James City County, VA Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)

James City County Code § 11-2 requires any person employed or working in a restaurant in the county to procure and hold a valid food handler's certificate bearing the holder's photograph from the health officer, certifying that the person has complied with all requirements and received instruction in proper food handling, personal hygiene and sanitation. Under § 11-3, a worker must first register at the James City-Williamsburg Health Department and obtain a temporary certificate before starting work; that temporary certificate expires no more than 30 days after issue.

The health officer may refuse a temporary certificate to an applicant believed to be infected with a disqualifying disease. Before the temporary certificate expires, the worker must secure a regular certificate, which stays valid for 12 months unless revoked for cause, and it must be kept on file at the place of employment. Section 11-4 bars any restaurant from employing a person without a valid temporary or regular permit, bars employing anyone infected with or carrying a communicable disease, and requires the manager to notify the health officer immediately if a worker is suspected of having contracted such a disease; hand washing signs must be posted in every employee toilet room.

Under § 11-5, if infection is suspected the health officer can order immediate exclusion of the employee from all restaurants, close the restaurant until the danger has passed, or require medical examination. Section 11-6 lets the health officer waive the article's requirements in writing for temporary special events. The definitions in § 11-1 sweep broadly: 'restaurant' covers lunch rooms, cafeterias, taverns, delicatessens, hospital and nursing home kitchens, school and college dining halls, catering operations, pushcarts and hot dog stands.