Tool
Printable pre-inspection checklist
The 37 things to confirm before an inspector walks in, grouped the way you would walk the kitchen. Tick them off here, or print it and carry it. Each line says which rule it rests on, because a checklist that cannot answer “says who?” is just someone’s opinion.
8 of these cannot be fixed on the day.
They are marked not same-day below — equipment that has to be pulled down to temperature, training that has to be completed, documents that have to already exist. Walk the list a week out, not the night before. The reasoning behind every item is in the full guide.
Pre-inspection checklist
not same-day marks the 8 items that cannot be fixed on the morning — equipment that has to be pulled down to temperature, training that has to be finished, documents that have to already exist. Walk those a week out.
Before you book
None of these can be done on the morning of the inspection.
The two documents people forget
Both required, both cheap, neither producible on the morning. Have them physically present.
Temperature
Sanitizer
Where most people slip.
Handwashing
At every handsink, at the moment they walk in.
Restrooms
Warewashing
Linens and wiping cloths
Easy to overlook, and written up often.
Food protection
What these rest on
- Cleveland Department of Public Health — Pre-Licensing Inspection Checklist Cleveland Department of Public Health — Pre-Licensing Inspection Checklist
- Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-02.4 — management and personnel, supervision and written procedures Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-02.4 — management and personnel, supervision and written procedures
- Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-04.4 — equipment and utensils, maintenance and operation Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-04.4 — equipment and utensils, maintenance and operation
- Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-07 — poisonous or toxic materials, labeling and storage Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-07 — poisonous or toxic materials, labeling and storage
- Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-02.2 — employee cleanliness and handwashing Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-02.2 — employee cleanliness and handwashing
- Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-04.2 — equipment, utensils and linens, numbers and capacities Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-04.2 — equipment, utensils and linens, numbers and capacities
- Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-04.7 — equipment, utensils and linens, laundering Ohio Administrative Code 3717-1-04.7 — equipment, utensils and linens, laundering
This is a preparation aid, not the inspection. Your licensor decides what it assesses and may look at things not listed here; requirements also change. Confirm with the agency that licenses you, and read the guide for what each item is actually asking for.