NYC Food Protection Course Study Guide 2026

Who needs a Food Protection Certificate

Food businesses in New York City follow Article 81 of the NYC Health Code, which the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene enforces. Section 81.15 sets the training rule. It applies to supervisors of food service establishments and non-retail food processing establishments. A supervisor needs a Food Protection Certificate issued by the Health Department before working in that role.

The rule is about who is in charge, not about every worker. Whenever the place is open, a certified supervisor must be on the premises and must supervise all food preparation. The certificate must be available for the Health Department to inspect at all times.

• Who: managers and supervisors of food service and non-retail food processing establishments.
• When: during all hours of operation, every day the place is open.
• Proof: the certificate must be on hand for inspectors.

Anyone can take the course, even if they are not a supervisor yet. It is a good idea to certify more than one person. If only one person holds the certificate, a sick day or a late shift can leave the kitchen without a certified supervisor, and that can lead to a violation.

The course and the final exam

The Health Department's Health Academy runs the Food Protection Course. You can take it two ways:

If you fail a lesson quiz in the online course, you must spend at least 15 minutes in a row actively working on that lesson before you try the quiz again. There is no limit on how many times you can take the course.

On exam day

• The final exam is taken in person, not online. You pay for the exam to get certified.
• Bring a government-issued photo ID. For the online course exam, also bring the printout of your confirmation page.
• The exam is offered in 37 languages, so you can test in the language you read best.
• If you fail, you must take the online course again or register for the class again, and pay the fees again.

When you pass, you get a temporary certificate. After the online course exam, the course FAQ says the certificate arrives within 2 to 6 weeks; classroom students who pass get theirs on the last day. The certificate does not expire, so you do not renew it. You can use it at any food place in New York City that has a Health Department permit. If you lose it, you can make an appointment to get a new one.

NYC temperatures to know

Some NYC temperatures are different from the FDA Food Code that most of the country uses. This is the most important thing to study for a NYC exam. In the Health Code, these rules are in section 81.09, which covers potentially hazardous food.

Whole roasts, such as roast beef, follow a special time and temperature table in the Health Code. A lower temperature needs a longer time.

Thaw frozen food in a refrigerator at 41°F or below, or completely under cold running water, with the faucet open the whole time. Check food with a clean, accurate probe thermometer in the thickest part.

Hands, health and cleaning

Section 81.07 says food must be prepared and served without bare hand contact, unless the food will be heated to its required minimum temperature afterward. For ready-to-eat food, such as salads, sandwiches and bread, use gloves, tongs, deli paper or another barrier.

Section 81.13 covers worker health. A worker with a boil or an infected wound, or with certain listed infections, may not work with food. Workers must wash their hands before starting work, after using the toilet and at other times when hands may become dirty.

• Wash with soap and warm water at a hand sink, then dry with a paper towel or air dryer.
• Change gloves when they tear, when you change tasks and after touching raw meat.
• Tell the supervisor if you are sick, and stay away from food until you are cleared.
• Clean surfaces first, then sanitize them. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the sanitizer.

Inspections and letter grades

NYC restaurants get a letter grade based on their sanitary inspection score. Inspectors add points for each violation, so fewer points is better. Letter grading started in 2010.

The grade card must be posted where people passing by can easily see it. A certified supervisor who keeps food at the right temperatures, stops bare hand contact and keeps sick workers away from food helps the restaurant keep its points low.

An example

A Queens diner is open from 6 a.m. to midnight. The owner holds the certificate but works only the day shift. The owner sends the night manager and a weekend cook through the free online course, so a certified supervisor is always on site.

Exam tips

• Remember the supervisor rule: a certified supervisor on site whenever the place is open.
• Learn the NYC numbers: 41°F cold, 140°F hot, 158°F ground meat, 150°F pork, 165°F poultry and reheating.
• Cooling in NYC starts at 140°F: down to 70°F in 2 hours, then to 41°F in 4 more hours.
• Bare hands are allowed only if the food will be cooked to its required temperature afterward.
• The certificate does not expire, and the final exam is always in person.

Practice test 1 on this page covers New York City rules. The other sets cover food safety basics taught in courses across the United States. Where a national set gives a Food Code number that differs from NYC, use the NYC number at work in the city.