Restaurant inspection results are public in most areas, so diners and operators can look up scores, grades, and full reports. These answers explain where to find them, how to read a letter grade or numeric score, and how current the online data is. Where records live and how they are scored vary by state, county, and city.
Start with the local health department that regulates the restaurant, usually the county or city, since most now publish inspection results on their official website in a searchable database. Search the department name plus 'restaurant inspections' or 'food facility search,' then enter the business name or address. Some states host a statewide portal instead. Third-party sites and a few delivery apps also display scores, but the government site is the most complete and current. Availability and search tools vary by jurisdiction.
Look it up through the health department that inspects that restaurant. Their online lookup tool typically shows the most recent score or grade, the inspection date, and the specific violations noted. If your area uses letter grades, the grade is often also posted in the restaurant's window or on the door. Enter the restaurant's name or address in the department's search page. If you cannot find an online tool, call the department and ask for the record. What is displayed and how scores are expressed vary by jurisdiction.
Government health department websites publish inspection reports for free; you do not need a paid service. Find the county or city health department (or a statewide portal) for the restaurant's location and use its inspection search. Reports usually include the date, score or grade, and each violation with the code cited. Some third-party sites aggregate this data, also often free, but may be less current. Stick to official .gov sources for accuracy. Whether full reports or just summaries are posted varies by jurisdiction.
Identify the county or city you are in, then visit that local health department's website and use its restaurant or food-facility inspection search. You can typically browse or filter by name, address, or area to see nearby establishments and their latest results. Some departments offer maps of recent inspections. A quick web search for your county plus 'restaurant inspection search' usually leads to the right page. Coverage, map features, and how 'near me' browsing works differ from one health department to another.
Look up the restaurant in the local health department's inspection database, where the most recent result shows whether it passed, its score or grade, and any violations. Many areas do not use a simple pass/fail; instead they assign points or a letter grade, and 'passing' means staying above a threshold or avoiding uncorrected critical violations. A posted grade card in the window is another quick indicator. If the record shows a closure or reinspection, read the details. How pass/fail is defined varies by jurisdiction.
In Florida, most restaurants are regulated by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), which offers an online public search of inspection reports by business name, address, or district. Search for 'DBPR hotels and restaurants inspection search.' Certain establishments, such as those in schools or institutions, fall under the Department of Health and are recorded separately. The report lists violations and whether they were high-priority. Which database to use depends on the type of establishment you are checking.
Start with your state health department's website, which often either hosts a statewide inspection portal or links to the local (county/city) agencies that maintain the records. Some states centralize inspections; many delegate them to counties, so the data lives locally. Search your state or county plus 'restaurant inspection search.' If a statewide tool exists, you can usually search any establishment; if not, go to the specific county's site. The structure, whether centralized or local, varies significantly from state to state.
Most U.S. jurisdictions now publish inspection results online, but coverage and detail are not uniform. Some states or counties offer robust, searchable databases with full reports; others post limited summaries, update infrequently, or still require a phone call or public-records request for older records. A few smaller jurisdictions have minimal online presence. Because inspections are handled locally, availability depends on the specific health department. If you cannot find results online, contacting the local department directly is the reliable fallback.
In areas that use letter grades, inspectors convert the inspection score into a letter, commonly A, B, or C, that summarizes how well the restaurant met the code, with A being the best. The grade is often derived from a point system where more or more serious violations lower the grade. Many such jurisdictions require the grade card to be posted where customers can see it. Not all areas use letters; some post only a numeric score or a pass/fail. The exact grade cutoffs vary by jurisdiction.
In jurisdictions that use a grading system, yes, restaurants are usually required to display the current grade card or inspection placard where customers can see it, such as in the front window or near the entrance. This lets diners judge a place at a glance. Areas that use numeric scores or pass/fail may or may not require posting, relying instead on online databases. Whether posting is mandatory, and what the placard looks like, depends entirely on the local health department's rules.
A lower grade generally means the inspector found more violations, or more serious ones, than an A establishment, so the restaurant did not fully meet the code at that inspection. A B or C does not automatically mean the food is dangerous, but it signals room for improvement and, for critical items, real risk. Restaurants can often improve on a reinspection. Read the actual report to see which violations drove the grade. What each letter requires and how quickly a restaurant can regrade vary by jurisdiction.
A numerical score is the raw result of the inspection, often expressed as points (systems differ on whether higher or lower is better), while a letter grade translates that score into a simple A/B/C label for the public. Some jurisdictions use only one system; others use both, posting a letter grade backed by an underlying score. Because scoring methods are not standardized nationally, a number from one area cannot be compared directly to another's. Always check how the specific jurisdiction defines its scale.
An inspection report typically lists the inspection date and type, the overall score or grade, and each violation found with its code section, a description, and whether it is critical/priority or non-critical/core. It may note whether each item was corrected on site and set deadlines for others. Focus on critical violations (temperatures, hygiene, pests, cross-contamination), which matter most for safety, and on any repeat items. A single minor violation is common and normal. Report formats and terminology vary by jurisdiction.
Each listed violation cites a specific requirement the establishment did not meet at that moment, such as improper cold holding, a hand sink without soap, or food stored uncovered. Reports usually mark severity, priority/critical items pose a direct illness risk, while core items are lower-risk practices. Many violations are corrected during the visit and noted as such. Reading the descriptions tells you whether problems were serious or minor and whether they were fixed. A tool like the health code violation decoder can help translate the code language.
