Getting your card
Lost your food handlers card? How to get a copy
A lost food handlers card comes back from whoever issued it: the course provider, or the state or county program. NEHA's PFH certificate is a download you print after passing (NEHA certificate policies, as of October 2026), so for PFH you go back to NEHA.
- ExamPFH
- UpdatedOct 14, 2026
On this page 3 sections
Work out who issued it
- Online course with a printed certificate: that course provider. For PFH, that's NEHA.
- Texas: the training provider. The Texas Department of State Health Services sends anyone with a lost card back to the provider for a replacement (Texas DSHS FAQ, as of October 2026).
- Washington, card earned online: sign back in at foodworkercard.wa.gov as a returning user; a payment may be required. Card from an in-person class: the local health department (WA Department of Health, as of October 2026).
- Oregon, test taken online: contact that provider. Test taken in person: the local environmental health office where you took it issues a duplicate for $5.00 (Oregon Health Authority, as of October 2026).
- Southern Nevada: the health district issues a duplicate or replacement card for $20 (Southern Nevada Health District, as of October 2026).
- Can't remember who issued it: ask your manager. A copy may already be in your employee file.
Getting a PFH certificate back
NEHA certificates show your name, the program title, the issue date and the term, plus a secure QR code (NEHA policies). If your NEHA account still shows the certificate, download it again.
If it doesn't, contact NEHA. Its policy says NEHA will verify whether a person holds a certificate it issued, which is what a new employer needs anyway.
Close to the three-year mark? A copy of a card that runs out next month buys you very little. Read renewing a food handlers card instead. And if there's no record anywhere, start clean with how to get a food handlers card.
Lookups and copies
Is there a food handlers card lookup?
Each issuer keeps its own records. NEHA verifies certificates it issued; state programs keep theirs. We don't know of one lookup that covers every provider.
How can my new manager check my card?
A NEHA certificate carries a secure QR code your manager can scan.
I moved states. Will a copy of my old card work?
Maybe not. Washington and Oregon don't accept cards from other states. Check the new state before you chase the old card.