Food Manager Certification Requirements

Food Manager (Person in Charge) Certification

Under the California Health and Safety Code §113947, all food facilities that prepare, handle, or serve unpackaged foods are required to have at least one Certified Food Manager (CFM) or Person in Charge, either an owner or an employee, who has successfully passed an approved and accredited food safety certification examination. This includes restaurants, most markets, caterers, ice cream/yogurt shops, delicatessens, Bed and Breakfasts, school cafeterias, Mobile Food Facilities (e.g., hot dog carts and espresso carts), and some bars.

Food facilities exempt from this requirement include:

• Temporary Food Facilities
• Prepackaged Ice cream trucks
• Farmers’ Market Vendors
• Produce stands selling only uncut produce
• Any food facility handling only pre-packaged food

All employees at exempt food facilities, however, must be able to demonstrate to the Health Inspector they have an adequate knowledge of food safety principles related to their specific duties at the facility.

The Food Manager must pass an exam from an accredited food protection manager certification organization. The certification is valid for five (5) years from the date of original issuance. Upon expiration, the certified food manager must be re-certified by passing an approved and accredited food safety certification examination. A facility must enroll for an exam before the expiration of their certificate, and retesting must occur within 30 days.

If a facility loses their certified food manager, the owner/operator of the facility has 60 days to obtain a replacement certified food handler. New food facilities also have 60 days to comply with certification.

If you have any questions on CFM certification, please contact your Health Inspector or call 415-473-6907.

Food Manager Certification Training and Test Providers

The food safety certification examinations offered through the following agencies are accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and are approved by the State of California for satisfaction of the law requiring a Certified Food Manager (CFM) employed by every food establishment which handles non-prepackaged foods.

Refer to the following list of some local providers of approved food safety certification training and examinations. This list is not all-inclusive, nor is it an endorsement of any company by the County of Marin. Please contact the company directly for training or testing details. You can access the most current list of organizations certified to provide Food Manager Protection training and testing by visiting the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) website.

Note: Some companies offer only training/test preparation and not the test. There is no certification unless you take an ANSI test. If you have any questions about a company or individual offering training and examinations to satisfy the law, please call the appropriate examination agency listed above to determine whether a company or individual is authorized to provide training and testing.