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

Requirements verified July 17, 2026 against West Virginia Legislature

West Virginia has no statewide food handler card — WV Code 16-2-16 lets each county health board decide. Most county health departments do require one. Where required, you must get the card within 30 days of hire, and paying an extra fee (capped at $10) makes it valid in every WV county.

West Virginia handles food handler cards with an unusual statute: WV Code 16-2-16 doesn't mandate cards statewide, but it standardizes how counties that want them must run their programs. Each county board of health chooses whether to require a card; where one does, you get 30 days from hire to comply, validity runs 1 to 3 years as the county sets it, and an extra fee of no more than $10 buys statewide reciprocity — making your card good in every other card-requiring county.

In practice, most West Virginia county health departments do require the card, including Kanawha-Charleston in the capital. The state's 64 CSR 17 food rule adopts the 2013 FDA Food Code, and the Bureau for Public Health publishes minimum training guidelines that counties can adopt or replace with ANSI-accredited courses. Your first move: check your county health department's food program page, then see the Kanawha-Charleston details below if you work in the Charleston area.

Who needs a food handler card in West Virginia?

In counties that require the card — which in practice is most of them, including Kanawha (Charleston) — anyone who handles, prepares, serves, sells, or gives away food needs one, including bussers and dishwashers. Your county health department is the issuer, so start there: WV Code 16-2-16 makes the card a county option, not a statewide mandate.

How to get your West Virginia food handler card

1. Find your county health department — it decides whether a card is required and issues it. Kanawha-Charleston's program is detailed below; for other counties, check their food program page or call.
2. Confirm the accepted training: many counties run their own class or online portal, and ANSI-accredited online courses often substitute under state guidelines.
3. Complete the training and test within 30 days of hire — that deadline comes straight from WV Code 16-2-16 wherever a card is required.
4. Consider the statewide upgrade: for an extra fee capped at $10, your card becomes valid in every WV county that requires one — useful if you work across county lines.
5. Keep the card available at work and note your expiration date — validity is 1 to 3 years depending on your county.
6. Renew through your county health department (or its approved course) before the card expires.

Which courses count: The Bureau for Public Health issues minimum training guidelines that counties may adopt, and ANSI/nationally recognized courses (including online) can substitute for local training. But because each county issues its own card, confirm with your county health department that your course is accepted before paying for one.

Approved training options

County differences in West Virginia

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

Cost and renewal

Each county health department sets its own fee; typical all-in costs run about $10–$30. Under WV Code 16-2-16, an additional fee capped at $10 upgrades any county card to statewide validity, good in all WV counties that require one.

Validity is set locally at 1 to 3 years depending on the county. Kanawha-Charleston's standard card runs 1 year, with a 2-year statewide option. Check the expiration printed on your card and renew through your county health department (or an accepted course) before it lapses.

Do West Virginia establishments also need a certified food manager?

Yes in effect — 64 CSR 17 adopts the 2013 FDA Food Code, under which the person in charge must be a Certified Food Protection Manager. County health departments enforce it, so confirm the details with yours.

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.

West Virginia food handler card FAQ