Colorado Food Manager Certification: The Person-in-Charge Rule Explained

Quick answer: Yes, at most food businesses outside Denver. Since March 1, 2025, Colorado's retail food rules require the person in charge to be a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM), which means a certified manager on site whenever you're preparing food, with some low-risk exceptions. Before that, one certified employee on staff was enough. You qualify by passing an accredited exam, such as ServSafe, NRFSP, or EduClasses; no course is required, and the certificate lasts up to 5 years. Denver writes its own rules and doesn't require one.

This is general information, not legal advice. When in doubt, ask your county or district public health agency, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), or, in Denver, the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment.

The Rule Since March 1, 2025

Colorado's Retail Food Establishment Regulations (6 CCR 1010-2) adopted the 2022 FDA Food Code effective March 16, 2024, and delayed one part, the certified manager rule, to March 1, 2025. It reads: "The person in charge shall be a certified food protection manager who has shown proficiency of required information through passing a test that is part of an accredited program" (§2-102.12(A)). The Food Code defines the person in charge as "the individual present" who's responsible for the operation, and it requires a person in charge on site during all hours of operation. So the certified manager has to be there, not just on the payroll.

That's a big change from the rule in force from 2019 through February 2025, which followed the 2013 Food Code: only one supervisory employee had to be certified. (The rest of the 2022 code took effect March 16, 2024; the certified manager part waited until March 1, 2025.) CDPHE called the new rule "an expansion of the current requirement." If one certified manager used to cover your restaurant, you probably need more certified shift leads now.

When a Certified Manager Isn't Required

CDPHE's March 2025 guidance says the person in charge must be certified "during hours of operation," with exceptions that "include but are not limited to":

• Facilities with limited food preparation, and grocery stores with no food service.
• Times with minimal or no food preparation, such as a bartender or barista making drinks before or after the kitchen opens or closes.
• Satellite facilities, such as schools, that only hold and serve food from a central kitchen.
• Low-risk food preparation outside prime hours, such as a bakery prepping before it opens.

"Ask your inspector to determine when a certified manager needs to be present," CDPHE says. Some operations fall outside the retail food rules entirely under state law, including cottage food producers, places that sell only prepackaged foods, and shops that serve only coffee, tea, and pastries that don't need refrigeration. Child care facilities without a retail food license don't need a certified manager either. Schools, and assisted living residences licensed for 20 or more beds, follow the retail food rules.

Denver Is Different

State law lets Denver license food businesses under its own ordinance (C.R.S. 25-4-1604(2)(a)), and Denver's Food Establishment Regulations (April 2017) don't require a certified manager. They require a person in charge on site during all hours, and that person can show food safety knowledge in one of three ways: no critical violations during the inspection, a certified food protection manager certificate, or correct answers to the inspector's questions. Employers can still require certification, and a Denver-licensed food truck working elsewhere in Colorado has to follow the state's rules there.

How to Get Certified

1. Pick an accredited exam

Colorado accepts any manager exam accredited by ANAB under Conference for Food Protection standards; CDPHE links straight to ANAB's directory instead of keeping its own list. That covers 13 programs, including ServSafe, NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve, Always Food Safe, Trust20, and EduClasses. Prometric, which some older county handouts list, is no longer on it, and a ServSafe Food Handler certificate doesn't count.

2. Decide whether you need a course

You don't: the Food Code requires passing a test, and it says an accredited program "does not refer to training functions or educational programs." A course helps if HACCP, cooling, and employee health rules are new to you.

3. Pass the exam

Colorado doesn't set a passing score; each provider does. ServSafe requires 70%, NRFSP a scaled score of 75, StateFoodSafety 750 of 1,000 points, and Learn2Serve 75%. Try our free Food Manager Practice Test first.

4. Keep the certificate on site

Colorado has no registration, state fee, or posting rule for the certificate, but inspectors check it, and some counties, such as Douglas, expect it on site.

