How long does a food hygiene certificate last?

What the law says about food hygiene certificates

The legal duty sits with the food business, not with the certificate. Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter XII, which is assimilated law in the UK, says food business operators must make sure food handlers are supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene matters to suit their work.

GOV.UK's guidance on running a food business puts it plainly: "Food handlers do not have to hold a food hygiene certificate." It says skills can be learned through courses provided or recommended by your local authority, training on the job, self-study, or relevant previous experience. It also tells businesses to "keep a record of any training staff have completed so you can show this during an inspection".

So a certificate is evidence of training, not a licence. It does not run out, but the evidence it gives gets weaker as it gets older.

Why certificates carry a refresh date

When a local council officer inspects a food business, GOV.UK says they check three things: how hygienically food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and "the processes, training and systems you use to make sure good hygiene is maintained". A record showing that someone trained recently, on the rules that apply now, answers the training question better than a record from many years ago.

That is why Lift College certificates show a recommended refresh by date. It is guidance for the employer, not a legal deadline.

How long each level lasts

When to refresh sooner

A 3 year cycle is a default. These are good reasons to refresh earlier:

• You change role. Moving from preparing food to supervising others is a reason to step up from Level 2 to Level 3, not just repeat Level 2.
• The rules change. Since 1 October 2021, food prepacked for direct sale in England must show its name and a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised (Natasha's Law). Training from before that date will not cover it.
• An inspection finds a problem. If a food safety officer gives a rating below 5, the letter sets out the improvements needed, and refreshed training is one way to show the business has acted.
• You return after a long break from working with food.

Does an online certificate last as long?

Yes. A certificate from an online course has no legal expiry, the same as one from a classroom course, because neither has one. GOV.UK lists self-study and courses alongside on-the-job training as ways to learn the skills, and your employer decides what training your role needs.

The Lift College certificate is accredited by the CPD Standards Office (provider 51289), shows the date you passed and a recommended refresh by date, and carries a unique number and a verification link your employer can check.

What a refresher costs

Here is what each provider showed on its own course page on 22 October 2026. Rival prices are as a buyer pays them.

How to refresh

Retake a course at the right level and pass its final test again. With Lift College the refresher is free: you go back through the modules, pass the final test with 80% or more, and download a new certificate with a new date the same day.