Food Handler Permit

Our Food Protection Service Program’s goal is to improve the health and well-being of all Tulsa County residents and visitors by providing safe food handling education and by working with the food industry to ensure that control measures are in place to reduce foodborne illness risk factors.

Food Safety

Each year, food protection services educates over 30,000 restaurant employees and other food employees on food safety. All local food service employees must have an original, valid Food Handler Permit from THD in their possession while at work. To receive a permit, you must successfully complete a THD Food Safety Class.

Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Online Training

Food Protection Services hosts food handler training classes on any digital device with internet access. From training to testing, the online food safety class is available in many languages and can be taken anytime. The online training and registration is easy to navigate and takes approximately an hour to complete. If you are a new user, click Start Your Online training to register below. Once you have completed the course, return at anytime to access your Tulsa Foodhandler permit on your phone or reprint another copy. Click "Returning Users" below, choose preferred language, then select "Returning User" at the bottom of the Welcome page to sign in.

Start Your Online Training Returning Users

Computer Stations

If you do not have access to a computer, tablet, or phone with internet to complete the online training, the Tulsa Health Department has computer kiosks available for public use between 8am - 2pm Monday through Friday at the following locations:

James O Goodwin Health Center | 5051 South 129th East Ave., Tulsa OK, 74134
North Regional Health Center | 5635 MLK Jr. Blvd., Tulsa, OK, 74126

In-Person Training

THD is hosting the following 2023 in-person training classes at the James O. Goodwin Health Center at 5051 S 129th E Ave. (Room 300):

August 16 at 2:00 p.m.
September 20 at 2:00 p.m.
October 23 at 2:00 p.m.
November 17 at 2:00 p.m.

Classes taught entirely in Spanish are available at 9:00 a.m. on each of those dates. Please arrive 30 minutes early for registration and limited to 30 participants. The class fee is $20 made payable by cash or credit card.

Permits

Upon passing the test, you will receive a Food Handler Permit. Food Handler Permits must be available at all times while the employee is working. The Health Department inspector will accept screenshots and paper copies. Duplicate original permits can be obtained at the James O. Goodwin Health Center for $5. If you completed the course online, you can log-in to your account and reprint at any time for free.

Taking an internet online training course from a third party does not qualify to get a THD permit. Temporary Permits are no longer available after January 2, 2020.

Applicant Verification Requirements

State law requires that all license, permit, or certificate applicants verify their immigration status (lawful presence). As a result, anyone attending a food handler class or applying for a manager's certificate from the Tulsa Health Department must sign a statement that they are either (1) a United States citizen, or (2) a qualified alien under the federal Immigration & Nationality Act and are lawfully present in the United States.