Jersey City, NJ Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)

Jersey City licenses every food establishment through the Division of Health under Chapter 175. Section 175-20 bars anyone from operating a food establishment, restaurants, luncheonettes, supermarkets, groceries, mobile vendors and farmers' market stalls alike, without a license from the Division, applied for on Division forms. Licenses run for one year under § 175-22, except supermarket licenses, which run six months; existing licenses expire April 30 (supermarkets also October 30). C. 4(a)5, requires the Division to run food handler training and requires at least one manager or supervisor of every licensed establishment, in any classification, to satisfactorily complete the Jersey City Health Division's food handler's course each calendar year before the license can be renewed, an establishment that misses the deadline is denied renewal outright.

The same section requires that at least one person who has completed the course be on the premises during all hours of operation, not just at renewal time. A fee set in Chapter 160, Fees and Charges, covers the cost of each course session. The Division classifies establishments by type under § 175-19 (Class A restaurant/cafeteria over 20-person occupancy, Class B restaurant/luncheonette under 20, supermarket, grocery, tavern, pharmacy/drugstore, temporary retail food establishment, and others); an establishment meeting more than one classification is charged the higher fee and can be inspected and cited under any classification that applies.

The Health Officer or a designee conducts inspections under § 175-26 and can order immediate closure under § 175-25 where an extremely unsanitary condition exists or there is reasonable cause to suspect an employee is a source of food-borne infection, subject to a hearing within 10 days.