Food Worker Cards

The most important part of food safety is people. Understanding how to handle food safely is important to help keep Snohomish County free from foodborne illness and disease. 

Food worker cards help ensure that all workers are knowledgeable about basic food safety practices. The food worker card training covers sanitation concepts like avoiding cross contamination, handwashing, and no bare hand contact with ready to eat food. It also talks about proper food preparation and the temperatures that control germs in food. 

You must have a food worker card within 14 days of hire, supported by on-the-job food safety training from your employer. 

You are required to get a Washington State food worker card if you:

  • Work with unpackaged food, including restaurants and bars.
  • Touch food equipment, including washing dishes.
  • Work at a surface on which people place unwrapped food, including grocery store cashiers and baggers.

New Card Verify Feature

The Online Washington State Food Worker Card website now provides public access to verify the validity of a food worker card. Go to cardverify.tpchd.org and verify your card by scanning the QR code or entering the card information.

  1. Get a Card Online
  2. Get a Card In Person
  3. Food Managers

GET A CARD ONLINE

The Washington State Food Worker Card website is the only online training program authorized to provide you with a valid food worker card in Snohomish County and Washington state. Other websites that appear to offer a similar card are not recognized as a valid government-issued permit to work in a food establishment in Washington state. 

The online training is available in several languages.

It takes about one hour to go through the online class and take the test. You must pay the $10 fee by Visa, Mastercard or a debit card with a Visa or Mastercard logo. The payment will go to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU LOG-IN TO TAKE THE CLASS

  • Use a computer connected to a printer so you can print your own food worker card after the test. The Snohomish County Health Department does NOT mail you a copy of your card.
  • Have your Visa or Mastercard ready to pay online. You can also call our office at 425-339-5250 to pay with a credit card over the phone if you feel more comfortable doing that.
  • If you have any trouble during the online course, contact the Snohomish County Health Department Food Safety Program at 425-339-5250. You can also email the Tacoma-Pierce Health Department. They oversee the actual site and will be able to help you if the site isn’t working correctly.

ONLINE GROUP PAY

There is a way to pay for multiple food worker cards at once. First you will need to go to the online class Group Payment page and create an account. Once you have an account, you can create a class. This will give you a class code. You give this class code to each person that needs to take the test. After they have taken the class and test, they are given the option to pay or enter the class code. This puts them on the class list. Once you are ready to pay, you go in and pay for the group at once. The cards would then be sent to each person through the email account they enter when they take the class.

STUDY GUIDES

Prepare for the class by reviewing the Food and Beverage Workers Manual in advance. Booklets and tests are available in several languages.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you have any other questions about the food worker card or the classes, see these FAQs or contact the Snohomish County Health Department Food Safety Program at 425-339-5250.