Virginia Food Manager Certification: Who Needs a CFPM

Quick answer: Yes. Under Virginia Department of Health (VDH) rules, most restaurants, food trucks, and other permitted food establishments must have at least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility who is a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM), a rule enforced since July 1, 2018. Statewide, that person doesn't have to be on site at all times, but Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Virginia Beach require more, and grocery and convenience stores regulated by the state agriculture department need a certified person in charge. Any accredited exam counts, including ServSafe, NRFSP, and EduClasses; no class is required, the state charges no fee, and most certificates last 5 years.

This is general information, not legal advice. When in doubt, check with your local health department.

The Rule

VDH's Food Regulations require that "at least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service shall be a certified food protection manager" (12VAC5-421-55). VDH adopted the rule in 2016 and has enforced it since July 1, 2018. Virginia's food regulations have reflected the 2022 FDA Food Code, in part, since September 10, 2026, but that update didn't change this section.

• Not every shift: asked whether a CFPM must be on site at all times, VDH's FAQ answers "No." The CFPM needs management and supervisory responsibility and authority over food preparation, and should be ready to show how they carry out those duties when they're off the premises. A person in charge, who doesn't need a certificate, must be present during all hours of operation.
• The person-in-charge rule that never took effect: a 2021 update would have required the person in charge to be a CFPM starting June 24, 2023. A 2022 law (Code of Virginia § 35.1-14 G) barred VDH from requiring an on-site CFPM at all hours in establishments that sell only prepared foods, and VDH deleted the provision effective November 23, 2022. Some websites, including VDH's own page on temporary events, still describe the old rule.
• Owners count: the regulations define an employee to include the permit holder, so an owner with management authority can be the CFPM.
• Several locations: VDH's FAQ says a separate CFPM isn't required for each establishment. One CFPM can cover several with the same owner if they're employed by the owner and have management and supervisory authority over each.

Who's Exempt

The rule doesn't apply to establishments that serve only foods that don't need time and temperature control, or that only reheat or cold-hold commercially processed, fully cooked foods; those places can't cool such foods (12VAC5-421-55 B). State law also bars VDH from requiring a CFPM at restaurants run by nonprofit civic service organizations, volunteer fire departments, or volunteer emergency medical services agencies (§ 35.1-25 B).

Places VDH doesn't regulate as restaurants don't need one from VDH either, including occasional one- or two-day dinners and fundraisers held by churches, schools, and other nonprofits, and youth athletic concession stands run by recognized nonprofits. Everything else is covered, including food trucks, temporary food establishments, schools, daycares, hospitals, and nursing homes with VDH food permits.

Deadlines

• New establishments: the rule has no grace period. VDH's FAQ says to be ready to submit a copy of your CFPM's certificate with your permit application, since not having one "may delay the processing of your application." Fairfax County wants a certified manager at the pre-occupancy inspection, and Arlington at the pre-opening inspection.
• When your CFPM leaves: there's no set grace period. If an inspector finds no CFPM, it's cited as a core violation, which must be corrected within 90 calendar days at most; the health department can approve a longer written compliance schedule if no health hazard results.

Stricter Local Rules

State law lets localities adopt their own food ordinances, and several in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads go further than VDH:

• Alexandria: a food establishment must be under the immediate control of a certified food protection manager, and the city says one must be on site at all times of operation.
• Arlington: a certified food manager must be in immediate control and on duty during all hours of operation and at the pre-opening inspection. Limited food establishments can use a Certified Limited Food Manager instead.
• Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and Falls Church: the establishment must be under the immediate control of a food manager who passed an accredited exam. Places that handle only foods without temperature control, or do no food preparation, need a Limited Food Manager certificate instead. Fairfax County and Alexandria stopped requiring the old Northern Virginia Food Manager card in 2021.
• Virginia Beach: a certified food manager, who must be a full-time employee, has to be present at least 8 hours of each operating day in each establishment.
• Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Hampton: Norfolk lets one manager supervise at most two establishments, at the health director's discretion; Portsmouth doesn't let high-risk establishments share a manager; and Hampton requires at least one full-time certified food service manager on staff.

Grocery and Convenience Stores

Grocery stores, seafood and meat markets, and convenience stores and gas stations with 15 or fewer seats that aren't part of a restaurant chain are regulated by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), whose rule is stricter. Besides the one-supervisor requirement, the person in charge must be a CFPM (2VAC5-585-65 B), a rule enforced since June 24, 2023, and VDACS says most retail food establishments need a CFPM on site during all hours of operation. Its permit guide says cooking, making baked goods or other ready-to-eat foods from scratch, and slicing cheeses, deli meats, or vegetables call for a CFPM, while hand-dipped ice cream, roller-grill hot dogs, and ice cream made from commercial mixes don't.

