Food Service Worker Program

Food Service Worker

Food service worker licenses are required for any person who handles, prepares, serves, sells or gives away food for human consumption, including those whose duties are restricted to busing or washing dishes. The rule does not apply to workers in facilities that handle food or beverages exclusively in a closed package or container. New workers must obtain their licenses within 30 days.

Licenses are obtained by coming in to one of our offices (click here for testing schedules, locations, and maps), reviewing a study booklet of food safety information, and passing a test. Testing and study booklets are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Serbo-Croatian. Those who wish to study in advance may download the Spanish or English study booklet via links on the left side of this page. Please be advised that Environmental Services department offices will be closed to observe certain holidays. Click here to review the Maricopa County Holiday Schedule.

Licenses must be renewed every three years by re-testing. This includes older licenses issued prior to 1997. The fee for license renewal or issuance is $16.00 An original of the license must be kept at the workplace. Those who wish to retain a copy for their own records or for multiple job locations may obtain duplicates of their license for $3.00 We accept only cash. Food Service Worker cards are valid for a period of three years.

Volunteers

If you volunteer your time and do not get paid for your services, you can obtain a volunteer card at no charge. Volunteer cards are require for any person who handles, prepares, serves, sells or gives away food for human consumption, including those whose duties are restricted to busing or washing dishes. The rule does not apply to workers in facilities that handle food or beverages exclusively in a closed package or container. New workers must obtain their licenses within 30 days.

Licenses are obtained by coming in to one of our offices, reviewing a study booklet of food safety information, and passing a test. Be sure to state that you are a volunteer before you take the test so that you are not charged. Testing and study booklets are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Serbo-Croatian. Those who wish to study in advance may download the Spanish or English study booklet via links on the left side of this page. Please be advised that Environmental Services department offices will be closed to observe certain holidays. Click here to review the Maricopa County Holiday Schedule

Licenses must be renewed every three years by re-testing. This includes older licenses issued prior to 1997. There is no fee for a volunteer license renewal or issuance. An original of the license must be kept at the workplace. Volunteer Food Service Worker cards are valid for a period of three years.

Certified Manager

In 1998, Maricopa County adopted a change to its food code requiring all food establishments handling open, potentially hazardous foods to have at least one licensed Certified Manager who has undergone more extensive food service training. The deadline for meeting this requirement was January 1, 2000. New establishments must meet the requirement within 90 days of opening.

Obtaining licensure as a Certified Manager is a two step process. You must first pass an approved exam by a testing agency recognized by the county for this purpose. Click here for a page that lists currently recognized exams and testing agencies. At this time, Maricopa County does not provide this testing or instruction. It must instead be sought from the private sector.

Once you have passed one of the recognized tests, you must bring your documentation to one of our offices for issuance of a license. The fee for a Certified Manager license is $5.00 Duplicates of your license cost $3.00 Licenses for managers must be renewed every five years.

Please note that special accommodations can be made for individuals with special needs or learning disabilities. Please visit one of the four offices for a referral.