San Bernardino County, CA Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code § 33.0409(b)
- Grace period
- 14 calendar days for new hires under supervision
- Card validity
- Expires 3 years from date of issuance
- Training minimum
- At least 2 instructional hours, DEHS-approved course
- Enforcing agency
- Division of Environmental Health Services (DEHS)
- Appeal deadline
- 15 calendar days after card suspension
- Misdemeanor penalty
- $500-$1,000 fine or up to 6 months jail
Summary
San Bernardino County requires every food handler to carry an unexpired food handler card or state food safety certificate before working, under County Code § 33.0409(b). A new employee gets a 14-calendar-day grace period only while supervised by someone holding a valid card or certificate. The Division of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) issues cards after a paid training course and proficiency exam, and every card expires three years after issuance.
(b) Applicability. Except as provided herein, no person shall work or allow the employment of any person as a food handler within this jurisdiction except when such food handler possesses an unexpired, unsuspended, unrevoked food handler card or a certificate after passing an approved and accredited food safety certification exam as described in § 113947.1 of the Health and Safety Code (“food safety certificate”). Food handlers are exempt from this requirement for 14 calendar days following the date of employment if working under the supervision of a person holding an unexpired, unsuspended, unrevoked food safety certificate. ... (d) Expiration of Card. Every food handler card shall expire three years from the date of issuance.
Full Breakdown
0409 of the County's Environmental Health Code sets the training standard for anyone who works as a food handler in San Bernardino County, including the unincorporated area and the food facilities DEHS permits countywide. Under Subdivision (c), a worker becomes eligible for a food handler card by paying the fee set in the County Code Schedule of Fees and passing a DEHS-approved training course and exam that covers at least two instructional hours on microorganisms and sources of food-borne disease, contamination pathways, time-and-temperature control, personal hygiene, disease transmission by utensils or equipment, and multi-use utensil washing and sanitizing.
Cards are nontransferable and expire three years from the date of issuance (Subdivision (d)). Every food handler must possess and present the card to a DEHS enforcement officer on request, and the facility owner or operator must keep the original unexpired card or food safety certificate on the premises for every currently employed food handler and produce it on request (Subdivision (e)). DEHS may summarily suspend a card, after consulting the Health Officer, on reasonable cause to suspect the holder poses a risk of infectious disease transmission to the public or coworkers (Subdivision (f)).
The suspended holder must surrender the card immediately and stop food handler duties; DEHS issues written notice of the grounds and the right to a hearing, which is waived unless requested within 15 calendar days. A suspended food handler may appeal to the Director of DEHS in writing within 15 calendar days of the suspension, supported by documentation the Health Officer accepts as showing no disease-transmission risk; missing that deadline makes the Director's decision final (Subdivision (g)).
Violations & Fines
Section 33.0410 makes any violation of this chapter unlawful and applies the remedies and penalties of Chapters 1 through 3 of the Environmental Health Code. Under § 33.0112, a first conviction is ordinarily a misdemeanor carrying a base fine of $500 to $1,000, up to six months in County jail, or both, plus court costs; the same conduct can instead be charged as an infraction, punishable by a base fine up to $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each further violation of the same section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every restaurant worker in San Bernardino County need a food handler card?
How long does a San Bernardino County food handler card last?
What happens if DEHS suspends my food handler card?
What are the penalties for working without a valid food handler card?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
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