COVID-19 Reopening Guidance
ServSafe Reopening Guidance: COVID-19 Precautions - English and Spanish versions available. Click HERE.
Find Certified Training Providers
Click here to search for a list of approved providers of the Level 1 and Level 2 Food Certification training programs in Ohio by county.
Person In Charge (PIC) Certification/Level 1 Certification in Food Protection
As of March 1, 2010 OAC 3701-21-25(K) requires that all new food service operations have at least one person per shift that has obtained person in charge certification or higher. OAC 901:3-4-16(C) requires ALL retail food establishments, except micro markets, have at least one person per shift that is person in charge certified training no matter when they opened. The following courses have been approved by the Ohio Department of Health for Level 1 Certification in Food Protection:
Providers of Person In Charge (PIC) Certification in Food Protection:
- 1st Choice Food Safety Training, LLC
- FND Consulting Services
- State Food Safety
- TrainingNow.com
- ServSafe
- ServSafe Person in Charge - OHIO reviews seven areas of basic foodservice safety for team leads and hourly employees. If the Manager trained employee isn’t present during operation hours, then the individual overseeing the facility must be PIC trained.
- ServSafe Food Handler training is still offered in Ohio, but is considered voluntary covering five areas of basic food safety for non-managerial staff as it no longer meets the PIC requirement as of April 2020
Manager Certification in Food Protection/Level 2 Certification in Food Protection
Effective March 1, 2017, at least one employee per risk level III or IV facility with supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service shall obtain the level 2 certification (at least 15 verified contact hours) in food protection according to rule 3701-21-25 of the Administrative Code. *A certificate must be obtained from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Level two certification and a copy of the ODH certificate shall be maintained on site at the facility and readily available to the inspector during routine inspection.*
Providers of Level 2 Certification include:
- The Always Safe Company
- 1st Choice Food Safety Training, LLC
- University of Akron -ServSafe® Class
- ServSafe® Class - April 24 & 25, 2023 (in-person/Wooster)
- FND Consulting Services
- M & M Biz Solutions - Click on Ohio
- National Restaurant Association ServSafe®
- Ohio Restaurant Association
- HRFoodsafe.com
The following online courses are approved for meeting the requirements of the Ohio Manager Certification in Food Protection:
- ServSafe Manager 7th Edition online (Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association)
- Learn2Serve Ohio Manager Certification in Food Protection online course (360Training.com)
- Super SafeMark: Retail Best Practicies and Guide to Food Safety Sanitation (Food Marketing Institute)
- TAPSeries Food Safety Manager Certification
- Diversys Learning (TrainingNow.com)
- StateFoodSafety (Above Training, Inc.)
- NEHA Professional Food Manager (National Environmental Health Association)
- Food Protection Manager Course (AlwaysFoodSafe.com)
If the individual completes an online course, there are two options for the exam:
- Have the exam proctored by a provider approved by ODH and the provider must send ODH the exam score reports; or
- Take the exam through an online proctor. If the exam is proctored online, the student must submit this application, their exam certificate and record of course completion to ODH's office to receive a manager certificate from Ohio Department of Health. The list of exams that are ANSI approved for online proctoring can be found here: https://anab.ansi.org/credentialing/food-protection-manager/remote-proctoring.