Prince George’s County requires food handler certification for food service workers. Get it online in 90 minutes for $10-$15. Most of Langley Park and Hyattsville need this. The requirement is enforced by the Prince George’s County Health Department, and it applies to every employee who handles, prepares, or serves food in any food establishment in the county. Practice the exam free at SafeFoodExam.com before paying for any course. Spanish-speaking workers can practice free here. See the full Maryland food safety requirements on our state page.

Prince George’s County Food Handler Requirements

Prince George’s County has a local requirement for food handler certification that applies to all food service workers in the county. The PG County Health Department enforces this requirement through regular health inspections of restaurants, food trucks, grocery stores, catering operations, and all other food service establishments. All food workers must complete an ANAB-accredited food handler course, typically within 30 days of starting employment.

ANAB accreditation is specifically required — meaning your food handler course must be accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board to be valid in Prince George’s County. All major online providers (ServSafe, AAA Food Handler, eFoodHandlers, StateFoodSafety, Learn2Serve, Userve) are ANAB-accredited and accepted by PG County. After completing the course and passing the exam, your certificate must be kept on file at the establishment where you work for inspector review.

Prince George’s County is the second most populated county in Maryland, home to over 900,000 residents. The county has thousands of food service establishments ranging from family-owned restaurants to national chains, food trucks, grocery stores, schools, hospitals, and catering companies. Every one of these establishments must ensure their food-handling employees are certified. Health inspectors in PG County check for current food handler certificates during inspections, and establishments found with uncertified workers may receive citations, fines, or lower inspection grades.

Cities and Communities in Prince George’s County

Prince George’s County covers a large area with many distinct cities and communities. Here are the major areas where food handler certification is required:

• Langley Park — One of the most diverse zip codes in Maryland (20783, 20782). Majority Hispanic population with Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Mexican communities. Dozens of restaurants, tiendas, pupuserias, and food businesses. High demand for food handler certification. Practice free in Spanish at SafeFoodExam.com/espanol/.
• Hyattsville — Growing arts and restaurant district. Mix of traditional and trendy establishments. Route 1 corridor has many food service businesses requiring certified workers.
• College Park — Home to the University of Maryland. Large concentration of restaurants along Route 1 and Baltimore Avenue. Campus dining halls, food trucks, fast food, and independent restaurants all need certified food handlers.
• Bowie — Large suburban city with many chain restaurants, grocery stores, and local food businesses. Second largest city in PG County.
• Greenbelt — Roosevelt Center and Greenbelt Road corridor have restaurants and food businesses requiring certified workers.
• Bladensburg — Significant Hispanic community with many Latin American restaurants and food businesses. Workers benefit from Spanish-language practice at SafeFoodExam.
• Riverdale Park — Growing restaurant scene near University of Maryland. Route 1 corridor establishments need certified workers.
• Seat Pleasant — Small city near DC border with food businesses requiring food handler certification.
• Capitol Heights — Near FedExField with food service establishments serving the community and event venues.
• Forestville — Suburban area with shopping centers and restaurants requiring certified food handlers.
• Upper Marlboro — County seat. Government center area with restaurants and food service businesses.
• Laurel — Northern PG County. Route 1 and Route 198 corridors have many restaurants and food establishments. Borders Howard County and Anne Arundel County.

Langley Park: The Food Handler Card Hub of PG County

Langley Park deserves special attention because it is consistently one of the highest-demand areas for food handler certification in all of Maryland. Here’s why:

Langley Park (zip codes 20783, 20782, and parts of 20770) is one of the most diverse communities in the state. The population is majority Hispanic, with large Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Mexican communities. University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue are lined with dozens of restaurants, bakeries, tiendas, pupuserias, taco shops, and food businesses. Nearly all of these establishments need food handler certified workers.

The workforce in Langley Park is predominantly Spanish-speaking. For many food workers in this area, studying and testing in Spanish is essential for truly learning the food safety material. SafeFoodExam.com offers a completely free food handler practice test in Spanish — no signup, no payment. Workers can practice as many times as they want in Spanish, learn the food safety concepts, and then take the paid certification course with confidence.

Several ANAB-accredited providers offer their full courses in Spanish, including eFoodHandlers and StateFoodSafety. This means a Langley Park food worker can study in Spanish at SafeFoodExam for free, then take the paid course in Spanish, pass the exam in Spanish, and download their certificate — all without needing strong English skills. The certificate is equally valid regardless of which language the course was taken in.