How to Get Certified

1. Pick an accredited exam

VDH recognizes programs accredited under Conference for Food Protection standards and points to ANAB's directory instead of keeping its own list. That includes ServSafe, NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve (360training), Always Food Safe, Trust20, and EduClasses, which Fairfax County's list also names.

2. Decide whether you need a course

You don't: the rule requires passing an accredited exam, and Fairfax County's health department notes that "a course is not required to take the exam," though it encourages one.

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. Keep the certificate handy

VDH doesn't register managers or require you to post the certificate, but staff can ask to verify your CFPM at any time, and some health districts want a copy with permit applications. Virginia Beach's and Hampton's codes also call for a local manager certificate, so ask your health department.

Low-Cost Classes in Virginia

Virginia Cooperative Extension and a few health departments run classes. Dates and prices were current as of October 11, 2026:

Upcoming Extension classes include Roanoke on October 16, Orange on October 19, Wythe on October 27, Loudoun on November 17 ($160), Clarke on December 3, and Culpeper on December 14 and February 3, 2027. Unemployed Arlington residents may qualify for tuition help through the Arlington Employment Center.

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. Virginia Cooperative Extension also lists a Spanish-language ServSafe manager class in Albemarle County.

How Long It Lasts

Virginia doesn't set its own term. VDH says the certifying organization decides, and most certificates expire five years after they're issued, the most national accreditation standards allow. Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, and Virginia Beach set five years in their codes. To renew, pass an accredited exam again before yours expires.

What Inspectors Check

A missing CFPM is cited under 12VAC5-421-55 as a core violation, the least serious category, to be corrected within 90 days at most. Separately, the person in charge has to show food safety knowledge during the inspection, and being a CFPM is one way to do that. Willfully violating the Food Regulations is a Class 3 misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $500, and each day counts as a separate offense. Virginia Beach's ordinance allows fines of up to $1,000 a day.

Food Handlers on Your Team

A manager certificate is a separate credential from a food handler card. Virginia has no statewide food handler card, but about a dozen Hampton Roads and Peninsula localities require one: Franklin, James City County, Hampton, Isle of Wight, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Southampton, Suffolk, Williamsburg, and York County. Norfolk's 90-minute class costs $15, and its card lasts two years. Statewide, the person in charge must make sure employees are trained in food safety, including food allergy awareness, for their duties, and VDH expects new allergen notice rules from 2026 laws to take effect in 2027. Our Food Handler Card Requirements by State: The 2026 Guide compares state rules.

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 Virginia require a certified food manager?

Yes. Most food establishments with a VDH permit must have at least one supervisory employee who is a Certified Food Protection Manager. Places that serve only foods without temperature control or only reheat commercially cooked foods, and restaurants run by nonprofit civic groups and volunteer fire and rescue squads, are exempt.

Does the certified food manager have to be on site in Virginia?

Not under VDH's statewide rule. But Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and Falls Church require a certified manager in immediate control, Virginia Beach requires one at least 8 hours a day, and most grocery and convenience stores under VDACS need one on site during all hours.

Is ServSafe required in Virginia?

No. ServSafe is one of several accredited exams that count; NRFSP, StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve, Always Food Safe, EduClasses, and others are accepted too.

How long is Virginia food manager certification good for?

Virginia doesn't set a term, so your certificate's own date applies. Most certificates expire five years after they're issued.

Do grocery and convenience stores need a certified food manager?

Most do. Stores regulated by VDACS that cook, make ready-to-eat foods from scratch, or slice deli meats must have a CFPM as the person in charge. Stores that only sell hand-dipped ice cream or roller-grill hot dogs don't need one.

How much does Virginia food manager certification cost?

There's no state fee. Virginia Cooperative Extension's one-day ServSafe class is $160 to $170, or $85 to $90 for the exam only; Norfolk and Portsmouth charge $175; and online exams with a proctor cost about $65 to $99.

Bottom Line

Make sure at least one supervisory employee holds a current accredited food protection manager certificate, and have it ready when you apply for your permit. Check your city or county's rules, since Northern Virginia, Virginia Beach, and VDACS stores need a certified manager on site. Any accredited exam works, and the certificate lasts up to 5 years. Start with our free Food Manager Practice Test.

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