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.
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.
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 Discover or a debit card with a Visa, Mastercard or Discover logo. The payment will go to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. If you have any issues with payment, call their helpdesk at 253-649-1416 or email the Tacoma-Pierce Health Department.
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.
We offer two food worker card classes each month in our building, conference room 103, located at 3020 Rucker Avenue, Everett. See schedule below. Classes last about 90 minutes. Cost is $10 and must be paid by cash or debit card. You do not need to register ahead of time. If you are renewing a current food worker card, bring your current card (or a copy) with you to receive a 3-year card. If you have lost your card, you can order a reprint for $10. This can be done in our office or over the phone 425.339.5250.
Arrive 15 minutes early to ensure time for parking and signing in. There is no admittance after the class starts. Please leave young children at home.
The new food code requires each food service establishment to have a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM). This CFPM needs to have passed an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved food manager test. This is a list of the ANSI approved courses that will meet the CFPM Requirement. With these courses, you are looking for the FOOD MANAGER options. These companies also provide a Food Handler option. That is not an acceptable way to meet the CFPM requirement.
Six things to note about the new requirement:
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.
If you have received your CFPM certificate and currently have a valid food worker card that lasts for another 1.5-2 years, we encourage you to wait until just before that food worker card expires to retake the class/test and email us for your 5-year card.
Prepare for the class by reviewing the Food and Beverage Workers Manual in advance. Booklets and tests are available in several languages. We also have a Ukrainian Food and Beverage Workers Manual.
If you have any other questions about food worker cards or the food worker card classes, contact the Snohomish County Health Department Food Safety voicemail line at 425-339-8730 or Email Food Safety .