Food Protection Certificate — New York City
NYC requires a supervisor with a Food Protection Certificate on site at all hours of operation; the certificate does not expire.
Overview
A supervising manager must complete the Food Protection Course and pass the exam, through the NYC Health Academy (DOHMH). It is required to apply for the food permit, and a certified supervisor must be on-site during all operating hours.
The online course is free with a $24 in-person exam; the in-person classroom course is $114. The certificate does not expire and works at any NYC permitted food place. Operating without an on-site certified supervisor is a graded violation, so DOHMH recommends certifying more than one staff member.
What SpoonSeal tracks
The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.