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Personal Chefs

Certification, Licensing, and Special Requirements

Certification or Licensing

To become a certified personal chef with the United States Personal Chef Association, you must work for at least two years as a personal chef. One quarter to one half of the personal chefs working in the United States and Canada are certified, but certification isn't required to work in the business.

Since you'll be working in the kitchens of your clients, you won't need licensing, or to adhere to the health department regulations of commercial kitchens. A few states, however, do charge permit fees, and require some inspections of the vehicle in which you carry groceries and cooking equipment.

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