Best Washington Food Worker Card Courses (2026)

Washington requires all food workers to obtain a Washington State Food Worker Card within 14 days of hire under Revised Code of Washington 69.06.010 and Washington Administrative Code 246-217 — the strictest deadline in the country. Cards are administered jointly by the Washington State Department of Health and 35 local jurisdictional health departments; out-of-state food handler cards, including ANAB-accredited cards, are not valid in Washington. The cost is set uniformly statewide at $10. Card validity is tiered to reward continuing education: an initial card is valid for 2 years, the first renewal is valid for 3 years, and a renewal is valid for 5 years if the worker documents at least 4 hours of additional food safety training within the prior two years. The state provides its training manual and online testing in 13 languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, and Punjabi — one of the broadest multilingual offerings of any state food handler program. Cards must be returned to the employee upon termination of employment and remain the worker's property.