Health-department requirements

Restaurant Equipment Requirements by State

What health departments require you to install in a commercial kitchen — the universal FDA Food Code equipment mandates, plus each state’s licensing authority and plan-review reality.

Find your local requirements by ZIP

Enter your ZIP code — we’ll identify your county and take you to your state’s health-department requirements.

What every commercial kitchen must have

These come from the FDA Food Code, which nearly every state adopts. A health inspector checks for them on plan review and at inspection — regardless of your state:

3-compartment sink
Manual warewashing (wash/rinse/sanitize); bowls sized to your largest pot; two drainboards; indirect waste. Often required even with a dish machine.
Hand sink(s)
Dedicated, near prep + warewashing + restrooms; warm water ≥100°F, soap, towels, signage.
NSF refrigeration
Holds cold TCS food ≤41°F; NSF/ANSI 7; residential units fail inspection.
NSF work surfaces
Smooth, corrosion-resistant, cleanable — NSF/ANSI 2 stainless, not home furniture.

Also required in most kitchens: a mop/service sink (cleaning-water disposal), mechanical exhaust hood (Type I over grease/smoke), adequate hot water, indirect waste/air gaps on food & warewashing equipment, and a grease interceptor where local plumbing code requires it.

Common questions & guides

Read the commercial-kitchen guides → — what equipment you’re required to install, permits & licenses, the health-inspection checklist, electrical and hot-water code, NSF, cost to open, and more.

By state