Lakewood, CA Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)

11 of the county-derived Public Health Code requiring a 'Certified Food Handler' at every Food Service Operation, defined to include restaurants, markets, bakeries, mobile food preparation units, commissaries, and food processing establishments that handle potentially hazardous food. To become certified, an applicant must file an application and fee with the County Department of Health Services and either complete a Department-approved food handler training course of at least four hours covering microorganisms, foodborne illness, food contamination, personal hygiene, and proper equipment sanitizing, or pass a written examination with a score of 75% or higher administered by the Department.

A Certified Food Handler must be at least 18 years old, though the Director may waive that for good cause, and each operation with more than one location must have a certified handler present at every location during operating hours. The certificate must be posted conspicuously at the operation, is valid for four years from issuance, and a business that loses its only Certified Food Handler has 30 days to obtain a replacement. The Director may revoke a certificate immediately for repeated violations of food-safety procedures, any condition detrimental to public health such as unsafe food temperatures, or falsified application information, after which the holder has 15 calendar days to request a hearing before an Environmental Health Services Manager, who must issue a written decision within five working days. Non-potentially-hazardous, prepackaged-only operations and operations limited to temporary permits are exempt from the certification requirement entirely.