The short version
Two different credentials get mixed up. A food handler card is the short course every food employee takes; a certified food protection manager (CFPM) is the person in charge who passed an accredited exam. Most states require the manager and leave the handler card to counties; ten states require handler cards for everyone; a few states require neither statewide and let their counties decide. For a food truck the question is the same as for a restaurant, with one twist: several states exempt low-risk mobile units (prepackaged food, no cooking) from the manager rule, and a few, Texas above all, require the certified manager to be on the truck whenever it is open.
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The table below covers all 50 states and DC. Where the rule was read on the agency's own page or the statute itself, it is stated as fact with the deadline, validity and any price cap, and the page is linked. Where only the agency's summary or a mirror of the rule could be read, the row says "confirm". Where nothing official could be read, the row says "verify with your county" and claims nothing. Everything was read on October 13, 2026.
The two credentials
Swipe sideways for all columns
| Food handler card | Certified food protection manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Every employee who handles food, where the state or county requires it | At least one person in charge per establishment, where the state requires it |
| What | A short course and quiz on hygiene, temperatures, allergens | An accredited exam (ANAB-CFP standard): ServSafe Manager, NRFSP, Prometric, 360training National Food Manager, Always Food Safe, StateFoodSafety |
| Deadline | 14 days (Washington), 30 days (Texas, California, Illinois, Oregon, New Mexico), 60 days (Florida) after hire | Usually before opening, with a grace period after a certified manager leaves (60 days in California's county guidance, 90 days in South Dakota) |
| Valid for | 2 to 3 years | Typically 5 years (Texas, Illinois, Louisiana, Utah); 4 in South Dakota; 3 in Rhode Island and DC |
| Typical price | $8.99 to $15; capped at $15 in California and Illinois; $10 state fee in Washington and Oregon | $28 to $109 for the exam; $84 to $179 with a course |
| Who issues it | ANSI-accredited course providers, or the state or county's own program | The accredited exam provider; some states also issue their own certificate (NYC's Food Protection Certificate) |
PitStop
runpitstop.comAccreditation is the thing to check before you pay. Handler courses should be accredited under the ANSI/ASTM E2659 standard where the state requires accreditation (California, Illinois, New Mexico, Texas's DSHS-licensed list); manager exams must be accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board to the Conference for Food Protection standard, which is why every state that requires a certified manager accepts the same half-dozen exams.
On a food truck
- The person in charge is you. Most state rules put the certification requirement on the person in charge during operating hours. On a one-person truck that is the operator; on a crewed truck it is whoever runs the shift.
- Low-risk menus are often exempt from the manager rule. Texas exempts minimal-risk units (Type I, prepackaged only); Ohio exempts mobile operations from the Level Two manager certification entirely (high-risk mobile operations still need a certified person in charge); Georgia exempts a mobile unit that does not process foods; Alabama requires the manager only for Category 3 and 4 units; New Jersey only for Risk Type 3 establishments; Minnesota exempts retail food vehicles licensed by its agriculture department.
- Presence rules vary. Texas: present at all hours on the unit. Alabama: at all hours for Category 3 and 4. New Jersey and California: not necessarily present, but a knowledgeable person in charge must be.
- Counties add rules the state does not. Arizona, Nevada, Missouri, Oklahoma and West Virginia leave handler cards to counties and cities, and counties in states with no manager mandate sometimes require one anyway. The county that permits the truck is the one to ask.
- NYC is its own system. A New York City mobile food vendor license requires the $53 Mobile Vendor Food Protection Course; the city's $24 Food Protection Certificate exam is for supervisors in restaurants.
