Getting your card
How do you renew a food handlers card?
You renew NEHA's PFH by buying and taking the course again. The certificate runs on a three-year cycle that starts on the day you passed, and there's no continuing-education route (NEHA handbook, as of October 2026). State cards in Washington, Oregon and Southern Nevada renew through those programs.
- ExamPFH
- UpdatedOct 14, 2026
On this page 4 sections
Renewal, card by card
| Card | Lasts | How you renew | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEHA PFH | 3 years from your pass date | Buy and take the course and assessment again | NEHA handbook |
| Washington food worker card | First card 2 years; renewals 3, or 5 with extra training | Through the state program at foodworkercard.wa.gov | WA Department of Health |
| Oregon food handler card | 3 years | A new card from a provider the Oregon Health Authority approves | Oregon Health Authority |
| Southern Nevada card | 3 years | The health district's renewal test, shorter than the first one | Southern Nevada Health District |
| Texas card with no expiry printed | 2 years | A new accredited course | Texas Department of State Health Services |
Local rules beat NEHA's term where they differ (NEHA policies, as of October 2026).
Renewing PFH
Read the date on your certificate
Every NEHA certificate prints the issue date and the term. Three years from the pass date is your line.
Check your local rule
“Local jurisdictional requirements may differ and will then supersede NEHA's term,” says NEHA's certificate policy. A state or county can set its own term; check yours in the card rules by state.
Buy the course again
$15.00 online in English or Spanish (NEHA shop, as of October 2026). That purchase is the renewal.
Pass, print, hand it in
70% or higher on the assessment, then download and print the new certificate and get your manager a copy.
Why three years
NEHA ties the cycle to updates of the FDA Food Code. The current PFH course is built on the 2022 edition. FDA released a 2026 Food Code in September 2026, and the temperatures and times a food handler gets tested on did not move: still 41°F (5°C) cold holding, 135°F hot holding, 165°F for poultry (FDA summary of 2026 changes, as of October 2026).
Utah works off its provider list, so a Utah renewal goes through a listed provider too; the Utah food handler permit page has the list. For the plain number of years each card is good for, see how long a food handlers card is valid.
When and how to renew
Can I renew my food handlers card online?
For PFH, yes: the renewal is the same $15.00 online course (NEHA shop, as of October 2026). Washington renews through foodworkercard.wa.gov. Southern Nevada uses its own renewal test.
Is there a shorter refresher course for PFH?
No. NEHA's handbook says you retake the assessment by taking, and paying for, the course again (as of October 2026).
When should I renew?
Before the date printed on your certificate, three years from the day you passed for PFH. Your state's term wins if it is shorter.