Looking for ServSafe specifically? See is ServSafe required in your state — it is a private training program, not a government credential, and the handler card and the manager certification are two different things.
A food handler card is the entry-level food-safety credential for restaurant and food-service employees. Requirements vary sharply from state to state: some mandate an individual card statewide, some leave it to county health departments, and many require only one certified food-protection manager per establishment rather than a card for every worker. Each state page below answers, categorically, “does this state require a food handler card?” — with the validity period, cost, and approved training providers where a card is required, or what’s required instead where it isn’t. Every answer is traced to an official source and dated.