Alaska Food Handlers Card: Requirements, Cost & How to Get One (2026)

Requirements verified July 17, 2026 against Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Alaska requires food workers to hold a Food Worker Card within 30 days of hire under the Alaska Food Code (18 AAC 31.330). Unlike most states, the card comes from the state itself: you pay $10 and pass the Department of Environmental Conservation's online exam. The Municipality of Anchorage runs its own separate $10 card program.

Alaska handles food worker cards differently from almost every other state: instead of sending you to a private training company, the state administers the exam itself. Under the Alaska Food Code (18 AAC 31.330), anyone who works with unpackaged food, potentially hazardous food, or food-contact surfaces must hold a Food Worker Card within 30 days of hire. You get it by paying $10 for a test ID on the Department of Environmental Conservation's website, studying the free materials, and scoring at least 75% on the online exam. The card is valid for 3 years.

There's one big geographic exception: the Municipality of Anchorage. Anchorage runs its own food safety program independent of DEC, so the state card doesn't cover jobs there — you need the municipal card instead ($10, valid 3 years, required within 21 days of employment). If you hold a Certified Food Protection Manager credential, you're covered everywhere in the state without a separate card.

Who needs a food worker card in Alaska?

Anyone in Alaska (outside the Municipality of Anchorage) who works with unpackaged food, potentially hazardous food, or food-contact surfaces — cooks, servers, baristas, dishwashers, deli and seafood-processing retail workers. Exempt: anyone holding a valid ANSI/CFP-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager credential, which satisfies the food worker requirement on its own. Anchorage workers are covered by the municipality's own program instead.

How to get your Alaska food worker card

1. Figure out which program applies to you. Working anywhere in Alaska except Anchorage: the state DEC card. Working inside the Municipality of Anchorage: the municipal card.
2. Study first — it's free. DEC posts food worker training materials and a no-cost practice test on its food worker card test site, so you can walk into the real exam prepared.
3. Buy your $10 test ID on the DEC test site (it stays valid for one year) and take the online exam. You need 75% or higher to pass.
4. Print your card immediately after passing and give a copy to your employer. Anchorage workers do the same through the municipal online course, or test in person at the Anchorage Health Department (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.).
5. Renew every 3 years by taking the exam again — another $10, no separate renewal paperwork.

Which courses count: None in the usual sense — Alaska does not run an approved-provider marketplace. The card is issued by DEC after you pass the department's own online exam at its food worker card test site. The one alternative credential is an ANSI/CFP-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager certificate, which covers the food worker requirement. Be cautious with third-party sites selling 'Alaska food handler cards': study courses can help you prepare, but check with DEC before assuming any outside certificate replaces the state exam.

Approved training options

County differences in Alaska

Requirements are not identical everywhere in Alaska. These counties have their own rules — click through for specifics:

Cost and renewal

The DEC exam costs a flat $10 — you buy a test ID that stays valid for one year. Anchorage's own online course and card is also $10 (replacement cards are $5). There is no separate course fee to a private company: the state test itself is the credential.

Your Food Worker Card is valid for 3 years from the date it is issued. To renew, you buy a new $10 test ID and pass the DEC exam again — there is no separate renewal application. Anchorage cards also run on a 3-year cycle through the municipal program.

Do Alaska establishments also need a certified food manager?

Yes. Under 18 AAC 31.325, establishments that prepare or serve unwrapped or unpackaged food must employ at least one full-time Certified Food Protection Manager certified through an ANSI/CFP-accredited exam. New operations get 45 days to designate someone and 90 days for that person to become certified; limited exemptions exist. A CFPM credential also satisfies the food worker card requirement, so certified managers don't need a separate card.

If you're aiming for a supervisor role, see our guide to food manager certification — it's a different credential with a proctored exam and higher pay potential.

Not sure what applies to you? Use the requirements checker or read how to get a food handlers card for the general process.

Alaska food handler card FAQ