St. Charles County, MO Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must certify
- Person in charge of each food establishment
- Certification standard
- Passed test in Department-approved program
- Posting requirement
- Current certificate displayed on site
- Penalty for no posting
- Automatic 5-point score deduction
- Exemption
- Temporary food establishments exempt
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. No. 11-030, effective 5-2-2011
- Enforcing agency
- St. Charles County Dept. of Public Health
Summary
St. Charles County requires the person in charge of every food establishment to be a certified food protection manager who has passed a Department-approved test and to post a current certificate of training on site. The rule is written into the county's Food Code at County Code § 230.010(A)27-28, amending FDA Food Code §§ 2-102.11 and 2-102.20. Temporary food establishments are excused from the certification duty.
Section 2-102.20. Amend this Section to read as follows: Manager Certification Training. In accordance with Section 2-102.11, the person in charge must successfully complete a program that is approved by the Department for food protection manager certification and have posted in the food establishment a current certificate of training issued by the program. (A) Failure to post a current certificate of training for the person in charge shall be an automatic five (5) point deduction from the establishment score, in accordance with Section 8.403.11(A). (B) Temporary food establishments shall not be required to have a certified manager/person in charge.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4863880; v61 updated 2026-05-11; through 05-11-2026).
Full Breakdown
The County Council adopted the 2013 FDA Food Code, Chapters 1 through 8, by Ordinance No. 11-030 (May 2, 2011), with local amendments codified at St. 010. 20, Manager Certification Training, requiring the person in charge to complete a Department-approved certification program and to have a current certificate of training posted in the establishment. That same amendment builds in the one carve-out: temporary food establishments are not required to have a certified manager or person in charge at all, recognizing that short-run vendors at fairs and community events cannot reasonably staff a certified manager.
020, where the Department of Public Health inspects and scores establishments, and the manager's demonstrated knowledge factors directly into how those inspections are conducted and documented. 030's Chapter 9 fee schedule, and the certified-manager requirement travels with that permit for as long as the business operates.
Violations & Fines
Posting is not optional: failing to display a current certificate of training for the person in charge triggers an automatic five-point deduction from the establishment's inspection score under Food Code § 8.403.11(A), as incorporated by § 230.010(A)28(A). That score deduction is separate from the county's broader Food Code enforcement powers: operating any food establishment without the required permit draws a $500 fine per offense, with each day of unpermitted operation a separate offense, under § 230.020(A)(1). A permit holder found, after a hearing, to have violated the Food Code faces suspension or revocation and mandatory closure of five to fourteen days for a first violation, fifteen to thirty days for a second within five years, and thirty to ninety days for a third within five years, under § 230.020(A)(2).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every restaurant in St. Charles County need a certified food manager?
What happens if a restaurant doesn't post its manager's certificate?
Do food trucks and fair vendors need a certified manager in St. Charles County?
Who enforces the food manager certification rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Charles County
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