Pennsylvania Food Manager Certification: State and Local Rules

Quick answer: Yes. Pennsylvania's Food Employee Certification Act requires every licensed restaurant, bar, grocery, and other retail food facility, unless it's exempt, to have at least one employee with an accredited food protection manager certificate, present or immediately accessible during all hours of operation. New facilities get 90 days after licensing, and you have three months to replace a certified employee who leaves. The state issues no certificate of its own and charges no fee, and any accredited exam counts, including ServSafe, NRFSP, and EduClasses. Philadelphia and several counties are stricter: Philadelphia requires a certified person on site at all hours and a $30 city certificate.

This is general information, not legal advice. When in doubt, check with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) or your local health department.

The State Rule

The requirement comes from the Food Employee Certification Act (3 Pa.C.S. §§ 6501–6510) and 7 Pa. Code § 46.1201. Section 6504(a) reads: "A retail food facility shall have at least one employee who holds a valid certificate present at the retail food facility or immediately accessible at all hours of operation and who is the person in charge of the retail food facility when physically present and on duty." The current version has applied since January 22, 2011.

• Present or reachable: statewide, the certified employee doesn't have to be on site every hour, but must be available whenever you're open. When they're there, they're the person in charge.
• Owners count: the law's definition of an employee includes the license holder, family members, and volunteers, so an owner can hold the certificate.
• One facility per person: a certified employee can count for only one facility. The exception is a proprietor running several stands at a fair, festival, or other temporary event.
• Food trucks: PDA requires a certified manager for Type 3 and Type 4 mobile food facilities, the ones that serve unpackaged food, unless a Type 3 serves only foods that don't need temperature control.
• No state certificate: since 2011, the certificate from your exam program is the credential, and PDA no longer issues its own. Post the original in public view, and keep the names and certificate numbers of your certified employees at the facility.

Who's Exempt

Section 6510 exempts facilities that handle and sell only commercially prepackaged food, along with shifts when only prepackaged food is sold; facilities that handle only foods that don't need temperature control; and food manufacturers. It also exempts facilities run on a not-for-profit basis by 501(c)(3) organizations, volunteer fire companies, and ambulance, religious, charitable, fraternal, veterans, civic, and agricultural fair groups, as well as groups that support school extracurricular activities, such as booster clubs and Little League, though not organized camps. Exempt facilities can still certify someone, and PDA encourages it. Chester County doesn't exempt non-profits.

Deadlines

• New facilities: three months after licensing under the law; PDA says 90 days from the date your license is issued.
• When your certified employee leaves: three months from the date of the loss (§ 6504(d)).
• New owners: PDA licenses don't transfer, so a new owner applies for a new license, and PDA's change-of-ownership application asks for a copy of your certificate. The law sets no separate deadline for new owners, so confirm yours with your licensing office.
• Local deadlines differ: Allegheny County gives a new permit holder 90 days but only 30 days to replace a certified manager who leaves, Philadelphia expects a certified person from the start, and Bucks and Chester counties allow 90 days for both.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia runs its own program. At least one person with a City of Philadelphia Food Safety Certificate must be present whenever you're operating, "whether or not the business is open to the public," and a certificate holder has to do a self-inspection at least every three months (Philadelphia Code § 6-301(8)).

1. Take an approved course. Complete a food manager course and exam with a provider on the city's approved list, which had 40 providers when it was last updated in November 2025. It includes the National Restaurant Association (ServSafe), NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, 360training (Learn2Serve), Always Food Safe, and Trust20, with courses in English, Spanish, Mandarin, or Korean. EduClasses isn't on it.
2. Submit your training certificate. The Health Department verifies it, which can take up to 10 business days.
3. Pay $30. You can apply online, in person, or by mail; paper applications need a $30 money order. The certificate can take up to 30 business days to arrive.

The certificate lasts five years; to renew, pass another approved course and pay $30 again. Post it where customers can see it, and include a copy with your plan review if you're opening a new stationary business. USDA-inspected areas, bed and breakfasts, places that serve only commercially prepackaged food without further handling, and temporary operations of 7 days or less are exempt. Violations of the city's food code carry fines of $150 to $300, and each day counts as a separate violation.

Allegheny County and Other Local Programs

PDA names six local health departments that run their own certification programs. Everywhere else, including Erie and Delaware counties, the state rules above apply.

