As part of its mission to prevent disease, promote wellness and protect against health threats, the Health Department routinely inspects restaurants, hotels, septic systems, pools, tanning facilities, tattoo and body piercing facilities, schools and mobile home/RV parks. Ensuring health and safety where you live, work and play is essential to building a healthier Northern Kentucky.
The Health Department also has a regulatory role when it comes to many of the facilities in which Northern Kentuckians do business.
Requirements and inspection processes vary by program. Many programs require permits and associated fees.
Information for food service operators found below.
Information for those operating other establishments can be found below.
Opening and operating a child care center is an exciting endeavor. The Health Department works with licensed centers and in-home providers to ensure a safe and healthy environment in the child care setting while also providing valuable resources and consultation on health and safety issues.
The Health Department regularly inspects all Northern Kentucky food service establishments, including bars, restaurants, etc. Most facilities are inspected twice per year.
Inspectors look for 58 potential items of violation, including:
Establishments begin each inspection with a score of 100. Points are then deducted for violations observed by the inspector. A violation that is more likely to impact food safety is considered critical and will have a higher point value assigned.
For example, an employee who fails to wash his hands between handling raw chicken and uncooked vegetables would be a critical violation.
If the total inspection score is below 85 points or if the inspector observes any critical violations, a follow-up inspection is required. These inspections can be done the same day or within 30 days.
If the total inspection score is below 70, a conference with the Kentucky Department for Public Health may be necessary. The establishment may also be required to close if there is an imminent health threat.
Click on one of the links below for an updated list of the latest restaurant food inspection scores for a specific county within the district. You may experience a slight delay in loading the links, this is because the scores are updating in real-time. Note — within the link, you may search for a restaurant two ways by (1) typing in the name or address and clicking “Search” or (2) scrolling through the list by clicking on “next page/previous page” arrow buttons. Restaurants are listed alphabetically.
Please keep in mind that the inspection scores only represent the conditions present at the time of the inspection. Conditions in a restaurant as well as other types of food service establishments can change from hour-to-hour and day-to-day.
Copies of establishment inspection reports are available to the public upon written request. Please call 859-341-4151 for more details.
I have a concern about sanitation or food preparation at a Northern Kentucky restaurant. What should I do?
The Health Department investigates complaints about sanitation in a restaurant or food contamination. Complaints can be submitted online or by calling 859-341-4151. Please note that it may be a few days before your complaint will be investigated. Often times, incidents causing concern in restaurants are isolated or can be easily corrected.
I became ill after eating at a Northern Kentucky restaurant, what should I do?
Please submit information as a complaint using an online form or by calling 859-341-4151.
Are restaurant workers required to wear gloves when preparing food?
Glove use is not necessarily required when preparing food. If food is handled directly, there must be a barrier in place; the food handler can either wear gloves or use tongs, spatula, etc.
How often should restaurant workers change gloves?
If restaurant workers are wearing gloves, they should be changed regularly, especially between tasks. If a restaurant worker is not wearing gloves, he/she should wash his/her hands frequently.
Are restaurant workers required to wear hair nets when preparing food?
Some type of hair restraint is required for anyone preparing food, but it can be a visor, hat, hairnet, barrettes or pony tail.
An emergency has impacted a food service establishment. What should we/they do?
When emergency situations occur that affect the ability to operate, such as fire, extended power outages and water service interruptions, the establishment should suspend its operations and notify the Health Department. View the guidelines here: Emergency Guidelines for Food Service Establishments
Hotels and motels in Northern Kentucky are required to have a permit and are inspected by the Health Department at least once per year.
Click on one of the links below for an updated list of the latest hotel inspection scores for a specific county within the district. You may experience a slight delay in loading the links, this is because the scores are updating in real-time. Note — within the link, you may search for a hotel two ways by (1) typing in the name or address and clicking “Search” or (2) scrolling through the list by clicking on “next page/previous page” arrow buttons. Hotels are listed alphabetically.
Please keep in mind that the inspection scores only represent the conditions present at the time of the inspection. Conditions in a hotel can change from hour-to-hour and day-to-day.
Hotels in Northern Kentucky must have a permit and pay the applicable fees.
