Food safety certification in Massachusetts: who needs it and how to get it

Key takeaways

• Under 105 CMR 590.002, every Massachusetts food establishment must employ at least one person in charge who is an on-site manager or supervisor, at least 18 years old and a certified food protection manager.
• ServSafe is one of 11 accredited exam providers on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health directory updated November 9, 2026. The state does not require any single brand.
• Food protection manager certificates accepted in Massachusetts carry a five-year expiration date, and allergen awareness certificates are valid for five years from the date of issue.
• Since October 7, 2024, an allergen awareness course counts in Massachusetts if it is accredited by ANAB, approved under FARE’s FAREcheck program, or includes an interactive video, a knowledge exam and the state’s required content.
• The City of Boston charges no fee for either credential. Private providers charge roughly $30 to over $150 for the manager exam and usually under $25 for allergen training, according to boston.gov.
• When a certified person in charge leaves, 105 CMR 590.002 gives the permit holder 60 days to replace that person after notifying the local board of health in writing.

If you own or manage a restaurant, cafe, bar kitchen or food truck in Boston or anywhere else in Massachusetts, state rules require two credentials on your staff. A certified food protection manager is a manager or supervisor who has passed a food safety exam from an accredited program that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health recognizes. An allergen awareness certificate is proof that the same manager has completed approved training on the nine major food allergens.

This guide covers who has to be certified, which exams and courses count, how long each certificate lasts, the allergen poster and menu notice, the exemptions, what the City of Boston asks for with a Food Service Permit, and what to do when your certified manager leaves.

Who needs a certified food protection manager in Massachusetts?

A certified food protection manager is required at every food establishment in Massachusetts unless an exemption applies. The rule sits in 105 CMR 590.000, the state sanitary code for food establishments, which the Department of Public Health (DPH) writes and local boards of health enforce. Section 590.002 says each establishment must employ at least one person in charge who is an on-site manager or supervisor, is at least 18 years old and is a certified food protection manager.

A person in charge is the individual responsible for the operation while food is being handled. A person in charge must be present during all hours of operation. When the certified manager is out, the code requires a trained alternate. The City of Boston adds that a food handler card does not satisfy the manager requirement.

Is ServSafe certification required in Massachusetts?

ServSafe certification is not required by name in Massachusetts. The state requires a food protection manager certificate from an accredited exam that DPH recognizes, and ServSafe (run by National Restaurant Association Solutions) is one of them. The DPH exam and trainer directory, updated November 9, 2026, lists 11 accredited exam providers. Others on the list include the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, Learn2Serve and Certus/StateFoodSafety. DPH says it does not bar trainers who are missing from the list from teaching food safety, but the exam itself has to come from a recognized accredited program.

How do you get a food protection manager certificate?

You get a food protection manager certificate by passing an accredited exam through a private provider. No state or city office gives the test. Boston’s Inspectional Services Department (ISD) says it does not administer exams or issue certificates. The usual path has four steps.

1. Choose a provider from the DPH exam and trainer directory. The directory shows which trainers teach in Spanish, Portuguese or Chinese.
2. Decide whether to take a class first. Training is recommended and is not required before the exam, according to the City of Boston.
3. Sit for the exam. Your provider may ask for a photo ID or a registration form.
4. Post the certificate. Under 105 CMR 590.002, proof of the manager’s food safety knowledge goes next to the food establishment permit and comes down when that person no longer works on site.

Providers set their own prices. The City of Boston food manager page puts the range at around $30 to over $150, depending on whether you buy an online exam, self-paced training or a classroom course.

How long does food safety certification last in Massachusetts?

Food safety certification in Massachusetts lasts five years for both credentials. The DPH directory says Massachusetts accepts food protection manager certificates with a five-year expiration date, and the City of Boston tells managers to retake an approved exam before the certificate expires.

Allergen awareness certificates follow a stricter reading. DPH guidance updated September 11, 2024 says a certificate is valid for five years from the date it was issued under 105 CMR 590.011(C)(3)(a), no matter what expiration date is printed on it or what the training company says. That applies to certificates issued before October 7, 2024 as well.

Who needs allergen awareness training in Massachusetts?

