Massachusetts Food Manager Certification: The CFPM and Allergen Rules
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn a commission from course providers linked on this page, at no extra cost to you. Links marked “(paid link)” are affiliate links. Full disclosure.
Quick answer: Yes. Every Massachusetts food establishment, with a few exemptions, must employ at least one certified food protection manager (CFPM): an on-site manager or supervisor, 18 or older, who passed an exam the Department of Public Health (DPH) recognizes. Restaurants and other places that serve food for immediate consumption also need a CFPM with a Massachusetts allergen awareness certificate. Both certificates last 5 years, and if your manager leaves, you have 60 days to replace them.
This is general information, not legal advice. When in doubt, check with your local board of health or DPH's Food Protection Program.
The Certified Manager Rule
Massachusetts runs on the 2013 FDA Food Code as adopted in 105 CMR 590, in effect since October 5, 2018. Section 590.002(A) adds the state's manager rule: "each food establishment shall employ at least one person in charge who shall be an on-site manager or supervisor and is 18 years of age or older and who by being a certified food protection manager has shown proficiency of required information through passing a certification examination that is part of an accredited program recognized by the Department."
- At least one per establishment: the certified manager has to work on site, and the certificate is posted next to the food establishment permit and taken down when that person no longer works there. An owner who runs the place can be the certified manager.
- Not every shift: a person in charge must be present whenever you're open, but statewide that person doesn't have to be the certified manager. The certified manager designates and trains an alternate for the times they can't be there.
- Some towns go further: Needham, which adopted the 2022 FDA Food Code effective April 1, 2026, and Maynard require a certified manager on duty during all hours of operation. The state code is a minimum, so check your local board of health.
Who's Exempt
The rule doesn't apply to temporary food establishments run by non-profits, such as school sporting events, firemen's picnics, and church suppers; daycares that serve only snacks; places that sell only prepackaged food with limited preparation of foods that don't need temperature control; satellite feeding sites that get prepared meals from a commissary; and elderly meal sites (590.002(C)). Your board of health can also exempt operations it considers minimal risk. Food trucks need a person in charge at all hours, and DPH says a certified manager "may be required" when the truck prepares foods that need time and temperature control. For-profit vendors at events generally need one too.
If Your Manager Leaves
Notify your board of health in writing. You then have 60 days to employ a replacement, and the board can grant up to 60 more days if needed (590.002(A)). If someone fails the exam twice after attending a training program, the permit holder can ask the board for a variance, backed by the instructor's documentation and a facility in full compliance.
Allergen Awareness Training
Massachusetts adds an allergen rule that most states don't have. Under M.G.L. c. 140, §6B and 105 CMR 590.011(C), establishments that cook, prepare, or serve food for immediate consumption must:
- Have a certified manager with an allergen certificate. At least one CFPM on staff must hold a Massachusetts allergen awareness certificate, valid for five years, post it, and make sure employees are trained in food allergy awareness for their jobs.
- Post the allergen poster. A DPH-approved poster at least 8.5 by 11 inches goes in the staff area. Since October 7, 2024, it has to be the new version that includes sesame. DPH's poster comes in English, Chinese, Filipino, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Spanish.
- Print the menu notice. Every printed menu and every indoor, outdoor, and drive-through menu board must say: "Before placing your order, please inform your server if a person in your party has a food allergy." On a menu board, the notice can't be in smaller type than the smallest menu item.
Which allergen courses count: since October 7, 2024, DPH no longer approves specific courses. A course counts if it's accredited by ANAB and includes DPH's required content, if it's approved under FARE's FAREcheck program, or if it has an interactive video and an exam covering DPH's content, including all nine major allergens, sesame among them. DPH's old YouTube video no longer counts. DPH treats any allergen certificate as valid for five years from the day it's issued, whatever date the provider prints. Boston also expects the backup person in charge to hold an allergen certificate. For the rest of the allergen rules, see our Food Allergen Policy for Restaurants: What the 2026 Food Code Requires.
How to Get Certified
1. Pick an exam on DPH's list
DPH's directory, updated January 5, 2026, names 11 exam organizations whose five-year certificates Massachusetts accepts: AAA Food Handler, World Food Safety Organization, StateFoodSafety, EduClasses (FMC Food Managers Certification), Learn2Serve, My Food Service License, the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP), ServSafe, Trust20, Responsible Training, and Always Food Safe. FoodSafePal and Userve are accredited nationally but aren't on DPH's list, so check with your board of health before using them.
2. Decide whether you need a course
You don't: DPH calls training optional, and Boston says you don't have to complete training before the exam. A course helps if HACCP, cooling, and employee health rules are new to you.
3. Pass the exam
Each provider sets its own passing score. 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. Get the allergen certificate and post both
Take an allergen course that meets DPH's criteria, then post your allergen certificate, and your manager certificate next to the food establishment permit. There's no state registration and no state fee; some cities, such as Boston and Cambridge, ask for copies before they issue a permit or schedule a pre-opening inspection.
Where to Take the Exam
These providers are on DPH's list, 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.
| Provider | Exam, online proctored | Course + exam |
|---|---|---|
| EduClasses (paid link) | $65 | $120 |
| 360training (Learn2Serve) | $69.99 | $121 |
| StateFoodSafety | $76 | $134 |
| Always Food Safe | $76 | $132 |
| NRFSP | $81.99 | Course sold separately |
| ServSafe | $99 | $179 |
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)”. Prefer a classroom? Barnstable County's Cape Cod Cooperative Extension runs a ServSafe class with the book and exam for $175, or $75 to recertify. Boston's guidance puts allergen training "usually under $25." Our How Much Does Food Manager Certification Cost? Exam and Course Prices Compared explains each exam price.
