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Do I need a food handlers card?
In Texas, Utah and Washington, yes, if you handle food for work and are not exempt. Some people are, as listed below. Illinois says yes, with a few exceptions. Florida says yes if you work with food at a public food service establishment, with one exception. California has its own page, and we have not confirmed any other state.
By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.Published · Updated
The steps, in order
Check your state
The rules differ from state to state
See if your job is covered
Some jobs are exempt
Take a course your state accepts
Not every provider counts
Keep your proof
Four steps in order: check your state's rule, find out whether your job is covered, take a course your state accepts, keep your proof. The rules differ from state to state.
What the rule says
Who has to take it in Texas?
Every food employee. Texas requires all food employees to finish an accredited food handler course within 30 days of starting work.
Who counts as a food employee in Texas?
A person who works with unpackaged food, food equipment or utensils, or food-contact surfaces.
Is anyone exempt in Texas?
Yes. A Certified Food Manager is exempt. So is a food establishment that only serves pre-packaged items, and a temporary food establishment under the state health department's jurisdiction. Some other people are exempt only while a person with a food handler certificate from an accredited course, or a Certified Food Manager, supervises them. They are people with an intellectual disability, people who work with food in a rehabilitation or correctional facility as part of their rehabilitation, people who help others with daily living, such as nurse assistants and nurses, people who hand out pre-portioned food in places like classrooms and daycare, and volunteers who work with food but are not employed there. Some of these are examples, not a closed list.
Can I take it online in Texas?
Yes. Accredited training providers may offer the training on the internet. Make sure your course comes from an accredited provider.
Who needs training in Illinois?
Any food handler, unless the person holds a valid Certified Food Protection Manager certification or is an unpaid volunteer. If you only fill in as a food handler when needed, you still need the training.
Is anyone else exempt in Illinois?
Yes. Employees of a temporary food establishment are also exempt from the food handler training requirement.
Does the training in Illinois depend on where I work?
Yes. Illinois asks that you get the appropriate training based on whether you work in a restaurant or a non-restaurant.
Does the state give me the card in Illinois?
No. The state does not issue food handler certifications. Ask your course provider what proof you will get.
Can I take it online in Illinois?
Yes, for restaurant workers, if the course has approval from the American National Standards Institute. You can finish the course and the test online at any hour, with no instructor watching. After you pass, you can print the certificate right away.
Does the training have to be online in Illinois?
No. Illinois says training can be online, on a computer or in a classroom, with live or remote trainers. For restaurant workers it must be ANSI approved, unless the local health department or the employer's own program has IDPH approval.
Who else can train me in Illinois?
For restaurants, a local health department with a training program IDPH has approved may provide the training. So may a business registered with IDPH that has its own program approved in another state, if that approval came before a cutoff date in 2013.
Who needs a permit in Utah?
All food handlers. Utah requires a permit from a local health department before you handle food that will be served to the public.
How do I get the permit in Utah?
Take a course from an approved training provider, pass the exam and get a certificate from the provider.
Does any course count in Utah?
No. Local health departments only accept training from providers on the approved list.
Do I need a card in Washington?
Yes. Food workers need a valid food worker card to work in Washington.
Who counts as a food worker in Washington?
You do if you work with unpackaged food, food equipment or utensils, or any surface where people put unwrapped food.
Can I take it online in Washington?
Only through one program. The state names foodworkercard.wa.gov as the only authorized online training program. Other websites that seem to offer a similar card online are not valid in Washington.
Does a card from another state count in Washington?
No. You must have a Washington food worker card to work as a food worker there.
Who needs it in Florida?
Food service employees who store, prepare, display or serve food to the public at public food service establishments.
How soon do I need it in Florida?
Within 60 days after you start work.
Who has to train me in Florida?
Your employer. Florida's law makes the employer responsible for training all of its food service employees.
Is any workplace exempt in Florida?
Yes. A workplace with its own in-house training program can skip the card or certificate rule. The state has to have approved the program, and the workplace's own employees have to teach it. Your employer still has to train you.
Check your state's page
Where people go wrong
- Taking a course before you check your state's rule is the first trap. Utah accepts only providers on its approved list, and Texas wants an accredited course.
- A website can look right and still be wrong. Washington says other websites that seem to offer a similar card online are not valid there.
- Moving to Washington with an old card from another state does not work. Washington does not count it.
- In Illinois, waiting for the state to send you a card will not work, because the state does not issue food handler certifications.
- Texas wants the course finished within 30 days of starting work, so do not leave it for later.
- In Florida, the law puts the duty to train on your employer, so ask your employer before you buy a course yourself.
Questions
How do I get a food handlers card?
Check your state's rule first. Then take a course your state accepts. In Utah you also pass an exam. In Illinois, restaurant training must be ANSI approved unless the local health department or the employer's own program has IDPH approval. ANSI approved courses end with an assessment and give a certificate, but not every Illinois course does. If you are not sure which course counts, ask your employer or your local health department.
Is a food handlers card a license?
The name and the issuer change by state. In Utah it is a permit from a local health department. In Washington it is a food worker card. In Illinois the state does not issue food handler certifications. In Florida, a training provider gives your employer a certificate and gives you a card, unless your workplace runs its own in-house program that the state has approved.
How long is a food handlers card good for?
In Illinois, ANSI food handler training certificates are good for three years. In Florida, you stay certified for three years. For the other states on this page, the term is on each state's own page, linked above.
Can I get a food handlers card online?
Sometimes. Texas and Illinois allow online courses that meet their rules. Washington allows one named online program. Check the rule for your state before you pay.
What if my state is not on this page?
Ask your employer or your local health department which course your state accepts.
Your next step
Before you pay for a course, find out what your state accepts. Start with your state's page, linked above, then read your state agency's own page for the current rule.
Sources we read
- www.dshs.texas.gov › frequently asked questions food handler education or training programs · read Nov 12, 2026
- dph.illinois.gov › food handler faq · read Nov 12, 2026
- epi.utah.gov › food handler training providers · read Nov 12, 2026
- doh.wa.gov › food worker card · read Nov 13, 2026
- www.flsenate.gov › Florida Statutes § 509.049 · read Nov 13, 2026
Who publishes this guide
State Cert Guide is an independent guide to what each state requires. If a fact on this page is wrong, tell us and we fix it.