Alabama Food Handler Study Guide (Jefferson County) 2026

Who needs food safety training in Alabama

Alabama does not have a statewide food handler card for every worker. Instead, the state and one large county set different rules, and you need to know which ones apply where you work.

• Statewide: the Alabama State Board of Health rules, Chapter 420-3-22, Food Establishment Sanitation, require a certified person in charge in higher-risk food establishments.
• Jefferson County: the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH), which covers Birmingham and the cities around it, requires all food employees to complete food safety training.

JCDH regulates more than 4,000 food establishments, such as restaurants, hospital kitchens, school lunchrooms, convenience stores, concession stands and food trucks. It enforces the state food rules, and some of its rules apply only in Jefferson County. The food handler training rule is one of them.

If you work outside Jefferson County, your employer must still follow the state rules. That includes making sure staff know how to handle food safely for their jobs.

Getting trained in Jefferson County

In Jefferson County, new employees must be certified within 21 days of their hire date. JCDH says the training may be completed in three ways:

• In person at the Jefferson County Department of Health building in Birmingham.
• Online through the county-approved online course.
• Through a Certified Food Safety Manager who is on duty at all times.

In-person classes

JCDH holds classes in its Health Department building on 6th Avenue South in Birmingham. Registration begins 30 minutes before class, and you must show a photo ID when you register. Check the JCDH page for the current schedule, because class times can change.

The online course

JCDH links to one exclusive approved online provider for Jefferson County training. The online course is offered in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese, American Sign Language, Tagalog and Serbo-Croatian. A course from some other company does not replace it.

Keeping and moving your card

Your card or certificate is your proof that you met the Jefferson County rule. Keep it safe, check it for an expiry date, and ask JCDH if you are not sure when you need to train again.

Changing jobs

JCDH says food handler cards are transferable between establishments. If you move from one restaurant to another in the county, you do not have to start over while your card is still valid. JCDH also says that certificates are transferable only to establishments with Certified Food Safety Managers, and that the original holder of the certificate is responsible for the transfer.

In practice, keep your card or certificate somewhere safe, and give your new manager a copy on your first day. That way the proof of your training is at work if anyone asks for it.

An example

Maria starts as a prep cook at a Birmingham cafe on the 1st of the month. She takes the online course on the 10th and passes. A year later she moves to a hotel kitchen across town that has a Certified Food Safety Manager. She transfers her card herself, because that is the holder's job, and gives a copy to her new manager.

Alabama's statewide rules

Alabama adopted most of the 2013 FDA Food Code through Chapter 420-3-22. The state rules sort establishments into priority categories by risk.

• In Priority Category 3 and 4 establishments, the permit holder or their designee must hold a valid certification from an accredited program.
• Since January 1, 2020, a designated person in charge with a valid certification must be present during all hours of operation in those establishments.
• Priority Category 1 and 2 establishments and temporary food establishments are exempt from this certification rule.
• A certification counts if it was issued within the previous five years (60 months).
• A missing certification must be corrected within 120 days.

The permit must be posted in a conspicuous place in the establishment, and the original inspection report must be displayed for public view. Cottage food operators must also complete a food safety course approved by the department.

In Jefferson County, JCDH has a separate Certified Food Safety Manager page for people who need the manager certification.

Food safety points to know

Alabama follows the Food Code for most daily food safety rules. A few points come straight from the Alabama rules:

• Date limits: refrigerated TCS food with a manufacturer's date limit must not be used or served after that date.
• Undercooked orders: a customer may order an individual item cooked below the usual temperature, but not in an establishment that serves a highly susceptible population, such as a hospital or nursing home.

The rest of your course will cover the Food Code basics. Keep cold TCS food at 41°F or colder and hot TCS food at 135°F or hotter. Wash your hands often, and never touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands. Tell the person in charge if you have vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice or a sore throat with fever, or if a doctor diagnoses you with an illness that spreads through food.