Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The food worker card class and test can both be taken on the Washington State Food Worker Card website.

If you are having problems with the online class and test site, contact the Tacoma-Pierce Health Department. They oversee the actual site and will be able to help you with site issues.

The fee for a food worker card is $10. You will pay online. Only credit and debit (Visa and MasterCard) are accepted through the online site. You can also pay for the card over the phone or come into our office if you do not want to pay for the card online. In our Everett location, we accept cash, credit or debit.

Note: The charges for the food worker cards obtained online will be listed under Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department on your bank statement.

Food worker cards are valid throughout Washington State for 2 years.

Yes. You must take the class and test again to renew your food worker card. To receive a 3-year card, you may renew your old card up to 60 days prior to the expiration date. Expired cards are not eligible to renew for a 3-year card.

You can renew your card for 3 years if you re-take the class before your current card expires. The online system should automatically create a 3-year card, after you take the class and test, if you qualify. If you do not automatically receive a 3-year card, you can email Food Safety. If your old card has expired, you will only be able to receive a 2-year card.

This does happen. If you contact the Snohomish County Health Department at 425-339-5250 or email Food Safety, we can upgrade your card to a 3-year card if we see that you qualify for a 3-year card.

To receive an extended 5-year food worker card you must first have your Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification. Here is a list of all of the ANSI approved CFPM courses. Once you have your CFPM certificate, you must still take the food worker card class/test within 2 years of the CFPM certificate date to qualify for a 5-year card. You will receive either a 2 or 3-year card at that time. Then email Food Safety to request that we turn your 2 or 3-year card into a 5-year card. Your email must include a picture or scan of your CFPM certificate and new food worker card. If you qualify, your food worker card will be extended to a 5-year card. The food worker card class online system will then email the new 5-year card to you to print out.

You can get a replacement card (with the original test date) at the Snohomish County Health Department Environmental Health office in Everett. You can come into the office or you can call the customer service desk at 425-339-5250 to pay for the card over the phone and have the card mailed to you. If you originally received your card online, you can print a duplicate. The fee for a replacement card is $10. We accept cash, credit and debit (Visa and MasterCard) at the Everett location and credit and debit only online.

Cashiers, bussers, stockers, and dishwashers are all required to have a food worker card as a safety precaution. Many states are adopting “limited use” permits for these types of workers, but Snohomish County has yet to adopt these permits.

There are no age requirements for obtaining a food worker card. The only requirement is taking the class and passing the test.

Yes. We are happy to meet the needs of each person who needs a food worker card.

The online class is available in 13 languages. There are Food and Beverage Workers Manuals available in all of these languages: Arabic, Burmese, Khmer (Cambodian), Chinese (simplified and traditional), English, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog (Filipino), Thai, Vietnamese. We have translated the study guide into Ukrainian, but the test is not available online yet.

Health Department staff can provide group training off-site if desired. For a class to be offered at your location, you must have a minimum of 10 people. We generally schedule classes about a month in advance. Contact our office to request a class: 425-339-5250 or email Food Safety.

Even if you have a food worker card, you are not permitted to work with food if you have:

• Continual sneezing, coughing, or runny nose.
• Sore throat with a fever.
• Diagnosed infections that can be spread through food, such as norovirus, hepatitis A, salmonella, shigella, and shiga toxin-producing e.coli.
• Symptoms of a gastrointestinal infection such as diarrhea, vomiting or jaundice (yellow skin or eyes) unless they have written medical documentation that the symptom is due to a medical condition not transmissible through food.
• Infected, uncovered wounds.

Sick food workers should go home or be given duties that do not involve handling food, such as taking out the trash, cleaning restrooms, or busing tables. The PIC / Manager / Owner must notify the Regulatory Authority if a food worker has jaundice or a diagnosed illness that can be transmitted through food.