Restaurant Health Inspection Checklist

A self-inspection checklist organized the way inspectors score: 51 items across 8 hazard categories, each tagged Priority, Priority Foundation, or Core per the FDA Food Code 2022. Mark pass/fail, log the fix, watch the readiness score, then print the scored sheet for your binder. Pair it with the cleaning checklist for the day-to-day work.

Readiness score

83%

Minor fixes needed

Pass

Fail

Priority fails

N/A

16 of 51 items reviewed. Score weights Priority items 3x, Priority Foundation 2x, Core 1x. Three or more Priority fails drops you to “would likely fail” regardless of score.

Self-inspection dateInspected by

Food Temperatures & Time Control1 Cross-Contamination & Storage1 Personal Hygiene & Handwashing1 Cleaning & Sanitizing Pest Control Facility & Equipment Documentation & Postings Chemical Storage

Pre-filled with a realistic mid-week walk-through. Mark each item Pass, Fail, or N/A. Click the pencil to reword an item, the note icon to log the corrective action. P / Pf / C tags follow FDA Food Code 2022 priority tiers.

Food Temperatures & Time Control

5/8 reviewed1 fail

All cold-held TCS food at 41°F or below (walk-in, reach-ins, prep rail, salad bar)

All hot-held TCS food at 135°F or above (steam table, soup wells, roasts may hold at 130°F)

Cooling follows the two-stage rule: 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then 70°F to 41°F within 4 more hours (6 hours total)

Cooking minimums met: poultry 165°F, ground meat 155°F for 17 s, whole cuts/fish/eggs 145°F for 15 s

Reheated TCS food for hot holding reaches 165°F within 2 hours

Calibrated probe thermometer accurate to ±2°F available and used at every station

Thawing done under refrigeration, under running water at 70°F or below, or as part of cooking

Time-as-a-control items have written procedures and a discard time marked (4-hour max)

Cross-Contamination & Storage

3/8 reviewed1 fail

Raw animal foods stored below and separate from ready-to-eat food, ordered by cook temperature (poultry lowest)

Ready-to-eat TCS food held over 24 hours is date-marked and discarded by day 7 (prep day counts as day 1)

No bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food (gloves, tongs, deli tissue)

Separate or sanitized cutting boards and utensils between raw proteins and produce

All food stored at least 6 inches off the floor and covered

Food from approved sources only; shellfish tags kept 90 days; no home-prepared food

In-use utensils stored in the product, on a clean surface, or in 135°F+ running water, not in standing water

Allergen controls: labels on house-made items and staff can identify the Big 9 allergens per menu item

Personal Hygiene & Handwashing

3/7 reviewed1 fail

Every handsink stocked with soap, paper towels or dryer, and hot water reaching at least 100°F

Handsinks unobstructed and used only for handwashing (no dumping, no thawing, no bus tubs)

Employees wash hands after touching raw food, phones, face, trash, and when changing gloves

Employee illness policy in writing; staff know the 5 reportable symptoms and the Big 6 pathogens

No eating, drinking from open cups, or tobacco use in prep areas; covered drink with straw only

Hair restraints worn; no jewelry other than a plain band; clean outer clothing

Cuts and wounds on hands covered with a bandage and glove

Cleaning & Sanitizing

2/7 reviewed

Sanitizer at correct strength: chlorine 50-99 ppm, iodine 12.5-25 ppm, quat at its EPA label concentration (commonly ~200 ppm) in 75°F+ water

Test strips on hand for the sanitizer in use and checked at least every 2 hours

Dish machine hits its own final-rinse temp (165°F stationary-rack single-temp machine, 180°F all others, 194°F max) and 160°F at the plate; chemical machines at labeled ppm

Three-compartment sink set up wash-rinse-sanitize with correct water temperatures and drain boards

Food-contact surfaces cleaned and sanitized every 4 hours when in continuous use

Wiping cloths stored in sanitizer between uses, not on counters

Nonfood-contact surfaces (shelving, gaskets, hood filters, floors under equipment) free of grease and buildup

Pest Control

1/4 reviewed

No live or dead pests, droppings, gnaw marks, or fruit fly activity in any area

Outer doors self-closing and tight-fitting; screens intact; no gaps at pipe penetrations

Licensed pest control service log current with last visit and chemicals used

Dumpster lids closed, area clean, no standing water or grease spills outside

Facility & Equipment

0/7 reviewed

Hot water at every sink; water heater sized for peak dish and hand use

Backflow prevention on hose bibs, dish machine, and ice machine; no submerged inlets

Refrigeration units hold temperature with working built-in thermometers, visible from outside

