The Texas Food Handler Education Act and Dallas Code Chapter 17 require food employees to complete a state-approved food handler course and at least one Certified Food Manager per establishment to maintain valid credentials.
Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 438 requires anyone working with unpackaged food, food equipment, or utensils to complete a Texas Department of State Health Services accredited food handler course within sixty days of hire. The card is valid for two years. Dallas additionally requires each food establishment to employ at least one Certified Food Manager who has passed an ANSI-accredited exam, with the original certificate posted on premises. During inspection, missing or expired credentials are critical violations affecting the inspection score. Mobile food units, school cafeterias, and temporary event vendors are also covered. Online courses are widely accepted if state-accredited.
Operating without a Certified Food Manager, employing untrained food handlers past the sixty-day window, or displaying expired certificates results in critical inspection violations, score deductions, mandatory reinspection, and fines up to two thousand dollars.
Dallas, TX
Dallas Code Compliance Services inspects food establishments under City Code Chapter 17 and posts numerical scores online. Unlike Los Angeles or New York, Da...
Dallas, TX
Texas state law governing cottage food production operations (CFPOs) preempts local regulation. No city permits, fees, inspections, or licenses are required ...
Dallas, TX
Dallas City Code Chapter 17, Article VIII regulates mobile food units (MFUs). As of September 2023, Texas HB 2878 changed permitting so that MFU operators in...
See how Dallas's food handler certification rules stack up against other locations.
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