Texas food handler card requirements

What we can confirm, sourced to a real statute, and the accreditation question we have not resolved.

Statute we cite
Texas Health and Safety Code § 438.046; Texas Administrative Code Rule § 228.31
Deadline
Within 30 days of hire
Accreditation the provider must have
ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB)
Confirm current rules with

What Texas employers should know

Texas requires every food employee except the certified food protection manager to complete accredited food handler training within 30 days of hire, and the establishment must keep the completion certificate on site.

The training provider must be accredited by ANAB. Our course builds real food safety knowledge covering hygiene, cross-contamination, allergens and temperature control, but we have not confirmed ANAB accreditation for it -- confirm accreditation status before relying on our certificate alone to satisfy the Texas card requirement.

What this page does not tell you

This is not legal advice. We publish the statute we could independently confirm and nothing beyond it. We have not confirmed accreditation status for our own course against every state's specific provider requirements. For the current rule and accepted providers, go to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) .

Our food safety course

🍽️
Food Handler Safety Awareness
Food handler safety awareness covering hygiene, illness reporting, cross-contamination, allergens, time and temperature control, cleaning, and safe service.
$39View course →

Common questions

Does Texas require a food handler card?

Yes. Texas has a real statewide requirement -- see the statute above -- for most food employees to complete training and hold a card, typically within a set window of hire.

Does our course satisfy the Texas requirement?

We have not confirmed that our food-handler-safety-awareness course carries ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accreditation, which Texas specifically requires of the training provider. The course itself covers real food safety material -- hygiene, cross-contamination, allergens, temperature control -- but until accreditation is confirmed, do not rely on our certificate alone to satisfy this specific legal requirement. Check with Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) or ask us directly before using it for compliance in Texas.

What happens if we skip it?

Food handler training requirements are typically enforced through health department inspections, and a missing certificate is a citable violation in states that mandate one. Beyond the legal exposure, the training covers real causes of foodborne illness that matter regardless of whether a particular state or county happens to require documentation of it.

Other states we have researched

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