Irvington, NJ Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Card required for
- Owner, manager, supervisor, food-handling staff
- Course registration fee
- $50
- Annual renewal fee
- $25
- Renewal deadline
- June 1 each year
- 1st offense fine (no card)
- $50
- 4th offense fine
- $500 + mandatory court appearance
Summary
Every owner, manager, supervisor and food-handling employee at an Irvington retail food establishment must hold a food handler's card from the Department of Health before the establishment can be licensed. Cards cost $50 to obtain and $25 to renew each year by June 1, and violations carry fines from $50 up to $500 per offense.
No retail food establishment license shall be issued pursuant to Article I of this chapter unless the owner and/or manager and/or supervisor and all employees who handle food of said retail food establishment shall have received from the Department of Health a food handler's card. ... Whenever any retail food establishment has been issued a written notice of violation for lack of a food handler's permit, all persons employed therein shall, within 30 days of the date of such notification, apply for a food handler's card and attend the course of instruction provided herein. Checkout personnel and all other persons whose employment or duties are exclusively limited to clerical or administrative functions are exempt from the requirements of this subsection. ... All persons holding a food handler's card shall renew such card through the Town of Irvington's Department of Health, on or before June 1 of each calendar year.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4996945; v39 updated 2026-07-13; through 07-13-2026).
Full Breakdown
Township Code § 324-10 makes a food handler's card a precondition of licensing: no retail food establishment license issues under Article I of Chapter 324 unless the owner, manager, supervisor and every employee who handles food has received a card from the Department of Health. If an establishment gets a written violation notice for lacking a card, every affected employee has 30 days to apply and attend the Department's course of instruction; only checkout staff and employees limited to purely clerical or administrative duties are exempt.
Section 324-13 requires successful completion of a general course in basic environmental sanitation and food-borne disease prevention, taught by the Department of Health or an organization it designates, though a comparable state, county or municipal sanitation course is accepted in its place. A card is valid for one year and must be renewed through the Department of Health on or before June 1 of each calendar year under §§ 324-10(2) and 324-14. Section 324-16 sets the registration fee for the course at $50 and the renewal fee at $25.
Cards may not be loaned, given or transferred to another person under § 324-11, and the holder must carry the card during working hours and produce it on demand from the Health Officer. Employers must also keep employee records under § 324-12, including each worker's food handler's card number and any communicable disease history from the preceding ten years.
Violations & Fines
Section 324-18's fine schedule applies specifically to Article II: operating without a required food handler's card draws $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, $250 for a third, and $500 with a mandatory court appearance for a fourth. Transferring a card to another person carries steeper fines, from $100 up to $1,000. The Health Officer can also suspend or revoke a card for good cause, subject to a hearing on request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who needs a food handler's card to work in an Irvington restaurant?
How do I get an Irvington food handler's card?
What is the fine for working without a food handler's card in Irvington?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Irvington
Compare Irvington to another location·View the New Jersey public health rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Food Handler Certification in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Essex County handle food handler certification.