United States
Hong KongGeorgia: a certified manager on site during operating hours
Georgia requires most food service establishments to have a certified food safety manager, with an ANAB-accredited certificate, on site during operating hours. County health departments administer the requirement.
- Requirement
- A certified food safety manager on site during operating hours
- Accreditation
- ANAB-accredited certificate
- Validity
- Five years
- Course required first
- No state-wide prerequisite
- Authority
- Georgia Department of Public Health and county health departments
On site, not on file
The distinction matters. A requirement satisfied by having one certified person on the payroll is easier than one requiring that person to be present.
Georgia is in the second group for most food service establishments, which is why operations here typically certify several people rather than one.
Risk categories
Requirements vary with the establishment's risk category, and a low-risk operation serving only prepackaged food is treated differently from a full-service restaurant.
The category also drives inspection frequency, so it is worth knowing which one your establishment is in.
Georgia's environmental health services are delivered through county boards of health. Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Cobb all publish their own guidance, and the county is where a specific question gets answered.
Getting certified
- Choose any ANAB-accredited provider - no state approval list applies.
- Prepare for eight to fifteen hours.
- Sit the 80-question proctored exam.
- Provide the certificate to your employer for the establishment file.
- Work out how many certified people the rota needs to cover operating hours.
The rota arithmetic
A seven-day operation with long hours cannot be covered by one person, and this is the practical consequence of an on-site requirement that operations underestimate.
Two or three certified people is the usual answer, and certifying a group together is often cheaper per head as well as being the safer compliance position.
State rules change, and counties and cities routinely impose requirements the state does not. Treat this page as a starting point and confirm with the authority named above before booking anything.
Common questions
Does Georgia require a certified food manager on site?
Most food service establishments must have a certified food safety manager on site during operating hours, rather than simply having one on the payroll.
Which certificate does Georgia accept?
An ANAB-accredited food protection manager certificate, valid for five years. There is no state-specific exam and no state-wide course prerequisite.
How many certified managers does an establishment need?
Enough to cover operating hours. A seven-day operation with long hours generally needs two or three, which is the practical consequence operations most often underestimate.
Do the rules vary by establishment type?
Yes. Requirements and inspection frequency vary with the risk category, so a low-risk operation serving only prepackaged food is treated differently from a full-service restaurant.
Who administers the requirement?
County boards of health deliver environmental health services in Georgia. Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Cobb each publish their own guidance, and the county answers specific questions.