How to Renew a Food Handler Card (or Replace a Lost One)

Quick answer: in almost every state, renewing a food handler card means taking an approved course and passing the test again before your card expires; there's no shorter renewal form. Most cards last two or three years. If you lost your card, you usually don't need to retake anything: log back in to the provider you trained with and download it again, or check your email for the PDF.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with your employer or local health department.

How Long Food Handler Cards Last and How to Renew, by State

Washington also offers a 5-year renewal card if you've completed at least four hours of extra approved food safety training, such as a food protection manager course, in the past two years. You still retake the renewal test.

How to Renew, Step by Step

1. Find your expiration date. It's printed on the card or certificate. Our expiration calculator works it out from the date you got your card and adds a renewal reminder to your phone's calendar.
2. Ask your employer first. Many have a preferred provider or pay for renewal, and in California the employer must pay.
3. Use a course your state accepts. The same rules as your first card apply: Washington and Utah want their own programs, Oregon its approved list, California an ANAB-accredited course. A cheaper course that isn't accepted means paying twice.
4. Brush up and pass the test. It's the same material as last time, but numbers like cooking and holding temperatures fade. Our free Free Food Handler Practice Test is a quick way to find the gaps.
5. Save the new card in two places, such as your phone and your email, and give your employer a copy.

For a refresher away from the screen, "Food Handler Card Audio Cram," our own roughly 57-minute audio session from Kanti Press, walks through the topics every food handler test covers.

What If Your Card Already Expired?

An expired card generally doesn't count, and working with one can cause problems for you and your employer during an inspection. In most states the fix is simply to take the course and test again, the same as renewing. A few programs make lateness cost you more:

• Washington: renew after your card expires and you get a 2-year card instead of the 3-year renewal card.
• Nevada (Las Vegas): a card that expired within the last two years can be renewed with a $15 late fee, and a lapsed card can mean the full test instead of the shorter renewal test.
• Utah: the new permit has to be issued no later than 7 days after the old one expires.

If your state gives new hires a deadline, such as 30 days, that clock is for new employees. Don't count on it to cover an expired card at a job you already have; ask your manager.

Lost Your Food Handler Card? How to Get a Copy

You rarely need to retake the course. Start here:

1. Search your email for the provider's name or the word "certificate." Most online providers email your card as a PDF.
2. Log back in to the provider you trained with and download it again. ServSafe, StateFoodSafety, 360training, eFoodHandlers, Premier Food Safety, Always Food Safe, Food Handler Classes, eFoodcard, and Food Handler Solutions all let you download or print your certificate from your account. ServSafe downloads are free (a mailed copy is $10), Food Handler Classes charges nothing for duplicates, and eFoodcard reprints are free while your card is valid.
3. Don't remember the provider? Ask your employer, who may have a copy on file. StateFoodSafety also has a certificate retrieval tool that searches by name and birth date.
4. If a health department or county issued your card, it handles the replacement. Here's how the main ones work:

A replacement is a copy of the card you already earned, not a renewal: San Diego County and Snohomish County, for example, keep your original dates, so check the expiration date on your copy. Some cards can be checked online, which helps if an employer needs proof before your copy arrives: Washington cards at cardverify.tpchd.org, Southern Nevada cards through SNHD's card look-up, and most providers' certificates on their verification pages. Our card lookup guide lists each official lookup and what it asks for.

Changing Jobs or Moving

• Same state, new job: in states with a statewide card, it goes with you until it expires. California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona cards move with you between employers, and Florida certificates generally do too (confirm with the new employer). Illinois non-restaurant workers are the exception: they retrain when they change employers.
• New state: your card may not count. Washington and Utah want their own programs, and Oregon accepts only Oregon-approved cards. An ANAB-accredited certificate is accepted in many states, but check the new state's rules. See our Food Handler Card Requirements by State: The 2026 Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I renew my food handler card?

In most states, take an approved food handler course and pass the test again before your card expires. There's usually no shorter renewal form. Las Vegas (SNHD) is an exception with a shorter 10-question renewal test.

Can I renew my food handler card online?

Usually, yes: the same online courses you used the first time work for renewal in most states. Washington renewals go through the official state course, and in Las Vegas every other renewal can be done online.

My food handler card expired. Is there a grace period?

Generally no. An expired card doesn't count, so take the course and test again right away. Some programs add a penalty for renewing late, such as Southern Nevada's $15 late fee or Washington's shorter 2-year card.

How much does it cost to renew a food handler card?

Usually the same as a new card, because you retake the course. See our food handler card cost guide for prices by state and provider.

I lost my food handler card. Do I have to take the course again?

Usually not. Search your email for the certificate, or log in to the provider you trained with and download it again. State and county programs have their own replacement process.

Bottom Line

Note your expiration date the day you pass, renew a few weeks early with a course your state accepts, and keep a copy on your phone so a lost card is never a problem. When it's time, warm up with our free Free Food Handler Practice Test.

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