Louisiana food safety certificate for restaurants: 60 days to comply

Every restaurant in Louisiana is supposed to have someone on the payroll who has earned the state's food safety certificate, and the rule has a clock that starts when your health permit is issued. This guide, checked in November 2026, reads the state's sanitary code section on the certificate: who must hold one, when, for how long and what it costs. It is general information, not legal advice. The Louisiana Department of Health runs the program and publishes forms and course lists, so confirm the details with the department before you enroll anyone.

Who must hold a food safety certificate?

The sanitary code says the owner or a designated employee must hold a food safety certificate from the department on behalf of the food establishment. The rule speaks of a certificate for the establishment, so what counts is that someone is in place, not that every worker has one. Many owners choose a kitchen manager, because the person is on site most of the week. Others take it themselves. Whoever holds it should have the authority to make decisions about food safety on a shift, because the certificate is only useful if the holder can act on it.

When does the 60 days start?

An establishment permitted after the dates in the section must comply within 60 days of permit issuance. The section records an earlier schedule for existing small establishments that is now long past. In practice, a new restaurant has two months from the day its permit arrives to have a certificate holder in place. Do not leave it to the last week. The state's process includes a course and an exam first, and the certificate is applied for separately, so build in time for each step.

What does the certificate cost and how long does it last?

The code lists a $25 fee for the initial application, per certificate, and says state and local government employees are exempt from that fee. The certificate must be renewed every five years for $25, and renewal requires passing another written exam. Put the expiry date in the manager's file and in your own calendar. If the holder leaves, the establishment needs a new certificate holder, so keep a second person in training where you can.

Which businesses are exempt?

For this section, the code says the definition of a food establishment does not include certain operations. The list covers private clubs serving only members, religious or charitable food sales, operations that prepare boudin or sausage only for personal use, beverage-only bars and lounges, temporary and seasonal establishments, nursing facilities, schools, elderly nutrition sites that do not prepare meals and child care facilities. A restaurant that serves food, even a small one, is not on that list. A bar that sells no food may be, which is worth confirming with the department if you plan to add a menu.

Where does the certificate have to be displayed?

The permit holder must display a current certificate where the public can see it. Frame the original and hang it near the permit, not in the office. An inspector who cannot find it will note the gap, and a guest who spots it learns that someone in the kitchen has been trained.

What about staff who are not certificate holders?

The sources read for this guide do not describe a statewide card for every food handler, and the Louisiana Department of Health's own pages could not be opened, so ask the department whether any training is required of other staff. Regardless of the rule, every cook and dishwasher should learn handwashing, cold holding temperatures, cooking temperatures and cross-contamination in the first week. A short checklist signed by the new hire and the manager gives you a record.

How do you choose a course?

The code ties the certificate to the department's process, so choose a course and exam provider that the department accepts and confirm it in writing before you pay. Ask whether the course is available in the language your manager speaks best, whether the exam is proctored online or in person and how soon the result is sent. A manager who fails once should be able to retake the exam, so ask about the retake fee.

How do you make the certificate part of daily practice?

A framed certificate does not keep food safe. A habit does. Ask the certificate holder to run a ten minute check at the start of each shift: handwashing sinks stocked, sanitizer at the right strength, cold units at the right temperature, date labels on prepared food. Keep the signed checklist for a few months. When a health inspector visits, a record of daily checks shows the way the kitchen really runs, and when you hire, it shows new cooks what is expected on day one.

What should you do next?

Find the date your permit was or will be issued and add 60 days. Choose who will hold the certificate. Book the course and exam. Put the certificate in a frame near the permit when it arrives, and add its five year renewal to your calendar. Then read how Louisiana alcohol permits are issued, since the same opening timeline often covers both.

More guides for your business:

• Louisiana alcohol permits: Class A restaurant and server permits
• New Orleans food truck permit rules
• How to register and file Louisiana sales tax with LaTAP

More in the US guides for food businesses.