How long does a food hygiene certificate last? Does it expire?

Last updated 13 October 2026

Someone did their Level 2 a few years ago. Has it "run out"? Do they need to do it again before they can work? Here's the answer, and some cheaper ways to keep everyone's knowledge fresh.

A café team member doing an online refresher course on a tablet at a table before opening, with chairs still stacked on the tables behind her

The short answer

A food hygiene certificate doesn't legally expire, and no law sets a renewal date. What the law does ask is that your staff's training stays up to date for the job they do, and refreshing it about every three years is the widely accepted good practice.

If that's all you came to check, you can stop here. If you'd like to know why so many people think their certificate has "run out", when to refresh sooner, and how to do it without spending more than you need, read on.

Do food hygiene certificates expire?

No. There's no expiry date in law for a Level 1, 2 or 3 food hygiene certificate, anywhere in the UK.

You'll still hear "my certificate's run out, it's over three years old" in kitchens and behind bars all the time. It's an easy mistake to make. Some course sellers write that certificates "must be renewed every 3 years", and some certificates print a date on them. But that date is the provider's recommendation, not a legal deadline.

The government's own guidance for food businesses says you must be able to show that your staff have the right skills and up-to-date training for their role, and that you should keep a record of the training they've done so you can show it during an inspection. It also says food handlers don't have to hold a food hygiene certificate at all; training on the job can be part of the training the law asks for (GOV.UK).

Notice the words "up-to-date". That's where the three-year idea comes from. The law doesn't care about the date on a piece of paper. It cares whether the person handling your customers' food still knows what they're doing today. So a certificate from four years ago isn't illegal or worthless, but it gets weaker as evidence the older it gets.

Can staff keep working if their certificate is over three years old?

Yes. Nobody has to down tools because a certificate has passed its third birthday. Book a refresher when it suits the rota, and in the meantime keep a close eye on how they're working. What an inspector won't like is old training combined with poor habits in the kitchen.

Why three years?

It's not a law, it's a widely used rule of thumb. Providers like High Speed Training and Virtual College recommend renewing every three years, so people stay up to date with any changes and nothing important gets forgotten. Councils' own guidance talks about "periodic" or "regular" refresher training rather than a fixed date, which leaves the timing to your judgement.

Some providers suggest refreshing every year. That's fine if it suits you, but it isn't required, and for a small team it can mean paying for the same course three times as often as you need to. Some employers and contracts do ask for refreshers more often, so it's worth checking if that applies to you.

When to refresh sooner

Three years is a ceiling, not a target. These are the moments to act sooner.

Swipe sideways to see the whole table.

What has happened	What to do
Someone's job changes, for example a server moves into the kitchen	Train them for the new role, which may mean Level 2 instead of Level 1, or Level 3 if they start running shifts
You notice bad habits creeping in	Retrain on the specific topic now, then check again. Don't wait for the date
An inspector raises training or records	Act on their advice and record what training you did
Something goes wrong, or nearly goes wrong	Talk it through with the team, and retrain anyone who needs it
You change your menu or methods, such as new allergens, a carvery, takeaway or hot holding	Run a team briefing on the new dishes and the risks they bring
Someone comes back after a long break	A quick catch-up before they go back to handling food
The rules change	Brief everyone on what's new. The biggest recent example is full ingredient labelling for food made and packed on the premises, which came in in October 2021 and is often called Natasha's Law

Refreshing doesn't always mean a full course

Because the law cares about up-to-date knowledge rather than certificates, a refresher doesn't have to mean paying for the whole course again every time.

Swipe sideways to see the whole table.

Option	Good for	Cost
Do the full Level 2 course again online	The three-year refresh, or anyone whose habits have slipped	From £12 per person including VAT at Food Safety UK (£10 + VAT), or £19.20 at Virtual College (£16 + VAT), checked 13 October 2026
A shorter topic course	Brushing up on one area, such as allergens	About £24 per person including VAT (£20 + VAT), for example Virtual College's allergy course, checked 13 October 2026
Free official allergen training, such as Food Standards Scotland's course	Allergens, which every food business must cover. See what each role needs	Free
A team briefing	New menus, new procedures, or learning from a mistake. See how to run a team briefing	Free, about 15 minutes
Going through your Safer Food, Better Business pack together	Reminding everyone of your own kitchen's rules and routines	Free
Watching and checking on the job	Making sure good habits are still there	Free

A sensible pattern for a small pub or café is a full online course every three years, short briefings whenever something comes up, and the free allergen training for everyone. That covers the law, keeps knowledge fresh and keeps costs down.

Whatever you do, write it down. A ten-minute briefing that isn't recorded is, as far as an inspector can tell, a briefing that never happened. A quick note in your training records, such as "allergen briefing for new menu, 3 October, whole team", gives you a record of that training.

Never miss a refresher

Quickest option: our free food hygiene refresher planner shows who's overdue, who's due soon and who's fine, and you can print it for the office wall.

The easiest way is a "refresher due" column in your training records, plus a calendar reminder for each person three months before. That gives you time to fit training around the rota and to buy at the best price. Our guide to training records includes a simple spreadsheet formula that flags who's due soon.

One more tip: stagger the dates. If your whole team trained in the same month, refreshing everyone at once is expensive and disruptive. Spread renewals across the year as people join.

When it's time to book, our course comparisons and guide to course costs will help you find the best value.

Questions people often ask

My certificate has a date on it. Is it still valid after that?

The date is the training provider's recommendation, not a legal expiry. The certificate still shows the training happened; it's just older evidence. Plan a refresher, but there's no need to panic.

Does an inspector check certificate dates?

They look at whether staff are trained for their role and whether you can show it. Old certificates on their own won't fail you, but old training plus poor practice in the kitchen is likely to cost you points on your food hygiene rating.

Is it different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?

No. The same principle applies across the UK: staff must be suitably trained and supervised, and no law sets an expiry date for certificates.

Do I have to pay for a refresher for staff who trained at a previous job?

No law requires it. If their certificate is fairly recent and you've checked they work safely, record it in your training records and refresh them when it's due.

Should I upgrade instead of refreshing?

Only if the job has changed. A refresher at the same level is right for most people. Our guide to food hygiene levels helps you check.

Sources we used