state's list shows a license number for each program that has one.

Ask what the course, the exam and the certificate cost. The state's list has no price column, and we haven't confirmed a price.

Ask whether the exam is ANSI-CFP or DSHS approved. The state names both.

If a city or county health department permits your workplace, ask it what it requires before you sign up.

Questions

Is a food manager certification the same as a food handlers card?

No. Texas treats them separately. A Certified Food Manager is exempt from the food handler training requirement. If you want the handler course, read our Texas food handlers card page.

Can I take the Texas food manager exam online?

Yes, through an internet exam provider. The state describes internet examinations as DSHS-approved exam delivery systems. They give the exam to people who already have enough food industry knowledge. Training programs may also offer their training online.

Does the state give the exam or the certificate?

No. DSHS says it doesn't administer CFM training or exams or provide CFM certificates. Contact the training program or exam provider you used.

Will my city or county accept my certificate?

County health departments, public health districts and city health departments must accept certificates for passing any DSHS approved exam as meeting the state's training and testing requirements. A city, or a county with a population of 4 million or more, can still add its own rules, so ask the health department that permits your workplace.

What to do next

Start with the state's list of CFM training programs. Pick a provider before you pay. Not sure your workplace needs a certified food manager? Ask the health department that permits it, or read the state's questions and answers first.

www.dshs.texas.gov

Sources we read