Texas food handler certificate: what Texas caterers and venue kitchens must do

Who needs a Texas food handler certificate

DSHS defines a food employee as someone who works with unpackaged food, food equipment or utensils, or food contact surfaces. In a catering business that covers cooks, prep staff, dishwashers who handle clean utensils, servers who plate, carve or portion, and bartenders who cut fruit or handle ice. The certified food manager is exempt because their certification already covers the material.

The deadline is 30 days of employment. Older Texas guidance allowed 60 days, and some training sites still quote that number, so go by the current rule in TFER section 228.31. For a seasonal crew hired in a batch, every one of them has the same 30 day window from their hire date.

• Kitchen and prep staff: yes
• Servers who handle open food or clean utensils: yes
• Bartenders who prepare garnish or ice: yes
• The certified food manager: exempt
• Staff at a temporary food establishment: the TFER handler rule does not apply there, but the event permit may set conditions

Step by step

1. 1

   Pick an accredited course

   Use a provider on the DSHS lists of accredited classroom, online or private programs, or one accredited by ANSI. The card must show the program name, its address and either the DSHS license number or the ANSI listing.

2. 2

   Enroll each hire in their first week

   The 30 days start on the first day of employment. Enrolling on day one leaves room for the person to finish around shifts and still beat the deadline.

3. 3

   File a copy at the establishment

   TFER asks the food establishment to keep a certificate of completion on premises for every food employee. A folder at the kitchen plus a scanned set works well.

4. 4

   Post your certified food manager certificate

   At least one employee with supervisory authority must be a certified food manager, and the original certificate goes where customers can see it.

5. 5

   Track expiry dates

   Cards without a printed expiry last two years from issue. Note each date and schedule renewals before they lapse.

Accredited courses and what a valid card looks like

DSHS accepts a food handler program approved either by DSHS or by the American National Standards Institute. It publishes separate lists of accredited classroom programs, online programs and private programs that a company runs for its own staff. Online training is allowed.

A card or certificate is only valid if it shows the program's name and address and either a DSHS accreditation license number or the ANSI listing. If a staff member brings a certificate without those details, ask them to retake the course with a listed provider. That small check avoids an awkward conversation during an inspection.

Texas Health and Safety Code section 438.046 makes cards from accredited programs valid statewide. A cook trained in Houston can work your San Antonio kitchen on the same card. A card from another state is a different matter, so have out-of-state hires take a Texas accredited course.

The certified food manager rule for Texas establishments

TFER section 228.33 requires at least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility, and authority over food preparation and service, to be a certified food manager. The manager passes an exam approved by DSHS or accredited by ANSI. The original certificate must be posted in the establishment where customers can see it.

Some local rules go further. DSHS notes that a city can require a certified food manager on site at all times by ordinance, and that a county with a population of 4 million or more may require a certified or trained food manager on site at all times. If your kitchen is in a large Texas city, check the local ordinance as well as the state rule.

Local health departments and event permits

DSHS issues food permits only where no local health department has jurisdiction. Most Texas caterers in Houston, Dallas, Austin or San Antonio are permitted by their city or county, which applies the state food rules and may add its own. Fees are set locally too, so DSHS tells businesses permitted by a local jurisdiction to contact that office for fees.

Serving at a public event usually needs a temporary food permit as well. Austin is a good example: the organizer applies at least 10 calendar days before the event, the fee is 62 dollars per booth for 1 to 14 days inside the city and inter-local area, a late or expedited application costs an extra 120 dollars per booth, and home-prepared food is not allowed. Hot food must be held at 135 degrees F or above and cold food at 41 degrees F or below.

Alcohol is a separate license through the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and our temporary liquor license guide covers the TABC event options.

Keeping records the way a Texas inspector expects

Inspectors look for two things on staffing: a current certificate for each food employee on the premises, and the posted original certificate of your certified food manager. Keep both in one place and update them as people join or leave.

A practical register lists each employee, their hire date, the date they finished the course, the provider and license number, and the expiry date. Sort it by expiry so renewals are obvious. Before a large wedding or corporate event, compare the crew list with the register so nobody without a card is scheduled on food.

Venura's catering app holds every booking with its date, guest count, quotation, invoice and payments, and keeps your staff and event schedule in the same place. Texas caterers use that schedule as the checklist against their training register before each event. It runs on web, Android and iOS, with a free 30-day trial.

Cost and time for a Texas card

The state does not set one price for private courses; each accredited provider sets its own. Online courses are typically short and print a certificate when you pass. Build the fee and the paid training time into your onboarding cost per hire, because a catering crew turns over far more often than a restaurant team.

Paying for it centrally has another benefit. You choose the provider, so every certificate carries the right accreditation details, and you get copies directly instead of chasing staff for photos.

Texas food handler certificate: questions from the United States