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.
How Long It Lasts
All the manager exams DPH recognizes carry a five-year expiration date, so retake an approved exam before yours runs out. The allergen certificate also lasts five years from the day it's issued. The certificates belong to you and move with you to a new job, but post them only where you work.
Boston and Other Cities
Boston charges no city fee for either certificate and doesn't register them, but you need both with your Food Service Permit application, and Boston doesn't accept a food handler card in place of manager certification. Cambridge asks for copies of both before the pre-opening inspection and wants the allergy certificate posted. Worcester asks for the certificates with the permit application, and Springfield's pre-opening checklist says to post both "in a conspicuous place for the public."
What Inspectors Check
A certified food protection manager is item 2 on DPH's inspection report, a core item, and allergen awareness is the Massachusetts-only item M2. Core items have to be fixed by a date the inspector sets, no later than 90 days. The board of health can also order more training for the person in charge or suspend a permit, and fines run up to $100 for a first offense and $500 after that, with each day of ignoring an order counted separately.
Food Handlers on Your Team
Massachusetts has no food handler card law. The person in charge has to make sure employees are trained in food safety for their jobs, including food allergy awareness. Our Food Handler Card Requirements by State: The 2026 Guide compares states that do require cards.
How to Study
The manager exam goes deeper than basic food safety training: 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Massachusetts require a certified food manager?
Yes. Every food establishment must employ at least one certified food protection manager who works on site as a manager or supervisor and is 18 or older. Non-profit temporary events, snack-only daycares, prepackaged-only stores, and a few other operations are exempt.
Is allergen training required in Massachusetts?
Yes, for places that cook, prepare, or serve food for immediate consumption. At least one certified manager must hold a Massachusetts allergen awareness certificate and train staff, and you need the DPH allergen poster and the required notice on every menu.
Is ServSafe accepted in Massachusetts?
Yes. ServSafe is on DPH's list of accepted exam organizations, along with NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve, Always Food Safe, EduClasses, and others.
How long is Massachusetts food manager certification good for?
Five years. The allergen awareness certificate also counts for five years from the day it's issued.
Does the certified manager have to be there every shift?
Not under state rules: a person in charge must always be present, but it can be a trained alternate. Some towns, including Needham and Maynard, require a certified manager on duty whenever you're open.
How much does it cost?
There's no state or Boston fee. Online manager exams cost about $65 to $99 with a proctor, a Barnstable County class is $175, and Boston says allergen training usually costs under $25.
Running the shift as person in charge? Certification is the start. The person in charge also makes sure the kitchen's food safety procedures are followed, and the FDA's 2026 Food Code, which states adopt over time, asks for more of them in writing. Our free guides cover each one:
- Employee illness policy: what has to be written down, with a sample policy
- Vomit and diarrhea clean-up procedure: the steps and what goes in the clean-up kit
- Food safety management system: the written procedures, training plans, and records
- Free food safety log templates: fridge, holding, cooling, receiving, sanitizer, and calibration logs
- Restaurant health inspection checklist: walk the kitchen the way an inspector does
Want it done for you? The Food Safety Plan Kit ($29) has editable versions of all of these.
Bottom Line
Keep at least one certified food protection manager on site at every Massachusetts establishment, with an allergen awareness certificate if you serve food for immediate consumption. Post both certificates, put up the allergen poster and menu notice, and replace a departing manager within 60 days. Start with our free Food Manager Practice Test.
Sources
- 105 CMR 590.000, State Sanitary Code Chapter X: Minimum Sanitation Standards for Food Establishments (effective October 5, 2018), sections 590.002 and 590.011 — mass.gov; DPH merged Food Code — mass.gov; Frequently asked questions on the Retail Food Code — mass.gov.
- M.G.L. c. 140, §6B, Food allergy awareness — malegislature.gov.
- DPH, Massachusetts Food Protection Manager Certification Exam and Trainer Directory (updated January 5, 2026) — mass.gov.
- DPH, Food Allergen Awareness Guidance (effective October 7, 2024) — mass.gov; Food Allergen Awareness FAQs — mass.gov; allergen awareness poster and guidance — mass.gov.
- DPH, Retail Food Code standards for mobile food establishments — mass.gov; Food establishments at events and farmers markets — mass.gov.
- DPH inspection report crosswalk (items 2 and M2) — mass.gov.
- City of Boston, Food Manager Certification — boston.gov; Food Allergen Certification — boston.gov; Food Service Permit — boston.gov.
- Cambridge Inspectional Services, restaurant guide — cambridgema.gov; Worcester, food establishment permit application — worcesterma.gov; Springfield, pre-opening checklist — springfield-ma.gov.
- Needham, 2022 FDA Food Code resources — needhamma.gov; Maynard, food establishment regulation — townofmaynard-ma.gov.
- Barnstable County, Cape Cod Cooperative Extension ServSafe classes — capecod.gov.
- Conference for Food Protection, list of accredited food protection manager certification organizations (February 24, 2026) — foodprotect.org.
- Exam providers' passing scores and languages: ServSafe FAQs — servsafe.com; NRFSP FAQs — nrfsp.com; StateFoodSafety — statefoodsafety.com; Learn2Serve — 360training.com.
Last reviewed October 11, 2026. ServSafe is a trademark of the National Restaurant Association; FoodHandlerGear is not affiliated with or endorsed by it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Ready to check yourself?
Our free food manager practice test covers HACCP, cooling, the Big 6, and sanitizing, grades you instantly, and explains every answer.