You can get a certificate in food protection to apply for a mobile vendor's license. After you complete the course and pass the final exam, you will get a certificate to show that you have met the Health Code requirement. After that, you can apply for the license.

This is a six-hour class, held over two days. Class meets for three hours each day.

Register and Pay for Class

Citywide Licensing Center
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wed: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

You may pay by check or money order, credit or debit cards.

Fee

The cost of this class, including final exam, is $53.

The certificate does not expire.

Class Location

Classes are held at the following location:

Health Academy
The Riverside Health Center, 2nd floor
160 West 100th Street (near Columbus Avenue)

You can take the Food Protection Course online. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, all final exams will be given online. Registration is required. You will be told how to register and pay for the exam when you complete the online course.

The online course satisfies the same requirements as the classroom course. 

After you complete the course and pass the final exam, you will get a temporary certificate which shows that you have met the Health Code requirement. The certificate does not expire.

The online course is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. It consists of 15 lessons and each lesson takes about one hour to complete.

Fee

The online class is free. The cost to take the exam is $24.60.

Online

Currently the course review and final exam are in English only.

Take the online Food Protection Course or register for the final exam.

You can take the Food Protection Course in a classroom setting. The class costs $114.00 and consists of five sessions. You may pay by check or money order, credit or debit cards.

Classes usually starts on a Monday and ends on a Friday. The entire course takes 15 hours to complete, and each session lasts three hours per day.

When a New York City holiday falls on a Monday, classes begin that Tuesday and last three hours and forty-five minutes each day.

You can register and pay for the class in person or online.

The certificate does not expire.

In Person

To register and pay for classes go to:

Citywide Licensing Center
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9 AM - 5 PM
Wed: 8:30 AM - 5 PM

Online

You can register and pay for the Food Protection Course class online.

You can pay online with the following:

• Master Card (debit and credit)
• Visa (debit and credit)
• American Express
• Discover Card
• Electronic check (you must provide your bank routing number and account number)

A 2% convenience fee will be added to all credit and debit card payments.

Visit the Health Academy's website.

Class Location

Classes are held at the following location:

Health Academy
The Riverside Health Center, 2nd floor
160 West 100th Street (near Columbus Avenue)

Course Language Options and Times

English
Offered weekly, daytime and evening.
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, or 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Chinese and Spanish
Offered twice a month, in the evening
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Korean
Offered once a month, in the evening

Bengali
Offered once a month

CUNY Schools Offering Course

Some CUNY schools offer the Food Protection Course. These classes satisfy the Health Department requirement for certification in food protection. Contact each school directly for schedule and registration information.

• College of Staten Island
• Kingsborough Community College
• Hostos Community College
• LaGuardia Community College
• New York City Technical College
• Queens College
• York College
• Register and Pay Online

You can get a certificate in food protection to work in a soup kitchen or to serve food at a summer camp.

After completing the course, you will get a card to show that you have met the Health Code requirement. The class is free and it is four hours long. It is usually taught once a month. The certificate does not expire.

Class Location

This course is normally held at the following location. During certain months of the year, the class will be taught at a different location.

You will be notified when you register:

Health Academy
The Riverside Health Center, 2nd floor
160 West 100th Street (near Columbus Avenue)

If you've forgotten your login or password, click on the "Forgot My Password" link on the On-Line Food Protection Course Welcome Page. Your user ID and password will be sent to your e-mail address.

Course Certificate Substitution

If you already have a certificate in food protection for restaurants, you may use that certificate to satisfy the mobile food vending license requirement for a certificate in food protection. You must present that certificate at the time you apply for a mobile food vending license.

The Restaurant Food Protection course is offered for free online. Upon completion of the online course, you will need to take and pass an in-person final exam.

Fee

The cost for the exam is $24.

Online

Take the Restaurant Food Protection Course.

Register and Pay for Class

You must go to the Citywide Licensing Center to register and pay.  You may pay by check or money order, credit or debit cards.

In Person

The Citywide Licensing Center
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wed: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

You can get assistance by phone if you have questions about:

• Payments
• Refunds
• Rescheduling a class
• Using the online registration system