It depends on the jurisdiction and inspection cycle. Databases usually reflect the most recent completed inspection, but there can be a lag of days to weeks between an inspection and when it appears online, and routine inspections may happen only once or a few times a year. So a posted score can be several months old. Complaint-driven or follow-up inspections update the record too. If timing matters, check the inspection date on the report and note that conditions can change since the last visit.
This varies widely. Many departments display a few years of history, letting you see trends across multiple inspections, while others show only the latest result or a limited window online. Older records often still exist and can be obtained through a public-records request even if not posted. Seeing several past inspections is useful because it reveals whether problems are one-time or recurring. How much history is available online and how to request archives beyond that depend on the specific health department's policies.
Yes. Because inspection results are generally public records, you can request copies directly from the health department, useful for older reports not posted online or for full detail. Many departments fulfill requests by phone, email, or a public-records request form, sometimes for a small copying fee. Provide the restaurant's name, address, and the dates or range you want. This is also how you access records in areas with limited online databases. The exact request process and any fees vary by jurisdiction.
Several reasons are possible: the establishment may be too new to have been inspected yet, it may be regulated by a different agency than the one you searched, the name or address may differ from your search terms, or that jurisdiction may not publish full records online. Mobile units and institutional kitchens are sometimes listed separately. Try searching by address, checking the state portal, or calling the health department. If records simply are not online there, a public-records request is the fallback.
They can be helpful but are only as good as their data, which they pull from government sources and may not update as promptly or completely as the official database. Some aggregate scores nationally for convenience, but details, severity, and the latest reinspection results can lag or be simplified. For an accurate, current picture, verify against the local health department's official record. Use third-party sites for a quick overview, then confirm anything important, like a low grade or a closure, at the source.
Many health department databases let you browse recent inspections by date or area, so you can see which nearby establishments scored poorly, were cited for critical violations, or were temporarily closed. Look for a 'recent inspections,' 'closures,' or map feature on the local department's site. Some local news outlets also publish periodic roundups of area inspection results. Remember that a poor result may already be corrected by a later reinspection, so check the most recent record. Browsing tools and closure lists vary by jurisdiction.
Not necessarily. A score reflects conditions at the moment of a past inspection, and many violations, even critical ones, are corrected during or shortly after the visit. A low grade signals problems worth noting, but the restaurant may have since fixed them, and a reinspection often shows improvement. Conversely, a high score is not a guarantee, since conditions change daily. Read the report date and the specific violations to judge severity, and treat the score as one useful data point rather than a live safety verdict.
Usually yes. In many jurisdictions a restaurant that receives a low grade can request a reinspection, sometimes after paying a fee, to demonstrate corrections and earn a better grade or updated placard. This encourages quick fixes. The timing, cost, and rules for regrading differ: some areas allow a prompt reinspection, others require waiting. Correcting the underlying issues, not just for the reinspection, is what keeps the grade up. Check the local health department for its specific reinspection and regrading policy.
It means the health department suspended the establishment's permit and ordered it to stop operating, typically because of an imminent health hazard such as a severe pest infestation, no hot or running water, sewage problems, or an inability to control a serious risk. The restaurant must correct the problem and usually pass a reinspection before reopening. A closure is among the most serious outcomes and is recorded publicly. The specific conditions that trigger closure and the reopening process vary by jurisdiction.
Some do, in some regions. A few delivery and review platforms display health inspection scores or grades where they can obtain the data, often through partnerships with local governments, but coverage is inconsistent and not every app or area participates. When shown, the data still originates from the health department and may not be the very latest. For a reliable, complete record, check the local health department's official inspection database rather than relying solely on an app. Availability of scores in apps varies by platform and location.
Yes, in most areas. Mobile food units are licensed and inspected like other establishments, and their results are generally part of the same public record, though they may be listed separately or be harder to find because trucks move and are searched by permit or business name rather than a fixed address. Some trucks post a permit or grade card on the unit. Check the local health department's database using the vendor's name or permit number. How mobile inspections are recorded and searchable varies by jurisdiction.
Often yes. Many health department databases show multiple past inspections, letting you spot whether problems recur or were one-time issues, which is more telling than a single score. If only the latest result appears online, older reports are usually available by public-records request. Reviewing the history reveals patterns, like repeated temperature or pest violations, that a lone grade hides. How many prior inspections are posted online, and how to obtain the rest, depend on the specific health department's practices.
A grade card (or inspection placard) is the sign a restaurant posts, often in the window or by the entrance, showing its most recent inspection grade or result to customers. In grading jurisdictions it displays the letter (A, B, C) or a score, and sometimes the inspection date. It gives diners a quick, at-a-glance sense of the establishment's standing. Not all areas require or use grade cards; some rely only on online records. The card's design and posting rules are set by the local health department.
No. Letter grades (A/B/C) are used in some cities and counties but not everywhere. Other jurisdictions post a numeric score, a pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory result, or simply publish the full report without a summary grade. Because there is no national standard, the same restaurant chain can be graded differently in different locations. To interpret a result, check how that specific jurisdiction scores and whether it uses letters, numbers, or another system. The grading approach is a local decision.
Look up the specific location you care about, not the brand overall, since each outlet is inspected and scored individually by its local health department. Search that county or city inspection database by the restaurant's street address to get the exact branch's report. A chain can have an excellent record at one location and a poor one at another. If you want to compare several branches, search each address separately. Where the records live depends on where each location operates.