Food Handler Certificate
Food safety basics for food service workers — based on the FDA Food Code. Most jurisdictions pass at 75%.
📋 What to Bring
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Government-issued photo ID
A driver's license, state ID, or passport to verify your identity for the certificate
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Payment for the course/exam fee
Accredited Food Handler programs typically charge a small fee (often $10–$15)
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A computer or phone with internet
Most Food Handler courses and exams are taken online and can be done from home
📅 How to Schedule
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Check your local requirement
Confirm which certificate your state, county, or city accepts. Some areas require an ANSI-accredited (ANAB) Food Handler course.
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Take an accredited course online
Register with an accredited provider, complete the short training, and take the exam — usually all in one sitting online.
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Pass and print your card
Score 75% or higher to pass. You can usually download or print your Food Handler card immediately.
💡 Test Day Tips
- •Memorize the temperature danger zone: 41°F–135°F (5°C–57°C). Many exam questions test the numbers around it.
- •Learn the minimum cooking temperatures: poultry 165°F, ground meat 155°F, whole cuts/seafood 145°F. These appear on almost every exam.
- •Know the two-stage cooling rule: 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then to 41°F within 4 more hours (6 hours total).
- •Remember handwashing: at least 20 seconds with soap and water at 100°F, and no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food.
- •There are 9 major allergens — milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame (added in 2023).
- •A surface must be cleaned BEFORE it is sanitized, and sanitized items must always air-dry — never towel-dry.
📚 Study Handbook
All practice questions are based on the sections below. Click any to read the official source.
🎯 Practice by Topic
Foodborne Illness & the Big 6 Pathogens
How food makes people sick, the FDA's Big 6 reportable pathogens, their symptoms and sources, and how proper food handling prevents foodborne illness.
Personal Hygiene & Employee Health
Proper handwashing, when to wash, reporting illness and symptoms, no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food, and personal practices like fingernails, jewelry, eating and smoking.
Time & Temperature Control
TCS foods and the temperature danger zone, required cooking temperatures, cooling, reheating, hot and cold holding, and using and calibrating thermometers.
Cross-Contamination & Allergens
Preventing cross-contamination through separation and correct raw-protein storage order, plus the major food allergens and avoiding allergen cross-contact.
Cleaning & Sanitizing
The difference between cleaning and sanitizing, the three-compartment sink, heat and chemical sanitizer concentrations and contact times, wiping cloths, and safe storage and labeling of toxic materials.
Receiving & Storage
Buying from approved sources, receiving temperatures and rejection criteria, FIFO stock rotation, date marking, correct storage, and safe thawing methods.
🔗 Official Resources
FDA Retail Food Protection ↗
Official FDA hub for the Food Code and retail food safety guidance
FoodSafety.gov ↗
Plain-language U.S. government food safety guidance and temperature charts
Find an Accredited Food Handler Program ↗
ANAB directory of accredited certificate programs your jurisdiction may require
CDC Food Safety ↗
Information on foodborne pathogens, outbreaks, and prevention