If you work in or around Langley Park and need a food handler card, the process is straightforward: practice free at SafeFoodExam.com (available in Spanish and 6 other languages), then enroll in a paid ANAB-accredited course ($6.95-$15), complete the 90-minute course, pass the exam, and download your certificate. The entire process can be done on your phone.

How to Get Your PG County Food Handler Card

Getting your food handler card for Prince George’s County is simple and can be done entirely online:

1. Practice free first: Take the free practice test at SafeFoodExam.com to learn the material and identify your weak areas. Available in 7 languages including Spanish.
2. Choose an ANAB-accredited provider:
   • AAA Food Handler — $6.95 (cheapest)
   • eFoodHandlers — $10 (Spanish available)
   • StateFoodSafety — $10-12 (clean interface)
   • Learn2Serve — $12-15 (established reputation)
   • Userve — $14.95 (comprehensive)
   • ServSafe — $15 (most recognized brand)
3. Complete the online course: 90 minutes, self-paced, on your phone or computer. Pause and resume anytime.
4. Pass the final exam: 40-50 multiple choice questions, 70-75% passing score. Unlimited retakes included.
5. Download your certificate: Available immediately as a PDF. Email to your employer, print a copy, keep one on your phone.

Total time: about 2 hours from start to certificate. Total cost: $6.95 to $15. No in-person visit required.

Spanish Language Resources for PG County Food Workers

Prince George’s County has one of the largest Spanish-speaking populations in the DC metro area. Communities like Langley Park, Hyattsville, Bladensburg, and Riverdale Park have majority or significant Hispanic populations with large numbers of food service workers. For these communities, Spanish-language food handler resources are not just helpful — they’re essential.

• Free practice in Spanish: SafeFoodExam.com/espanol/ offers a completely free food handler practice test in Spanish. 40 questions, same topics as the real exam, no signup required.
• Paid courses in Spanish: eFoodHandlers ($10), StateFoodSafety ($10-12), and ServSafe ($15) all offer full courses in Spanish.
• Salvadoran community in Langley Park: The largest Salvadoran community in Maryland. Many workers in pupuserias, restaurants, and food businesses benefit from Spanish-language training.
• Guatemalan community in Hyattsville: Growing Guatemalan population in food service roles. Spanish-language certification helps workers learn food safety concepts more effectively.
• Mexican community across PG County: Mexican food businesses and workers throughout the county can benefit from Spanish practice and certification.

Getting certified in Spanish is just as valid as getting certified in English. The food safety concepts are the same, the certificate looks the same, and employers and health inspectors accept it equally. If Spanish is your stronger language, take the course in Spanish for better learning and easier exam passage.

PG County vs Montgomery County Requirements

Prince George’s County and Montgomery County are the two largest counties in Maryland, and both require food handler certification. Here’s how they compare:

Requirement	Prince George’s County	Montgomery County
Food handler card required?	Yes	Yes
Enforcing agency	PG County Health Dept	Montgomery Co DHHS
ANAB accreditation required?	Yes	Yes
Same online courses accepted?	Yes	Yes
Cost	$6.95-$15	$6.95-$15
Certificate validity	3 years	3 years
Cross-county acceptance?	Yes — same cert works in MoCo	Yes — same cert works in PG

The bottom line is that both counties accept the same ANAB-accredited certificates from the same providers at the same prices. If you have a food handler card from any ANAB-accredited provider, it is valid in both PG County and Montgomery County. You do not need separate cards for each county. If you move from one county to the other, your existing card remains valid until its 3-year expiration date.

Food Manager Certification in PG County

Food manager certification is a separate, more advanced credential than the food handler card. Here’s what you need to know:

• What it is: Food manager certification (most commonly ServSafe Manager) is a more advanced food safety credential for supervisors, managers, and the person-in-charge (PIC) at food establishments.
• Cost: The ServSafe Manager exam alone costs $57.75. With study materials and training course, total cost is typically $100-$175.
• Exam: 90 multiple choice questions, 2-hour time limit, proctored exam (in person or online with remote proctor). 75% passing score required.
• Who needs it: At least one person at every food establishment in PG County should have food manager certification. This is typically the owner, general manager, kitchen manager, or shift supervisor.
• Difference from food handler: Food handler certification ($6.95-$15, 90-minute course, easy exam) is for ALL food workers. Food manager certification ($57.75+, 8+ hours of study, hard proctored exam) is for the person-in-charge only.
• Validity: Food manager certification is typically valid for 5 years, compared to 3 years for food handler cards.

Most food workers in PG County only need the food handler card ($6.95-$15). Food manager certification is only needed if your employer asks you to be the certified food manager for your establishment. If you’re unsure which one you need, ask your employer.

Frequently Asked Questions