Frequently Asked Questions

A food handler card is a card or certificate that proves you completed food handler training. When you complete our ANAB-accredited California Online Food Handler Program, you will instantly receive a digital food handler card that you can access and print at any time.

Depending on your job title and the county where you work, you may be required to complete a food handler training program soon after starting a job in the food service industry. The easiest way to determine if you need a food handler card is to ask your employer, who can provide specific information about your training requirements and any important deadlines.

According to California Senate Bill No. 303 (SB 303), all food handlers are required to obtain a California food handler card after completing a food safety training course and passing an assessment. However, California food handler cards are not accepted in San Diego County, Riverside County or San Bernardino County. We currently offer a San Diego-approved food handler course for those who work in San Diego County.

The California Retail Food Code defines food handlers as individuals who prepare, store or serve food in a facility that sells food for human consumption to the general public. Some examples of food service employees who typically need a food handler card include cooks, servers, hosts, bartenders and barbacks.

Most food handlers in California are required by law to complete a state-approved food handler course within 30 days of employment.

However, you may need to complete training sooner if you work in Riverside, San Bernardino or San Diego county. Food handlers in San Diego County must earn a county-approved food handler card within 10 days of being hired.

Yes, the California Online Food Handler Program is ANAB-accredited and accepted in nearly all California counties. The only exceptions are Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, which have county-specific food training requirements that are not covered in the California food handler program. Food handlers who work in San Diego County should take our county-authorized food handler course.

No, this course is not valid if you work in Riverside, San Bernardino or San Diego county. These counties are exempt from California Food Handler Card Law guidelines because they had an established food handler program in place before the current law was enacted.

If you work in Riverside, San Bernardino or San Diego county, ask your employer how to meet food handler training requirements. Food handlers in San Diego county can take our county-approved course to earn their San Diego food handler card.

The California Online Food Handler Program is ANAB-accredited through our partner StateFoodSafety. This means ANAB assures this quality program meets the learning outcomes required to issue certificates in food handling. Food handlers in California are required to earn a food handler card from an ANAB-accredited organization.

The San Diego County Online Food Handler course is fully approved by the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health (DEH2014-FFHI-000032).

California and San Diego County food handler cards remain valid for three years after the issue date. However, Riverside County food handler cards expire after two years. Once your certificate expires, you must retake the course to renew.

The California food handler training course takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Because San Diego County sets its own training standards, San Diego County Online Food Handler Training takes at least 3 hours to complete, not including the final exam.

You can access both courses 24/7 and train at any pace you choose, logging off anytime without losing your place. There are no course timers.

Yes, you are required to pass a final exam to receive your food handler card. The exam for the California food handler course contains 40 multiple-choice questions, and you have up to two attempts to pass with a score of at least 70%.

The San Diego County food handler course also has a multiple-choice final exam with 40 questions, but you must score at least 80% to pass. You have unlimited attempts to pass the exam for the San Diego County course.

After you pass the final exam, you can instantly access a digital version of your food handler card. By logging into your account, you can view your certificate at any time and print as many copies as you need at no cost.

Throughout the course, you'll learn about a wide range of food safety topics, including:

• Personal hygiene and food safety basics
• Types of foodborne illnesses
• Preventing food contamination
• Proper techniques for cleaning and sanitization
• Time and temperature controls

For a complete overview of the course modules and learning objectives, visit the course details page.

Students will be locked out of the course if they cannot prove their identity throughout training. To prove your identity, you will be required to answer a series of personal questions before and during your online food handler training. If you cannot correctly answer your personal validation questions within 90 seconds, you will lose access to the course. To resume your training, follow the on-screen instructions to contact our customer service team by live chat or email.

We maintain a commitment to your satisfaction with our training programs. If you are not happy with your learning experience, please view our refund policy to learn about your refund options.

Can't find the answers you're looking for? Contact our customer service team at 800-405-5417 to get help with any question you have about our courses.