San Diego County Food Handler Card - Requirements and Where to Get One
This page covers San Diego County only. The statewide California ANAB-accredited food handler card is not accepted here. Riverside and San Bernardino counties run different local programs of their own - do not mix rules across the three.
Is the standard California food handler card accepted in San Diego County?
No. San Diego County's local program predates January 1, 2009 and is exempted from the statewide ANAB requirement under HSC 113948(f), so a generic statewide card is not valid for food handler work in San Diego County.
Workers in San Diego County must instead complete training through a county-authorized school under San Diego County Code S61.114 (Ordinance No. 10036). Authorization here comes from the county's own Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ), a completely separate approval track from ANAB Certificate Accreditation Program (CAP) accreditation used by the statewide program.
How does the San Diego County food handler card differ from the statewide card?
San Diego County requires a minimum course length of at least 3 hours, longer than the roughly 60 to 150 minutes typical of statewide ANAB providers, and a stricter 80% passing score compared to the statewide program's 70%.
| Feature | Statewide (55 counties) | San Diego County |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts statewide ANAB card | Yes | No |
| Approving body | ANAB CAP | DEHQ-authorized schools |
| Minimum course length | No fixed minimum (60-150 min observed) | At least 3 hours |
| Passing score | 70% | 80% |
| Validity period | 3 years | 3 years |
| Hire-completion window | 30 days | 30 days |
The validity period and hire window match the statewide program exactly - the differences are specifically in who approves the course, the minimum course length, and the passing score.
Where can I find a San Diego County-authorized food handler school?
San Diego County's Food Handler Program page is DEHQ's own current directory of authorized food handler schools; contact DEHQ directly rather than assuming a provider's marketing claim of San Diego eligibility.
The course fee at San Diego County-authorized schools is set individually by each school and is not centrally published or capped by the $15 statewide statutory ceiling, since that cap applies only to the statewide ANAB program under HSC 113948(h)(2). A worker or employer should confirm directly with DEHQ, or with a specific school DEHQ has authorized, before paying for a course marketed as valid in San Diego.
Do San Diego County food facilities still need a Certified Food Protection Manager?
Yes. The HSC 113948(f) county exception applies only to the individual food handler card; the separate Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) requirement under HSC SS113947-113947.3 applies in San Diego County exactly as it does statewide.
A San Diego County facility needs both: individual food handler cards for staff who handle food (through a DEHQ-authorized school, not the statewide ANAB program) and at least one CFPM on staff under the same statewide CFPM rule that applies everywhere else in California. Having a CFPM on staff does not remove the requirement for other employees to hold their own San Diego County food handler card.
Does SB 476's employer-pay rule apply in San Diego County?
Yes. HSC 113948(f) exempts pre-2009 local programs like San Diego's from most of Section 113948, but explicitly excepts subdivision (i), the SB 476 employer-pay provision, so it applies in San Diego County the same as statewide.
The statute's own language is that "the requirements of this section, except for subdivision (i), shall not apply to a food handler subject to an existing local food handler program that took effect prior to January 1, 2009" (HSC 113948(f)). San Diego County's DEHQ-authorized program predates 2009, which is why the county runs its own approval track outside the statewide ANAB roster - but subdivision (i) is carved back in by name, so the employer-pay and compensable-hours rule is not one of the requirements San Diego's program is exempt from. An employer with San Diego County staff should pay for the DEHQ-authorized school's course and treat training time as compensable hours worked, the same as it would for a statewide-program employee.
Related: California Food Handler Card - Requirements, Cost, and Providers (hub) | Riverside County | San Bernardino County | Requirements
Sources
| Fact | Value | Authority | URL | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County exemption from statewide program | HSC 113948(f), local program predates Jan 1, 2009 | California Legislative Information | https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=113948 | 2026-09-14 |
| San Diego course length and pass score | At least 3 hours, 80% pass score | words/the_acs/ca/drafts/food-handler/food-handler-san-diego-food-handler-card.md | SD County Code S61.114 / Ord. 10036 | 2026-07-14 |
| San Diego authorizing body | DEHQ (county-authorized schools) | words/the_acs/ca/drafts/food-handler/food-handler-san-diego-food-handler-card.md | SD County Code S61.114 | 2026-07-14 |
| San Diego DEHQ program page | San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality, Food Handler Program | San Diego County | https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/deh/fhd/food/foodhandler.html | 2026-09-14 |
| CFPM still applies statewide including San Diego | HSC SS113947-113947.3 | words/the_acs/ca/drafts/food-handler/food-handler-san-diego-food-handler-card.md | HSC 113947 series | 2026-07-14 |
| SB 476 employer-pay applies to San Diego County | HSC 113948(f) exempts pre-2009 local programs from Section 113948 "except for subdivision (i)" - the employer-pay provision is carved back in, so it applies to San Diego's program | California Legislative Information (HSC 113948(f)) | https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=113948 | 2026-09-14 |
| Same subdivision (i) mechanism corroborated for a sister exception county | San Bernardino County's own SB 476 FAQ states "SB 476 changes will only apply to San Bernardino County workers under subdivision (i)" - confirms the same statutory carve-back this page relies on for San Diego | San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services | https://ehs.sbcounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/97/Programs/Food/FoodFacilities/sb-476-faq.pdf | 2026-09-14 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a statewide ANAB food handler card if I later transfer to a job in San Diego County?
No. A statewide card does not carry over into San Diego County. You need a separate card from a DEHQ-authorized school regardless of any statewide card you already hold.
Is the San Diego County food handler card fee capped by state law?
No. The statewide $15 cap under HSC 113948(h)(2) applies only to the statewide ANAB program. San Diego County school fees are set individually and are not centrally published.
How long is the San Diego County food handler card valid?
3 years from issuance, the same validity period as the statewide program, though the approving body and course requirements differ.
Does San Diego County accept online food handler courses?
This site's sources describe DEHQ-authorized "schools" without confirming whether online delivery is available; confirm delivery format directly with a specific DEHQ-authorized school.
What is the hire-completion window in San Diego County?
30 days from hire, matching the statewide requirement, even though San Diego's approving body and course requirements differ from the statewide ANAB program.