Middletown, OH Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)

Section 1822.05 of the Middletown Code of Ordinances establishes a $30.00 fee for a Level One certification in food protection course taken by food handlers employed at food service operations and food establishments in the city. The fee is set by the Middletown Board of Health and Environment in accordance with Ohio Administrative Code Section 3701-21-25, which is the state rule that actually creates the certification-in-food-protection requirement; Middletown's ordinance is the local mechanism that funds and administers the course fee for operators licensed within the city.

The certification requirement sits alongside the city's broader food-licensing scheme in Chapter 1822: § 1822.01 sets tiered annual license fees for food service operations and retail food establishments by risk level and square footage, ranging from $88.00 for a small Level 1 operation to $1,008.00 for a large Level 4 operation, and § 1822.03 lets the Health Commissioner suspend a license when a violation presents a clear and present or immediate danger to public health. Because § 1822.05's certification fee is tied to the same licensing structure, an operator whose staff lack current food protection certification can face the same suspension exposure under § 1822.03 that applies to other licensing failures.

Section 1822.04 also blocks the transfer of an existing license when a food establishment or operation is sold or relocated, requiring a fresh license and fee, including the certification fee, to be issued instead.