McLean County, IL Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must certify
- The bed-and-breakfast operator
- Training source
- IDPH-approved course
- Exam requirement
- Pass a Conference for Food Protection-accredited exam
- Enforcing agency
- McLean County Health Department
- Governing section
- Code § 216-31E
Summary
McLean County requires every bed-and-breakfast operator to be a certified food protection manager, trained under an Illinois Department of Public Health-approved program and passing an accredited exam, before the Health Department will issue a food permit.
All operators shall be certified food protection managers. Certification shall be achieved by successfully completing training approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health and receive a passing score on the examination offered by a certified exam provider accredited under standards developed and adopted by the Conference for Food Protection or its successor as described in the current edition of the Illinois Food Code.
Full Breakdown
" This sits within the broader food sanitation requirements of Article IV, which also bar anyone with a communicable disease transmissible by food handling from working in the establishment (§ 216-31C) and require the operator to notify the Health Department immediately if the operator, an employee, or a family member is suspected of having one (§ 216-31D). The certification duty falls on the operator specifically, defined in § 216-30 as the owner or the owner's resident agent, rather than on every food handler in the establishment.
Because Article IV incorporates the state Food Service Sanitation Rules and Regulations by reference, the certified food protection manager requirement layers a county-level obligation on top of the state training and inspection framework already administered through the Illinois Department of Public Health and enforced locally by the McLean County Health Department's routine inspections under § 216-39.
Violations & Fines
Operating a bed-and-breakfast establishment without a certified food protection manager on record is a food sanitation violation under § 216-31 and can be cited on an inspection report; the Health Department can require correction on a set timeline, and failure to comply exposes the permit to suspension under § 216-36 or revocation after a hearing before the Board of Health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does McLean County require a food handler certification for bed-and-breakfast operators?
Who has to get certified, the operator or every employee?
What happens if a bed-and-breakfast operates without a certified manager?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in McLean County
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