Floors, walls, and ceilings smooth, sealed, and in good repair; no missing tiles or exposed wood

Lighting at required intensity with shatter-resistant shields over prep and storage areas

Restrooms stocked, self-closing door, vented, with handwashing signage

Grease trap serviced on schedule and floor drains flowing freely, no sewage backup

Documentation & Postings

1/6 reviewed

Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certificate on premises and a certified person in charge present

Food handler cards for every employee where required by state or county

Current health permit, business license, and last inspection report posted or available

Temperature logs (cooler, hot-hold, cooling) completed for at least the last 30 days

Written procedures on file for any variance or HACCP process (sous vide, curing, ROP, sprouting)

Consumer advisory on the menu for undercooked items (asterisk and footnote)

Chemical Storage

1/4 reviewed

All chemicals stored below and away from food, food-contact surfaces, and single-use items

Every spray bottle and bucket labeled with the common name of its contents

Only chemicals required for operation on site; pesticides applied by a licensed applicator

First-aid supplies and employee medications stored so they cannot contaminate food

What Is a Health Inspection Checklist?

A health inspection checklist is a self-audit built around the same items a health inspector scores from the FDA Food Code. You walk your own kitchen before the county does, mark each item pass or fail, and fix the fails. This one is organized the way inspection reports are: by hazard category, with each item tagged Priority (P), Priority Foundation (Pf), or Core (C). Priority items directly control a foodborne illness hazard (temperatures, handwashing, sanitizer). Priority Foundation items make a Priority item possible (thermometers, test strips, certificates, logs). Core is sanitation and facility upkeep. Every point system in the country weights them in that order.

“In the FDA’s 2017-2018 study of full-service restaurants, 94% had at least one improper holding finding and 77% had a personal hygiene finding. The single strongest predictor of compliance was a written, documented food safety management system.”

How Health Inspections Are Scored

There is no national score. Every state adopts a version of the FDA Food Code and every county picks its own reporting format. Three models cover almost everyone:

Letter grades, points added

New York City

Every inspection starts at zero and adds points per violation. 0-13 points is an A, 14-27 is a B, 28 or more is a C. Critical violations carry at least 5 points; an ill employee kept working or an uncorrected cooking violation is 28 points by itself. Score 14+ on the initial visit and you get a re-inspection no sooner than 7 days later, posting Grade Pending in the window until then.

Letter grades, points deducted

Los Angeles County

Inspection starts at 100 and deducts per violation by risk. 90-100 is an A, 80-89 a B, 70-79 a C. Below 70 you post the numeric score instead of a letter. Score below 70 twice in 12 months and the county closes the facility. LA pioneered posted grades in 1998; the grade card colors changed in 2022 (A is now green).

Pass / conditional / fail

Chicago

No number at all. Results are Pass, Pass with Conditions, or Fail. Priority violations must be corrected on the spot or the license is suspended and the establishment closes. Core violations alone never trigger a follow-up. Most non-metro counties use some version of this.

Whatever the format, Priority items decide the outcome. Your readiness score above weights them 3x for that reason. If you are still building out procedures, start with the restaurant SOP template and make sure the person in charge can pass the ServSafe practice test.

The 10 Most Common Health Code Violations

Ranked from the FDA’s 2017-2018 Retail Food Risk Factor Study of full-service restaurants, the largest published observation dataset on this. Local reports vary, but the top four hold almost everywhere.

#	Violation	Evidence	Food Code
1	Cold holding above 41°F	80% of full-service restaurants out of compliance (FDA 2017-18 Risk Factor Study)	3-501.16, Priority
2	Improper handwashing	73% out of compliance; a CDC EHS-Net study saw workers wash in only 27% of required moments	2-301.14, Priority
3	Improper cooling	69% out of compliance	3-501.14, Priority
4	Missing or wrong date marks	64% out of compliance	3-501.17, Priority Foundation
5	Handsink blocked or unstocked	Cited under personal hygiene, 77% out of compliance as a risk factor	5-205.11, Priority Foundation
6	Sanitizer at wrong concentration	Chlorine under 50 ppm or quat off-label	4-501.114, Priority
7	Raw over ready-to-eat storage	Contaminated equipment/protection from contamination risk factor	3-302.11, Priority
8	Hot holding below 135°F	Part of the 94% improper-holding figure	3-501.16, Priority
9	Pest evidence	Droppings, fruit flies, gaps at doors	6-501.111, Core
10	Chemicals stored near food	Spray bottles on prep tables, unlabeled buckets	7-201.11, Priority

Items 6, 7, and 9 are where the cleaning checklist earns its keep. The rest are line discipline, not cleaning.

