St. Joseph County, IN Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Requirement
- 1 certified food protection manager
- Standard
- 410 I.A.C. 7-24 minimums
- Certificate
- From state-approved course of study
- Exempt
- Prepackaged, non-hazardous food sellers
- Enforcement
- County Department of Health
- Closure
- Health officer posts, must reapply
Summary
Every bed and breakfast, restaurant, mobile food unit, and temporary food stand in St. Joseph County that serves potentially hazardous food of animal origin must keep at least one certified food protection manager on staff. Section 117.10(C) exempts operations that sell only prepackaged or non-hazardous food, and the health officer enforces compliance through routine inspections.
(C)Food protection certification.(1)All bed and breakfast establishments, retail food service/store establishments, mobile retail food establishments, annual temporary retail food establishments, or temporary food establishments which prepare or serve potentially hazardous raw food of animal origin shall have at least one certified food protection manager who is in compliance with the minimum requirements specified by the state department of health as provided in 410 I.A.C. 7-24 and as defined in 410 I.A.C. 7-22 and changed in HEA 1210. ... (2)A bed and breakfast establishment, retail food service/store establishment, mobile retail food establishment, annual temporary retail food establishment, or temporary food establishment selling only prepackaged foods and non-potentially hazardous foods is exempt from the provisions of subsection (C)(1) above.(3)A certified food protection manager is any person who has successfully completed and received a certificate from any course of study that has been approved by the state department of health. A copy of the certificate must be available at the request of the health officer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
10(C)(1) of the St. C. C. 7-22 and amended by HEA 1210. Subsection (C)(3) defines a certified food protection manager as anyone who has completed a course of study approved by the state department of health, and requires the operator to keep a copy of that certificate on hand for the health officer to inspect on request. Subsection (C)(2) exempts any establishment that sells only prepackaged food and non-potentially-hazardous food from the certification requirement entirely. 01 defines an "opening inspection" as the pre-operational check every covered establishment must pass with the county department of health before it can begin operating or obtain a permit, and an "involuntary closure" as the health department posting a closure sign that only the health officer can remove, after which the establishment must reapply for a new permit and pay all associated fees before reopening. 11. 12, and has since been amended, most recently by Ord. No. 22-25 in 2025.
Violations & Fines
Operating a covered food establishment that serves potentially hazardous animal-origin food without a certified food protection manager on staff violates § 117.10(C)(1). The health officer can post a closure sign under the "involuntary closure" provisions of § 117.01, which only the health officer may remove, and the establishment must then pass a new opening inspection and pay all associated fees again before it can reopen and resume operating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which food businesses need a certified food protection manager?
Is my business exempt if I only sell prepackaged snacks?
What counts as a valid certification?
What happens if the health department finds a violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Joseph County
Compare St. Joseph County to another location·View the Indiana public health rules overview
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