Ottawa County, MI Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ottawa County § 100.1.1
- Enforcing agency
- Ottawa County Dept. of Public Health
- Exam attempts allowed
- 2 before mandatory retraining
- Exemption
- Valid license held as of 2001
- Fee authority
- Set by Board resolution, § 100.1.2
- Original enactment
- April 24, 2001, Ord. 00-1
Summary
Ottawa County will not license any food service establishment, temporary food unit, mobile food unit, mobile food commissary, or vending machine location until the operator passes a food safety handling exam. The Ottawa County Department of Public Health designates the course and exam under Code of Ottawa County § 100.1.1, tied to the state Food Law license requirement in MCL 289.4101.
A person shall not be issued a license from the Ottawa County Department of Public Health as authored by Section 4101 of the Food Law of 2000, MCL 289.4101, to operate a food service establishment, a temporary food service establishment, a transitory food unit, a mobile food service establishment, a mobile food service establishment commissary, or a vending machine location within Ottawa County, unless that person shall successfully complete an examination in safe food handling procedures. The director of the Ottawa County Department of Public Health shall designate the course and examination to be utilized by the Department to meet those requirements. A person seeking any such license shall have a maximum of two (2) opportunities to successfully complete the exam.
Full Breakdown
4101 to operate a food service establishment, temporary food service establishment, transitory food unit, mobile food service establishment, mobile food service establishment commissary, or vending machine location unless the applicant first passes an examination in safe food handling procedures. The Department's director picks the specific course and exam. An applicant gets a maximum of two attempts. 2129. 2129 program at the time of application is exempt from the exam entirely. 2 lets the Board of Commissioners set and adjust, by resolution, a fee to cover the cost of running the course and exam.
3 grandfathers anyone who held a valid license in good standing as of the ordinance's 2001 effective date; they don't have to test to keep or renew that license, though the Department can still order a training course and exam for a license holder under review for substandard food handling. The ordinance was originally enacted April 24, 2001 as Ordinance 00-1 and was codified into the current Code of Ottawa County on April 9, 2019.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate fine schedule attached to § 100.1: the consequence is that the county health department simply will not issue or renew a license until the exam is passed. An applicant who fails the designated exam twice cannot reapply for a license until completing a Department-sponsored food safety training course, or documenting a Michigan Department of Agriculture-approved MCL 289.2129 program. Operating without the underlying license itself is a violation of the state Food Law license requirement referenced in the ordinance, MCL 289.4101.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to pass the food safety exam in Ottawa County?
What happens if I fail the food handling exam twice?
Do existing restaurant license holders have to take the exam?
Is there a fee for the exam?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ottawa County
Compare Ottawa County to another location·View the Michigan public health rules overview
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