Division of Hotels and Restaurants

Food Handler Training

All information on this page is current and was last reviewed by the division on August 11, 2008.

Florida requires all food service employees to be trained on proper food handling and hygiene practices every three years. Only division-approved training programs are accepted as meeting the training requirement.

Hospitality Education Program (HEP) Food Handler Training Schedule

More information is available from:

Industry Bulletin 2006-05 - Food Service Employee Training and Manager Certification Requirements(pdf)

Section 509.049, Florida Statutes

Rule 61C-4.023, Florida Administrative Code (Microsoft Word)

New Operator's Training Guide (pdf)
A guide to food service sanitation, employee training and food manager certification prepared by the Hospitality Education Program (HEP).

Integrated Food Safety Information Delivery System (State of Iowa)
- The site includes worker guidelines, fact sheets and signage in English, German, French, Vietnamese, Korean, Laotian, Bosnian, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Japanese and Russian. This web site is maintained by the State of Iowa Food and Consumer Safety Bureau in conjunction with a grant from the US Food and Drug Administration. All materials are based on the FDA 1999 Food Code.

Training Vendors

Training Programs List (pdf)
View a listing of all independent entities that have been approved by the division to conduct their own food handler training programs.  The division is no longer accepting applications for food safety training certification programs.

Food Service Handler Training Reporting Requirements
Chapter 509.049(7)(b), Florida Statutes, requires third party providers to maintain and electronically submit information concerning establishments where they provide training or training programs. 

All food service employee training performed using a DBPR approved third party provider program or any training service which uses a DBPR approved third party provider program must be reported to DBPR. 

Any food service establishment using its own in-house proprietary program approved by DBPR and which uses its own certified food manager(s) to provide the training is exempt from reporting requirements. 

Food Service Handler Training data
Download food service employee training data reported to DBPR as required in section 509.049(7)(b), Florida Statutes, which requires third party providers to maintain and electronically submit information concerning establishments where they provide training or training programs.

FRLA Food Service Handler Training data
Search data compiled by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA), the department's contracted food service handler training provider. The data contains information about food service handlers successfully certified using the FRLA's SafeStaff program.