Food Handlers Card Online: How It Works
Most states let you earn a food handlers card online. You finish a brief course, pass the test, then print the card yourself at home. But a handful of places, including Washington, Alaska, and certain counties, only honor their own card. The rules on which course counts come from your state and county.
Earning a Food Handler Certificate Online
Course providers follow nearly the same routine. Take StateFoodSafety's Texas course as an example: everything happens online, and once you pass, you print your card at home.
- Pick a course your state or county recognizes. A card earned through some other program might not qualify in your area.
- Check the course price and whether it works on your device before you pay.
- Complete the final test. To pass StateFoodSafety's Texas test, you need 70%.
- Print or download the card, then give your employer a copy.
Places That Only Honor Their Own Card
Some areas reject cards from national course providers, even providers approved in other regions.
- Washington: the state's own site, foodworkercard.wa.gov, runs the only authorized online course, and a card from any other website will not work there. The fee is $10.
- Alaska: the only card that qualifies is the Alaska food worker card. You can sit the test online or visit a state Food Safety and Sanitation office. There are 20 questions, and 15 correct answers gets you a pass.
- Clark County, Nevada, home to Las Vegas: the Southern Nevada Health District is the only source of cards. Your first card requires an in-person test with 20 questions at a district office. You need 70% right, and it costs $25.
- Riverside County, California: in this county, the local certificate is the only one recognized. Training and testing happen online, or you can visit a county office and take the test there in person.
- San Bernardino County, California: cards issued by its Environmental Health Services are the only ones that count.
- San Diego County, California: only county-approved courses qualify, and the California card is not accepted there.
How to Get Your Card Fast
Some online courses take under an hour, and some include more than one try at the test.
| Course | Length | Tries allowed |
|---|---|---|
| eFoodHandlers national course | About half an hour | Free retake when needed |
| StateFoodSafety, Texas | 40 minutes | Two tries |
| ServSafe Food Handler | Roughly 10 minutes per section | Three tries included |
State or local rules may set a deadline for getting your card, measured from the day you start work.
- If you work in San Diego County, you have 10 days to get the card.
- Washington and San Bernardino County give you 14 days.
- California, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Alaska each allow 30 days.
- So do Riverside, Maricopa, and Clark counties.
- Florida is the most generous, with 60 days.
What an Online Course Costs
The cheapest course listed on this site costs $10 in 32 states.
- Florida has the cheapest option at $6.95, with Texas close behind at $6.99 and California at $7.49.
- Illinois and New Mexico both sit at $7.95.
- Washington, Oregon, and Alaska charge $10.
- Utah comes in at $21.95.
- County cards can cost noticeably more: $22 in San Bernardino County, $25 in Clark County and $28 in Riverside County.
Every course link on this site points directly to the provider's own page. Some providers may pay this site a fee, but what you pay stays the same.
How Long Your Card Is Good
State cards last three years, except in Texas and Washington, where they last two. Local cards can differ: Riverside County's card also lasts two years. If a three-year state issues you a card on March 2, 2026, it expires March 2, 2029. Our advice is to begin the new course roughly 30 days ahead of that date. This is just our advice, not an official rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the online process for a California food handler card?
California has several approved online courses, but your county matters: Riverside and San Bernardino require their own cards, and San Diego accepts only county-approved courses. Learn2Serve is the cheapest at $7.49, and eFoodHandlers, Premier Food Safety, Always Food Safe and ServSafe also count. ServSafe provides its course in several languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.
Do I need a food handlers card in Virginia?
Virginia has no statewide rule. If an employer still wants one, listed courses start at $9.99 through Learn2Serve.
I lost my food handlers card. How do I find it?
Every issuer stores cards in its own system. For StateFoodSafety, eFoodHandlers, and Learn2Serve, you sign back into the account you used and print another copy. ServSafe has a certificate search tool that needs your last name and certificate number. Washington lets you reprint for free during the 30 days after the test, and a fee may apply after that. In Clark County, a duplicate card runs $20 at a health district office.
Does course accreditation matter?
In Maricopa County, Arizona, yes. The county demands a card from an ANAB-accredited course, meaning the ANSI National Accreditation Board has reviewed it. The eFoodHandlers national course is ANAB-accredited, so it counts there. You'll need your card within 30 days of starting work.