Food Handler FAQs

Employees who work with food (packaged or unpackaged), food equipment or utensils, or food contact surfaces are considered food handlers and must complete a course on proper food safety techniques within 30 days of starting employment. This requirement includes hostesses, servers, bussers, and kitchen staff. Exemptions for this requirement include certified food protection managers and employees of temporary food establishments.

Unless the employee is paid under the minimum wage, an employer is not responsible for providing training.

From the day he or she is hired, a new employee has 30 days to get certified as a Texas Food Handler.

Yes. Our Texas Online Food Handler Program is approved by TX DSHS. The certificate and care you receive at the end of the course will allow you to start work immediately.

The course teaches techniques for food preparation and handling, which if not followed can lead to foodborne illness outbreaks. The education in this course provides the food industry with more qualified employees, which can reduce the risk of sickness.

TX DSHS requires the food handler program cover 2 hours of material. However, that is the minimum; you can take longer than that if you wish. We will give you plenty of time to cover all of the material.

Yes, every part of our program is completely online. You do not need any other materials, though you may choose to take notes. At the end, you will even be given your certificate and card electronically to download immediately, at no extra charge!

No, there is no final exam or tests of any kind during the training. Once you have covered all of the material in the 2-hour course, you will be able to immediately receive your certificate of completion and food handler card.

As a program accredited by TX DSHS, the American Safety Council Texas Online Food Handler completion card is recognized statewide by regulatory authorities as proof of completion of a food handler training program. The card simply needs to be downloaded at the end of the course and printed out, and it will satisfy state regulatory bodies as proof of completion of the needed education.

The Food Handler card is valid for two years, starting the date you complete the training program. You will need to renew the card every two years by retaking the course to remain certified.

You can log in to the course to reprint your certificate and card any time after you complete the course to print a new one. If you do not remember your login information, you can use the "Forgot Your Password?" option on the login screen or contact customer service, available 24/7.

Our course is approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services as an accredited food handler training program. As of July 2015, the City of Austin no longer requires additional city registration after your course completion, but they do require that all food handlers be trained by programs approved by the state or ANAB. Our state-approved course fits this requirement. If you have any further questions about the requirements of your local municipalities, please contact your nearest Department of Health and Human Services.