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

Requirements verified July 17, 2026 against Texas Department of State Health Services

Texas requires every food employee to finish an accredited food handler course within 30 days of starting work. Any ANSI/ANAB-accredited or DSHS-licensed course counts statewide, and cities and counties cannot charge you an extra fee or make you get a local card.

Texas has required food handler training statewide since September 1, 2016, when the updated Texas Food Establishment Rules took effect. Before that, getting certified was a city-by-city mess — Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio each ran their own paid card programs. A 2017 state law ended that: today, one accredited course covers you anywhere in Texas, and no city or county can charge you an extra fee or make you register locally.

The practical upshot: you pick any course that is ANSI/ANAB-accredited or licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), finish it within 30 days of starting your job, and you're done. Most people take a $7–$10 online course that lasts about two hours. The state itself never charges you anything — your only cost is the course fee.

Who needs a food handler card in Texas?

All food employees in retail food establishments who work with unpackaged food, food equipment or utensils, or food-contact surfaces — cooks, servers, bussers, bartenders, and similar roles. Exempt: anyone who holds a Certified Food Protection Manager certificate, establishments that sell only prepackaged food, temporary food establishments, and certain supervised individuals listed in the DSHS FAQ (for example, people working under supervision in rehabilitation programs).

How to get your Texas food handler card

1. Pick an accredited course. It must be ANSI/ANAB-accredited or on the DSHS registry of licensed programs — the online options below all qualify. Avoid any site that isn't on either list.
2. Complete the training. It covers basic food safety — handwashing, cross-contamination, time and temperature control — and takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours online.
3. Pass the short assessment at the end. Accredited Texas courses let you download your certificate immediately after passing.
4. Give a copy to your employer. Texas rules require establishments to keep employees' food handler certificates on premises for health inspectors.
5. Mark your calendar for renewal. Texas cards are valid 2 years; renewing just means taking an accredited course again.

Which courses count: Course must be ANSI/ANAB-accredited (valid nationwide) or licensed by Texas DSHS and listed on the DSHS registry (valid statewide in Texas). DSHS keeps separate public registries for online, classroom, and single-employer programs.

Approved training options

Requirements are the same statewide — no Texas county or city has its own separate food handler card rules.

Cost and renewal

There is no state fee — you only pay for the course. Typical online courses run about $6–$10; some classroom or bundled courses cost up to about $16. Local health departments may not charge any additional card or registration fee (Texas Health & Safety Code §438.046(c)).

Your card is valid until the expiration date printed on it; if no date is printed, it is valid for 2 years from issuance under 25 TAC §229.178. To renew, you simply take an accredited course again — there is no state renewal application or fee.

Do Texas establishments also need a certified food manager?

Yes. Under the 2021 Texas Food Establishment Rules, the Person in Charge must be a Certified Food Protection Manager present during all operating hours, except at minimal-risk establishments (for example, prepackaged-food-only). CFPM certification comes from an ANSI/CFP-accredited exam and is valid 5 years. A CFPM certificate also covers the food handler requirement for that person.

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.

Texas food handler card FAQ