What it costs
Published prices, read on the providers' and agencies' pages on October 13, 2026:
Swipe sideways for all columns
| Provider | Product | Price | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServSafe (National Restaurant Association) | Manager online course and exam, online proctor | $179.00 | page |
| ServSafe | Manager online course and exam, access code (in-person proctor) | $152.95 | page |
| ServSafe | Manager online course only | $125.00 | page |
| ServSafe | Manager exam only, online proctor | $99.00 | page |
| ServSafe | Manager exam only, access code or printed voucher (proctor arranged separately) | $38.99 | page |
| ServSafe | Manager exam at a testing center | $108.99 | page |
| 360training / Learn2Serve | National Food Manager Certification Exam (ANAB-CFP accredited) with online proctor | $69.99 | page |
| 360training / Learn2Serve | Manager exam plus training bundle | $121.00 | page |
| 360training / Learn2Serve | Texas Food Handler certificate (DSHS-licensed course) (Valid for two years per the course page) | $8.99 | page |
| Always Food Safe | Food Protection Manager exam and lesson (The same page's FAQ lists the bundle at $78; the two figures disagree) | $84 | page |
| Always Food Safe | Food Protection Manager exam only (Remote proctoring is $48 on top) | $28 | page |
| National Registry of Food Safety Professionals | International Certified Food Safety Manager exam, online voucher (Pearson VUE) | $81.99 | page |
| NYC Health (agency fee) | Mobile Vendor Food Protection Course, required for NYC mobile food vendor licenses | $53 | page |
| NYC Health (agency fee) | Food Protection Certificate exam (the online course itself is free) | $24 plus a convenience fee | page |
PitStop
runpitstop.comState-set handler fees and caps:
- California: At least one approved food handler course and exam must cost no more than $15, card included, and since 2024 the employer pays for it and counts the time as hours worked (Health and Safety Code 113948) (source)
- Illinois: At least one approved food handler training module must be available at no more than $15 per employee, or the restaurant handler rule does not apply (410 ILCS 625/3.06(g)) (source)
- Washington: The food worker card fee is set at $10 (WAC 246-217-025) (source)
- Oregon: The food handler card costs $10, a duplicate $5 (Oregon Health Authority) (source)
Providers change prices and run promotions; the linked page is the number that counts on the day you buy.
State by state
How to read it: a plain entry was read on the agency's page or the statute (linked); "confirm" means the entry rests on the agency's own summary or a mirror of the rule and should be checked on the linked page; "verify with your county" means no official text was read for that fact and the county health department is the authority. Handler deadlines and validity are shown only where read on official text.
Swipe sideways for all columns
| State | Food handler card (all employees) | Certified food protection manager | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. | manager |
| Alaska | Statewide (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page) | Required, with exemptions (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | handler, manager |
| Arizona | County or city programs only: A.R.S. §11-269.12 (counties that require food handler training must accept accredited courses meeting ASTM E2659-09; cards valid in any requiring county until expiry); Maricopa, Pima, Yuma and other counties require training | Required, with exemptions. | handler, manager |
| Arkansas | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| California | Statewide: 30 days after the date of hire; valid 3 years; At least one approved course and exam must cost no more than $15; since 2024 the employer pays and training time counts as hours worked (subdivision (i)). Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties ran pre-existing local programs and are carved out in the statute; check the county. | Required, with exemptions. No. Only temporary food facilities are exempt in HSC 113947.1; Sacramento and Los Angeles County guidance apply the requirement to mobile food facilities (hot trucks, carts). The certified person need not be present at all hours; 60 days to replace. | handler, manager |
| Colorado | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| Connecticut | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. By class, not by mobility: Public Act 17-93 §4(4) requires every class 2, 3 and 4 food establishment to employ a CFPM from 2018-07-01; class 1 (prepackaged, commercially processed hot-held, or non-TCS prepared food only) is not covered. An 'itinerant food vending establishment' (vehicle-mounted mobile unit) is a food establishment and is classed by its menu. | manager |
| Delaware | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Not read on an official page; verify with your county | county health department |
| District of Columbia | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. | manager |
| Florida | Statewide: 60 days after hire; valid 3 years | Required, with exemptions. No. Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicles are licensed under ch. 509 and DBPR says operators 'must meet and maintain all applicable standards of a public food service establishment'. 61C-4.023 exempts only temporary food service vendors and vending machine operators, and requires a CFPM present only when four or more employees are handling food at one time. | handler, manager |
