Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A Food Worker Card is issued by the county to a food worker. It is documentation of the fact that the worker has received special training in basic food safety and has authorization to work with food in our county. Every employee who handles food or food-contact equipment is required to get one. This includes virtually every employee in a restaurant or bar with the possible exception of hostesses and bookkeepers provided they never handle food or utensils. Food Worker Cards are required by Yavapai County Ordinance as a way of ensuring that the people who serve food have a basic understanding of food safety and their role in keeping food safe and wholesome.

The Yavapai County Food Worker Card is offered for 2 years at $15.00 each.  The fee is waived for persons whose contact with food is exclusively limited to performing volunteer work for a verified charitable organization.  
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved online training agencies offer 3 year cards.  Prices vary, but some offer cards for $10.00 or less.  Please contact agencies for costs.  Please click here for more Food Worker Training information.

The Yavapai County Health Code, which was adopted in Arizona in 2015, requires that every food establishment has at least one person who has obtained more extensive training in food safety. While the county does not offer this more advanced training, it is readily available through a number of private sources. Yavapai County Community Health Services will recognize any certificate from a test approved by the Conference for Food Protection.

Manager Certification is a much longer course of study than the Food Worker class. It involves greater depth and detail. Individuals who successfully complete the Manager Certification should be better equipped to successfully supervise a food service facility.