Allergen awareness training is required for the certified food protection manager at any Massachusetts establishment that cooks, prepares or serves food for immediate consumption, on or off the premises. The source is 105 CMR 590.011(C), which carries out M.G.L. c. 140, s. 6B, the state food allergy awareness law. The manager must hold a Massachusetts allergen awareness certificate, post it, and train other employees on allergies as they relate to each job.

The nine major food allergens are milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans and sesame. According to the DPH food allergen awareness FAQs, DPH stopped approving individual courses on October 7, 2024. A course now counts if it meets one of these tests:

• The course is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and includes the content DPH specifies.
• The course is approved by FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) under its FAREcheck program.
• The course includes an interactive video, a knowledge exam and the DPH content.

Boston lists the cost of allergen training as usually under $25 and the time as one to two hours.

What allergen poster and menu notice does a restaurant need?

An allergen poster and a menu notice are both required at Massachusetts restaurants under 105 CMR 590.011(C). The poster must be approved by DPH, measure at least 8.5 by 11 inches and hang where employees work. The current DPH poster, developed by FARE, includes sesame and had to replace the old poster as of October 7, 2024. You can design your own if it shows the nine allergens in words and pictures, states the health risks, explains how to prevent cross-contact and tells staff to call 911 in an emergency.

The menu notice goes on every printed menu and every menu board, indoors or outdoors, including drive-through boards. The required wording is: “Before placing your order, please inform your server if a person in your party has a food allergy.” On a menu board, the notice must be printed at least as large as the smallest menu item, or posted next to the board or at each ordering point where a customer can read it from five feet away.

Which food businesses are exempt from the certification rules?

Food businesses that handle little or no open food are exempt from the certified food protection manager rule in 105 CMR 590.000. The exempt group includes:

• temporary food establishments run by nonprofits, such as fairs and church suppers
• daycare operations that serve only snacks
• establishments limited to prepackaged food or limited preparation of food that does not need time or temperature control

The allergen rules have their own exceptions. A business that does not cook, prepare or serve food for immediate consumption is outside 105 CMR 590.011(C). Temporary food establishments run by nonprofits are fully exempt. Schools and childcare programs are exempt if they have written food allergy policies and documented training. Hospitals and similar institutions that feed a specific population skip only the menu notice and still need the poster and the training.

What does Boston require for a Food Service Permit?

Boston requires both certificates before it issues a Food Service Permit. You keep copies and submit them with the permit application; ISD’s Health Division does not collect them separately. The City of Boston charges nothing for the certifications themselves.

One Boston detail differs from the state wording. The City of Boston allergen page says the backup person in charge must also hold an allergen awareness certificate, while the DPH guidance says the alternate must be adequately trained. If you operate in Boston, plan on two allergen certificates. Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville run their own boards of health, so ask each one what it wants to see. ISD Health is at 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 4th Floor, and answers questions at 617-635-5326.

What happens if your certified manager leaves?

If your certified manager is transferred, is terminated or quits, 105 CMR 590.002 requires the owner or permit holder to notify the local board of health in writing and replace that person within 60 days. The board of health may extend the deadline by up to another 60 days.

Violations of 105 CMR 590.000 carry a fine of up to $100 for a first offense and up to $500 for later offenses on conviction, under section 590.016, unless another statute sets a different penalty.

What should you recheck before you act?

Each item below was checked on November 13, 2026. Confirm it at the source named before you pay for a course or file a permit application.

• Accredited exam providers: the DPH directory was last updated November 9, 2026 and lists 11. Open the current directory on mass.gov.
• Exam and course prices: the $30 to over $150 and under $25 figures are Boston’s estimates of private prices. Get the price from the provider.
• Allergen course approval: the three tests took effect October 7, 2024. Check the DPH food allergen awareness FAQs for changes.
• Fines and the 60-day replacement window: read the current text of 105 CMR 590.000 on mass.gov. The version read for this guide is dated October 5, 2018 and adopts the 2013 FDA Food Code.
• Local practice: call your city or town board of health, or ISD Health in Boston at 617-635-5326, about what it wants submitted with a permit.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; confirm the current requirements with the agency named before you file or pay.

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