• Allegheny County (Pittsburgh): a certified food protection manager must be on site whenever unpackaged foods needing temperature control are handled, which the county describes as all hours of operation, and each location needs its own. The county accepts any ANAB-accredited certificate, names EduClasses on its list, and issues no county certificate. A new permit holder gets 90 days, but after a certified manager leaves, you have only 30 days to replace them and 5 working days to notify the Health Department in writing.
• Bucks County: you need a county certificate, $80 for five years, and a full-time certified food safety manager on duty during all hours the facility is open or preparing food. The county wants a proctored exam taken as part of an approved course, so check its course contact list before you buy.
• Chester County: a county certificate costs $40 and is issued on the strength of any nationally accredited certificate. The certified manager must be a regular full-time employee but doesn't have to be present at all times.
• Montgomery County: a county certificate costs $95 through a reciprocity application. The certified manager must be a full-time employee of one facility, and the county can require one on duty during all hours.
• State College: the borough's own program requires a certified employee on file with its Division of Health and Neighborhood Services within three months of opening.

How to Get Certified

1. Pick an accredited exam

PDA recognizes any certification program accredited under Conference for Food Protection standards and points to ANAB's directory, which includes ServSafe, NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve (360training), Always Food Safe, Trust20, and EduClasses. Make sure it's a manager certification; PDA warns, "Ensure you enroll in a MANAGEMENT course, not a food handler course."

2. Decide whether you need a course

Under state rules, you don't: the law requires passing an accredited exam, and PDA says you may use any vendor. Philadelphia is the big exception, since its certificate requires a course from an approved provider.

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. Post the original certificate

Post it in public view at the facility (§ 46.1201(c)). There's no state registration, but in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery, apply for the local certificate too.

Low-Cost Classes in Pennsylvania

Penn State Extension and the Allegheny County Health Department run low-cost classes. Dates and prices were current as of October 11, 2026:

Register for the Chatham course by calling or emailing the Allegheny County Health Department; it isn't in the county's online portal.

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.

In Philadelphia, use a provider on the city's approved list instead; EduClasses isn't on it. In Bucks County, check the county's course list first.

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. Penn State Extension teaches its two-day ServSafe class in Spanish for the same $165.

How Long It Lasts

Pennsylvania doesn't set its own term. The law follows your certification program's interval, which is five years for ServSafe, EduClasses, and most others. To renew, pass an accredited exam again before yours expires; inspectors cite expired certificates. Allegheny County's one-day recertification class is $115, and Penn State Extension's four-hour ServSafe review and exam is $100. Local certificates in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery also last five years, and Montgomery no longer sends reminder letters.

What Inspectors Check

Inspectors on PDA's system cite 7 Pa. Code § 46.1201: subsection (a) when a facility open more than 90 days has no certified manager, (b) when the certificate has expired, and (c) when it isn't posted. In a September 2026 Lebanon City inspection, for example, the report noted that the person in charge of a facility "in operation more than 90 days, has not obtained the required Certified Food Manager Certificate." PDA can assess civil penalties of up to $300 for a first offense and $1,000 for later ones. Allegheny and Bucks counties set fines of $30 to $300 for a first offense and $500 to $1,000 after that.

Food Handlers on Your Team

A manager certificate is a separate credential from a food handler card, and Pennsylvania has no food handler card law; none of the local codes we checked require one either. The person in charge has to make sure employees are trained for their duties. 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Pennsylvania require a certified food manager?

Yes. Every licensed retail food facility needs at least one employee with an accredited food protection manager certificate, present or immediately accessible during all hours of operation. Facilities that sell only prepackaged food or only foods that don't need temperature control, and many non-profits, are exempt.

Is ServSafe required in Pennsylvania?

No. Any accredited manager exam counts, including NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve, Always Food Safe, and EduClasses; in Philadelphia, use a provider on the city's approved list. A ServSafe Food Handler certificate doesn't count.

Does Pennsylvania issue its own food manager certificate?

No. Since January 22, 2011, the certificate from your exam program is the credential, and there's no state fee. Philadelphia ($30), Bucks ($80), Chester ($40), and Montgomery ($95) issue local certificates on top of it.

How do I get a Philadelphia food safety certificate?

Pass a food manager course and exam from a city-approved provider, submit your training certificate for verification, and pay $30. The certificate can take up to 30 business days to arrive and lasts five years.

How long is Pennsylvania food manager certification good for?

The state follows your program's term, which is five years for most accredited certificates. Renew by passing an accredited exam again before yours expires.

How much does Pennsylvania food manager certification cost?

There's no state fee. Allegheny County's course is $145, or $75 at Chatham University in November; Penn State Extension charges $145 online or $165 in person; and online exams with a proctor cost about $65 to $99. Philadelphia and three counties add a local certificate fee.

Bottom Line

Keep at least one certified employee for each facility, present or immediately reachable whenever you're open, and get certified within 90 days of licensing. Any accredited exam works under state rules, but check Philadelphia's approved list and your county's rules before you buy. Start with our free Food Manager Practice Test.

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