Florida requires every restaurant to employ at least one ServSafe-certified food protection manager (FL Admin Code 61C-4). Other food workers must complete a DBPR-approved food handler training within 60 days of hire.
Under Florida Administrative Code 61C-4.023, every public food service establishment in Tampa must have at least one certified food protection manager on staff with credentials from a DBPR-approved program (ServSafe, NRFSP, or Prometric). The certified manager must be available for inspections. All other food employees must complete an approved food handler training within 60 days of hire and renew every three years. Tampa imposes no additional city food handler card. Inspections by DBPR verify certificates are current. Failure to maintain certification is an intermediate-priority violation that can escalate if uncorrected. There is no separate Hillsborough County food handler card requirement.
Missing food protection manager certificate is an intermediate-priority DBPR violation; uncorrected violations can lead to fines, suspended license, or required re-inspection fees.
See how Tampa's food handler certification rules stack up against other locations.
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