Who needs a certified food safety manager in Rhode Island?

Issued by Rhode Island Department of Health, under R.I. Gen. Laws 21-27 and the Food Code, at step 4 of 6 in the opening sequence: get the permits for your kind of business.

9 of the 20 kinds of business in Rhode Island

An establishment that prepares foods needing time and temperature control employs at least one full-time, on-site manager who holds a Department-recognized food safety manager certificate and is at least 18; one with ten or more full-time equivalent food preparation staff employs two. Inspectors ask for the certificate on the first visit.

Checked Oct 21, 2026 against the agency’s page.

Step 4 of 6: Get the permits for your kind of business

  1. Set up the business
  2. Register for tax
  3. Approve the space
  4. Get the permits for your kind of business
  5. Alcohol permits
  6. Before the first hire

Issued by Rhode Island Department of Health, under R.I. Gen. Laws 21-27 and the Food Code.

Sources and dates

Rhode Island Food Code 216-RICR-50-10-1 (effective January 2025); Department of Health rules on certification of managers in food safety. Checked against the agency’s page on the date shown; cities add their own fees.

Questions about opening here.