Bureau of Food Control The Bureau of Food Control oversees over 5,000 Baltimore City food facilities to ensure compliance with state and local food safety regulations. The Bureau's goal is to ensure that all food sold and served is safe, properly labeled and produced under sanitary conditions.  The Bureau inspects all restaurants, markets, bakeries, mobile food preparation vehicles, and caterers in Baltimore.

• Click here for food establishments recently closed by the Baltimore City Health Department
• Complaints regarding food facilities or foodbourne illness can be reported by calling 311 or by accessing the Baltimore CitiTrack Service Request System online.

Guidelines for Operating Food Establishments

• Opening a new food establishment
• Changing ownership of an existing food establishment
• "Modifying the structure, equipment, layout, menu or food preparation and handling procedures at an existing food establishment
• Requirements for carts and street vendors
• Temporary Food Permit Factsheet and Application
• Rules and Regulations Governing the Operation of Special Food Service Facilities
• Maryland Food Code: English, Spanish, Korean
• USDA Fact Sheets:
  • Safe Food Handling
  • Meat Preparation
  • Poultry Preparation
  • Egg Products Preparation
  • Appliances & Thermometers
  • Foodborne Illness and Disease
  • Food Labelling

     

How do I open a new food establishment, or change ownership of an existing food establishment?

• Step 1: Apply for a Use and Occupancy Permit from the Bureau of Buildings, Zoning Division, 417 East Fayette Street. Keep the receipt you receive when you submit the application.

• Step 2 (If building new facilities or making structural changes to existing facilities): Apply for a building permit and submit construction plans at the Bureau of Buildings as well. These plans will be forwarded to the Health Department for review. The Health Department will alert you to any changes that need to be made to the plan. After approval of plans from all relevant agencies, a building permit will be issued and construction may begin.

• Step 2 (If not building new facilities or making major structural changes): It is recommended that you bring an informal layout of your facility to the Health Department, including locations of all equipment, walls, doors, toilets, sinks, etc. The plan review engineers can review this layout and make suggestions to help ensure a successful final inspection.

• Step 3: If the business involves any alcoholic beverages, apply for a liquor permit from the Board of Liquor License Commissioners at 10 South Street, Room 200.

• Step 4: Bring the receipt you received when applying for the Use and Occupancy Permit and the $150 Plan Review Fee to Health Department at 210 Guilford Avenue, 2nd Floor. At this time you will receive an information packet detailing all the materials you will need to submit to obtain a food permit.

  (Tip: The Plan Review fee includes two on-site inspections. If you wish, you may schedule an inspection before or during construction to verify compliance. Final inspection shall occur only after the completion of construction)

• Step 5: While awaiting approval of building permit or completion of construction:
  • Begin preparing your menu, recipe and HACCP information according to guidelines in the information packet (click here to see guidelines).
  • Obtain Certified Food Manager Certification for yourself or a staffmember (all food facilities are required to have one certified food manager)
    • Standards and Rules for Food Managers
    • Certified Food Manager Application
    • List of Certification Courses

     

• Step 6: Once construction is complete, you may schedule an inspection of your facility. If your facility passes inspection, you will receive an Approval Notice from the Health Inspector.

• Step 7: Bring all of the following to the Health Department to obtain your food permit:
  • Completed Food Permit Application
  • Approval Notice from Health Inspector
  • All Food Service Plan Review Requirements (Click here to see requirements)
  • Menu and HACCP information
  • Food Service Manager's Certificate (food managers must be certified within 90 days of employment)
  • Licensed Pest Control Original Contract with new/current owner
  • Certified copy of the Articles of Incorporation if owner is a corporation. It should have the Charter/Trade name from the State Department of assessments at 301 W. Preston St., Room 809; Baltimore, MD 21201 (Tel: 410-767-1330)
  • Workman's Compensation Insurance Information
  • Any person representing the owners when obtaining the Food Permit must bring a notarized Power of Attorney.
  • All handwritten documents should be notarized (not including menue and list of food equipment)

When modifying the structure, equipment, layout, menu or food preparation and handling procedures at an existing food establishment:

• Step 1: Notify the Health Department of any of the above modifications, even minor ones by calling the Plan Review Coordinator at 410-396-4544. The plan review engineer will let you know if your planned modifications will require a building permit and/or plan review and reinspection.

• Step 2: If a building permit is necessary, you may apply and submit plans at the Bureau of Buildings, Zoning Division, 417 East Fayette Street.

• Step 3: If plan review and reinspection is necessary, you must submit plans prior to the commencement of work or the institution of the change. (Click here to see the Food Service Facility Plan Review Requirements). Bring all plans and the $150 plan review fee to the Health Department 210 Guilford Avenue, 2nd Floor.

  (Tip: The Plan Review fee includes two on-site inspections. If you wish, you may schedule an inspection before or during construction to verify compliance. Final inspection shall occur only after the completion of construction)

• Step 4: Once the building permit is issued, or the plans are reviewed and approved, modification work may commence.

• Step 5: After modifications are complete, schedule a final inspection of the modified facility. If the facility passes inspection, you will receive a notice of approval for the changes, and may resume business.