The Walk-Through Order Inspectors Use

Most inspectors follow the flow of food and the flow of the report form. Run your self-inspection in the same order so nothing gets skipped.

1
Handsinks first
Inspectors typically check the nearest handsink before anything else: soap, towels, hot water, nothing blocking it.
2
Person in charge and paperwork
Who is the certified manager on duty? Permit posted? Then they may ask for temp logs, pest log, or allergen procedures.
3
Cook line temps
Probe into hot holding, cold rail, and anything cooling. This is where most Priority points land.
4
Walk-in and dry storage
Storage order, date marks, floor clearance, thermometer, covered product.
5
Dish area
Sanitizer ppm with their own strips, dish machine final rinse, three-comp setup, wiping cloth buckets.
6
Restrooms, exterior, dumpster
Self-closing doors, stocked, vented; outside for pest harborage and grease.
7
Exit review
Reads every violation aloud, notes what was corrected on site, and has you sign. Ask questions here, not later.

How to Use This Checklist

Fill in the date and who is walking. Reset first if you want a blank sheet.
Walk the kitchen in the order above with a probe thermometer and test strips. Mark each item Pass, Fail, or N/A.
On every Fail, click the note icon and write the fix, the owner, and a due date.
Reword or add items for your own menu (sushi, ROP, catering off-site) with the pencil and Add item buttons.
Print the scored sheet for your binder or Copy the report into your manager chat. Keep 30 days of these; inspectors ask.

What to Do During an Inspection

Inspections are unannounced. How the crew behaves in the first five minutes shapes the whole visit.

Greet the inspector, ask for ID, and hand off to the certified person in charge.
Walk with them. Answer what is asked, nothing more.
Fix anything fixable on the spot: dump the bus tub out of the handsink, remake sanitizer, toss the undated ranch. Corrected-on-site is scored lighter almost everywhere.
Have the binder ready: CFPM certificate, food handler cards, temp logs, pest log, permit.
Ask at the exit review which items need a re-inspection and by when. Get it in writing.

Don’t

Do not argue over a violation during the walk. Note it, then contest it through the department's formal process if it is wrong.
Do not send staff to "quickly" move product or clean while the inspector is standing there. It reads as concealment.
Do not offer food, drinks, or anything else. It is a bribery problem, not a hospitality gesture.
Do not guess at temps or ppm. Probe it, strip it, show the number.
Do not refuse entry. Inspectors have right of entry during operating hours; refusing is grounds for suspension in most codes.

Re-Inspection and Closure Triggers

A bad score is a re-inspection, not a closure. Closure comes from specific conditions, and they are the same nearly everywhere:

Imminent health hazard	No hot water, no water at all, sewage backup, power loss to refrigeration, fire, or an active rodent or roach infestation. Immediate closure until corrected and re-inspected.
Uncorrected Priority violation	In pass/fail jurisdictions like Chicago, a Priority violation that cannot be fixed on the spot suspends the license the same day.
Repeat low scores	LA County closes on two scores below 70 in 12 months. NYC moves you to a 90-150 day inspection cycle after a C and can close after repeated 28+ inspections.
No certified manager	Operating without a CFPM where required is a Priority Foundation violation, and some counties suspend the permit if it is not resolved by re-inspection.

Re-inspection timing is usually 7 to 30 days after a failed or conditional visit, and many counties bill for it. If you are pre-opening, the health permit inspection is a separate step covered in how to start a restaurant. The fire marshal runs a parallel hood and suppression inspection; see the fire suppression guide.

Weekly Self-Inspection Cadence

Every shift

Line temps at open and every 4 hours, sanitizer ppm, handsinks stocked. 5 minutes, logged.

Weekly

Full walk of this checklist by the manager on duty, on a slow mid-week day, before prep starts. 30-40 minutes.

Monthly

Owner or GM walks it cold with the crew, unannounced, and files the scored sheet. Compare fails month over month.

The fails almost always trace back to one station. If it is the dish pit, the dishwasher job description should name sanitizer and final-rinse checks as duties, not assumptions.

Related Tools & Guides

ServSafe Practice Test

Drill the Food Code numbers your person in charge will be quizzed on

Restaurant Cleaning Checklist

80+ station-by-station cleaning tasks for the Core items on this list

Restaurant SOP Template

Write the documented procedures that inspectors ask to see

Restaurant Fire Suppression System Guide

The hood and Ansul inspections the fire marshal runs alongside health

How to Pass a Health Inspection

How the visit runs, what fails most, and how to prep the week before

HACCP Plan Template

The written food-safety plan inspectors ask for on variance items