Clackamas County, OR Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Certification deadline
- 30 days from hire
- Applies to
- anyone handling food
- Covered facilities
- restaurants, food carts, mobile units
- Enforcing office
- Public Health Division
- Penalty track
- warning, then civil penalty
- Hearing request window
- 20 days
Summary
Anyone hired to handle food at a restaurant, food cart, or other licensed food service facility in unincorporated Clackamas County has 30 days from their start date to get a food handler certificate. The county code folds this state-law duty directly into its licensing chapter, so the Public Health Division that licenses the facility also enforces it.
"Food service facility" means restaurant, bed and breakfast, vending machine, food cart, warehouse, mobile unit, commissary combination or any other food service facility as defined by ORS 624.010, ORS 624.310 and OAR 333-150-000 and 333-157-0073.
1. Food Handlers Certificate. Any person handling food in a restaurant or food service facility licensed under this chapter is required by state law to obtain a certification within thirty (30) days of hire.
2. Food Service License Fees.
a. Every applicant for a food service facility license, temporary license, or renewal of a license shall pay a license fee to the Division, unless exempted under ORS 624.106. Licensees whose food service facility requires a critical item re-inspection shall pay a fee to the Division as set by OAR 333-12-0053.
b. The license or temporary license shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises of the licensee. For a vending machine or mobile unit the license shall be posted in a conspicuous place, and a card, emblem, or other device clearly showing the name and address of the licensee and the serial number of the licensee shall be affixed to each vending machine or mobile unit.
c. To reinstate a food service facility license after the expiration date, other than a temporary license, the operator must pay a reinstatement fee per ORS 624.490.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 8.04 incorporates Oregon's food service statutes (ORS 624.010 et seq.) by reference and, at 8.04.030(A)(1), spells out the food handler certificate duty for every restaurant and food service facility licensed under the chapter, including food carts, mobile units, and vending operations covered by the same section's broad definition. A new hire who handles food has 30 days from their hire date to obtain the certification; the requirement itself comes from state law, but the county code makes compliance part of the conditions a facility must meet to keep its license under this chapter. The Public Health Division of the Clackamas County Department of Health, Housing, and Human Services, delegated authority by the Oregon Health Authority under ORS 624.510, is the same office that licenses the facility and can act on certificate compliance during a routine inspection or a priority-item review under 8.04.030(B).
Violations & Fines
A food service facility that lets employees handle food past the 30-day certification window risks the same enforcement track as any other Chapter 8.04 violation: a written warning from the Public Health Division, followed by a Notice of Intent to impose a civil penalty in an amount the Board of County Commissioners sets, due 10 days after the order becomes final unless the operator requests a hearing within 20 days (8.04.030(C)).
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon after hiring does a new food worker need a food handler card?
Who enforces the food handler certificate requirement in unincorporated Clackamas County?
Does the food handler certificate requirement apply to food carts too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clackamas County
Compare Clackamas County to another location·View the Oregon public health rules overview
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