Low-Cost Exams From Local Health Agencies

Several local health agencies proctor manager exams in person, including Jefferson County Public Health, the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, and Larimer County Extension with the county health department. Jefferson County's and Pueblo's cost less than the cheapest online exam we found. Dates were current as of October 10, 2026:

Book directly with each agency; seats are limited. Boulder County's $300 onsite staff class isn't accredited and doesn't count toward manager certification.

Where to Take the Exam Online

These providers are accredited, and all offer an online-proctored exam. Prices are from each provider's website, checked September 27 and rechecked October 5, 2026; confirm at checkout.

Always Food Safe's package is $84 plus $48 for the online proctor. We may earn a commission if you buy through some of these links, at no extra cost to you; they're marked “(paid link)”. Our How Much Does Food Manager Certification Cost? Exam and Course Prices Compared explains each price, including cheaper in-person options.

Taking it in Spanish? ServSafe, NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, Always Food Safe, and EduClasses offer the manager exam in Spanish; 360training lists its exam in English only. Jefferson County also holds Spanish sessions.

How Long It Lasts

Colorado doesn't set its own term, so the date on your certificate governs, and accredited certificates last no more than five years. ServSafe and EduClasses certificates last five years. To renew, pass an accredited exam again. The certificate belongs to you and moves with you to a new job.

What Inspectors Check

A certified food protection manager is item 2 on Colorado's inspection report, right after the person in charge's knowledge and duties. It's a core item, and CDPHE's rating guidance counts it for up to 10 risk points; 50 points triggers a re-inspection. If violations persist at a third re-inspection, the health agency can fine you up to $1,000 and suspend your license for up to three days (C.R.S. 25-4-1611.5).

Food Handlers on Your Team

A manager certificate is a separate credential from a food handler card, and Colorado has no food handler card law. The person in charge has to make sure employees are trained for their duties, including food allergy awareness. Our Colorado Food Handler Card: What the State Actually Requires covers training options for the rest of your team.

How to Study

The manager exam goes deeper than the food handler test: HACCP, cooling, employee health, receiving, and pest control. Our Food Manager Certification: How to Pass the Exam walks through each topic, and our free Food Manager Practice Test has manager-level questions with explanations.

Prefer to study by ear? "ServSafe Manager Audio Cram," our own audio review from Kanti Press, covers the manager-level material from the 2022 FDA Food Code so you can study on a commute or between shifts.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Colorado require a certified food manager?

Yes, at most retail food establishments outside Denver. Since March 1, 2025, the person in charge must be a certified food protection manager; before that, one certified supervisory employee was enough. Low-risk operations and low-risk hours can be exempt.

Does the certified manager have to be on site in Colorado?

Yes, during hours of operation, because the person in charge must be certified and the person in charge is whoever is present. CDPHE allows exceptions for low-risk times, such as a bar serving drinks after the kitchen closes, and tells operators to ask their inspector.

Is ServSafe accepted in Colorado?

Yes. The ServSafe Food Protection Manager exam is accredited, as are NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve, Always Food Safe, EduClasses, and others. A ServSafe Food Handler certificate doesn't count.

How long is Colorado food manager certification good for?

Colorado doesn't set a term, so your certificate's own expiration date applies. Accredited certificates last no more than five years.

What happens if we don't have a certified manager on shift?

The inspector marks item 2 out of compliance. On its own it usually won't force a re-inspection, but repeated violations through a third re-inspection can bring a fine of up to $1,000 and a license suspension of up to three days.

Does Denver require a certified food manager?

No. Denver's own food regulations require a person in charge on site at all hours, and certification is one of three ways that person can show food safety knowledge. Your employer may still require it.

Bottom Line

Outside Denver, have a certified food protection manager in charge whenever you're preparing food, which usually means certifying several shift leads. Any accredited exam works, local health agencies sell some of the cheapest seats, and the certificate lasts up to 5 years. Start with our free Food Manager Practice Test.

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