| Georgia | No statewide card (rule text read on a mirror; confirm with the agency) | Required, with exemptions. Only 'A mobile food service unit that does not process foods' is exempt; a truck that cooks or handles TCS food must employ a Certified Food Safety Manager. Also exempt: non-TCS-only establishments and temporary food service establishments. 60 days from permit issuance or CFSM departure to comply. | handler, manager |
| Hawaii | Statewide: Enforced from September 4, 2018; applies to the person in charge during normal work hours, not every employee. DOH accepts ANSI-recognized certification and offers free classes; the requirement also covers special-event permit holders. | Not read on an official page; verify with your county | handler |
| Idaho | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| Illinois | Statewide: within 30 days after employment; valid every 3 years; At least one approved training module must be available at no more than $15 per employee (3.06(g)). ANSI-accredited training or an IDPH-approved program; someone holding a food service sanitation manager certificate is exempt from the handler training. | Required, with exemptions. | handler, manager |
| Indiana | No statewide card: 410 IAC 7-22 / IC 16-42-5.2 require a certified food protection manager, not employee cards; home-based vendors must hold an ANSI-accredited food handler certificate; other RFEs 'recommended' only | Required, with exemptions. | handler |
| Iowa | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| Kansas | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Not read on an official page; verify with your county | county health department |
| Kentucky | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Not read on an official page; verify with your county | county health department |
| Louisiana | No statewide card: La. R.S. 40:5.5(C): the state may not require more than one owner or employee per establishment to hold a food safety certificate; no employee card | Required. | handler |
| Maine | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| Maryland | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| Massachusetts | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| Michigan | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. | manager |
| Minnesota | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. Yes where the establishment 'operates as a retail food vehicle, portable structure, or cart' (4626.0020 subp. 73; MDH says these are licensed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture). Also exempt: low-risk establishments (Minn. Stat. 157.20), special event food stands, limited-prep operations. 60 days to replace a departed CFPM. | manager |
| Mississippi | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| Missouri | County or city programs only: No state card in the Missouri Food Code; the state health department's page says to check with the local public health agency, and several cities and counties run their own food handler permits | No statewide requirement. | handler |
| Montana | No statewide card (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page) | Required, with exemptions (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | handler |
| Nebraska | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Not read on an official page; verify with your county | county health department |
| Nevada | County or city programs only (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page) | Required, with exemptions. Not named. NAC 446.052(1) lets the PIC demonstrate knowledge only by being a CFPM, or - for a low-risk or temporary food establishment - by answering the health authority's questions; so any non-low-risk mobile unit's PIC must be a CFPM. | handler, manager |
| New Hampshire | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. | manager |
| New Jersey | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. Depends on risk type: N.J.A.C. 8:24-2.1(b) requires a CFPM only in Risk Type 3 establishments (extensive menu, cook/cool/reheat of 3+ TCS foods); Gloucester County's mobile vendor application requires a Food Protection Manager certificate for Risk 3 or 4 operations. | manager |
| New Mexico | Statewide: 30 days after hire; valid 3 years | Required. No - the section expressly applies to mobile food establishments. | handler |
| New York | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | No statewide requirement (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| North Carolina | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. | manager |
| North Dakota | No statewide card: North Dakota Food Code (NDAC 33-33-04) - training recommended, not required; some local public health units require it | No statewide requirement. | handler |
| Ohio | No statewide card: No all-employee card. Ohio instead mandates 'person in charge certification in food protection' (Level One): OAC 3701-21-25(K) - at least one certified PIC per shift for FSOs/RFEs initially licensed after 2010-03-01; for high-risk mobile operations licensed on/after 2024-09-01, one certified PIC per license holder at each event | Required, with exemptions. Yes. OAC 3717-1-02.4(A)(3) requires manager certification only for risk level III and IV operations, and (A)(4) exempts 'Temporary, mobile, vending locations, and risk level I and risk level II' operations. High-risk mobiles still need a Level One certified PIC (see handler record). | handler, manager |
