Elkhart County, IN Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopting section
- County Code § 112.02
- State rule adopted
- 410 I.A.C. 7-22
- Enforcing agency
- Elkhart County Health Department
- Chapter effective date
- July 1, 2005
- First-offense fine
- Up to $500
- Repeat-offense fine
- Up to $1,000
Summary
Elkhart County writes the state's food handler certification rule straight into its own code. County Code § 112.02 adopts 410 I.A.C. 7-22, "Certification of Food Handlers," as part of the county Food Service Ordinance, binding every retail food establishment and bed and breakfast the county licenses to that standard.
The regulations located at 410 I.A.C. 7-24 entitled "Sanitary Standards for the Operation of Retail Food Establishments," 410 I.A.C. 7-15.5 entitled "Sanitation of Bed and Breakfast Establishments," and 410 I.A.C. 7-22 entitled "Certification of Food Handlers," 410 I.A.C. 7-23 entitled "Retail and Wholesale Food Establishment: Schedule of Civil Penalties for Violations," as amended from time to time, and as promulgated by the State Department of Health, are adopted as part of this code. A food service shall comply with the applicable regulations located at 410 I.A.C. 7-24, 410 I.A.C. 7-15.5, 410 I.A.C. 7-22 and 410 I.A.C. 7-23 pertaining to the type of respective establishment whether such be a retail food establishment or a bed and breakfast establishment. One copy of these regulations shall be on file with the County Health Department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-23: Supplement contains: Current through local legislation passed on or before July 31, 2025; and State Legislation current through 2025 Indiana Legislative Service, Pamphlet #3).
Full Breakdown
C. C. C. C. 7-23's civil penalty schedule. The section requires a copy of these regulations to be kept on file with the County Health Department, and it directs each food service to comply with whichever of the four applies to its type of establishment, so retail food establishments and bed and breakfasts alike are bound to the certification rule where it applies to them. 04(A) bars anyone from operating a food service in the county without a valid license from the Health Officer (bed and breakfasts are exempt from the license itself but not from the adopted regulations).
22. Because certification is folded into the general Food Service Ordinance rather than broken out as its own local chapter, an operator found out of compliance faces the same enforcement track as any other violation of Chapter 112, run through the County Health Department's inspection and hearing process rather than a separate certification board.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 112, including noncompliance with the adopted 410 I.A.C. 7-22 certification standard, is an ordinance violation under § 112.99. A first offense draws a fine of up to $500; a second or later offense draws up to $1,000, with each day a violation continues after the correction period treated as a separate offense. The Health Officer may also assess penalties under 410 I.A.C. 7-23, appealable to the County Board of Health within ten days, and no license may be issued or renewed until all fines are paid in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Elkhart County require food handler certification?
Who enforces the certification requirement?
Do bed and breakfast establishments have to comply too?
What happens if a food service ignores the certification rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elkhart County
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