Is there a way to get a free food handling certificate in Arizona?

Food handler cards are available free of charge only in Maricopa County and only if an eligible non-profit organization applies for a fee waiver. Otherwise, as of April 2015, food handler cards in most counties in Arizona cost around $15. Not all Arizona counties offer or require food handler cards.

According to the Maricopa County website, an organization is only eligible for the fee waiver if it is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, only serves poor or underprivileged populations, and if it can prove that the fee for a food handler card would cause undue financial distress. These food handler cards can only be used at the establishment that received the fee waiver and are non-transferable.