| Oklahoma | County or city programs only (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page) | No statewide requirement (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | handler, manager |
| Oregon | Statewide: 30 days after hire; valid 3 years; $10 card fee (OHA page); duplicate $5 | No statewide requirement. | handler, manager |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide card: No state card; Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties and State College Borough run their own certification programs (PDA page) | Required, with exemptions. Not mentioned; mobile food facilities are licensed retail food facilities and appear covered unless they fall in an exempt class (prepackaged only, non-TCS only, manufacturers, 501(c)(3)/not-for-profit, volunteer fire companies, fairs, youth booster clubs). New facilities and facilities losing their certified employee get 90 days / three months. | handler |
| Rhode Island | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. | manager |
| South Carolina | No statewide card: Regulation 61-25, 2-102.12(B): at all times during operation the person in charge must hold a food handler certificate or be a certified food protection manager (SCDA fact sheet CPD 2142, read 2026-10-13) | Required. | handler, manager |
| South Dakota | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. No - mobile food service establishments are expressly named: new food service and mobile food service establishments must have a certified food service manager as person in charge before opening. Temporary establishments exempt; 90-day grace after departure or ownership change. | manager |
| Tennessee | No statewide card (rule text read on a mirror; confirm with the agency) | No statewide requirement (rule text read on a mirror; confirm with the agency). | handler |
| Texas | Statewide: 30 days after hire; Valid to the expiration date printed on the card; 2 years if none (25 TAC §229.178) | Required, with exemptions. No. 25 TAC §226.3(a) requires a CFPM present during all hours of operation on a mobile food unit; §226.3(b) exempts only operations the regulatory authority deems minimal risk (Type I mobile food vendors / units that do not prepare or handle unpackaged TCS food). | handler, manager |
| Utah | Statewide (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page) | Required, with exemptions. | handler, manager |
| Vermont | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Not read on an official page; verify with your county | county health department |
| Virginia | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions. No. VDH FAQ: the requirement applies to all VDH-permitted food establishments including temporary and mobile units unless exempt. Exempt: establishments serving only non-TCS food, or that only reheat or cold-hold commercially processed fully cooked TCS food (and such establishments may not cool TCS food). 12VAC5-421-55, derived 2016-07-12, last amended eff. 2022-11-23. | manager |
| Washington | Statewide: 14 days after hire; valid 2 initial; 3 on renewal; 5 if additional food safety training documented; $10 fee fixed by WAC 246-217-025(2) | Required, with exemptions. Not named. WAC 246-215-02107(2) exempts 'certain types of food establishments deemed by the regulatory authority to pose minimal risk'; local health jurisdictions decide. Requirement in force since 2023-03-01. | handler, manager |
| West Virginia | County or city programs only: W. Va. Code §16-2-16: where a county health department requires it, a food handler permit/card must be obtained within 30 days of hire under county procedures; ANSI or other nationally recognized courses accepted; valid 1-3 years; statewide validity for an extra fee of up to $10 | Not read on an official page; verify with your county | handler |
| Wisconsin | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Required, with exemptions (from the agency's own summary; confirm on the linked page). | manager |
| Wyoming | No statewide card found in the research; verify with your county | Not read on an official page; verify with your county | county health department |
PitStop
runpitstop.comBefore you buy a course
1.Ask the county that permits the truck which of the two it wants, for whom, and by when; counties add rules the state does not.
2.Buy accredited: ANSI-accredited handler courses where the state requires accreditation, ANAB-CFP accredited manager exams everywhere.
3.Buy the cheapest accredited option your schedule allows: the certificate is the same whether the exam cost $28 or $109.
4.Keep the certificates on the truck with the permit; inspectors ask.
5.Calendar the renewals: 2 to 3 years for handler cards, about 5 for the manager, and shorter where the state says so.
Verify every requirement with the agency that issues your permit; rules change and the agency's own page is the one that counts. For the rest of the paperwork, open your state permit checklist and the health inspection checklist.