Dearborn Heights, MI Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Certificate required for
- Bakeries and bulk food establishments
- Governing section
- Sec. 16-123(13)
- Refrigeration standard
- 50°F or below
- Enforcement
- Health officer / health department
- First offense fine
- $250 Class D infraction
- Repeat offense fine
- $500 then $1,000
Summary
In the City of Dearborn Heights, Section 16-123(13) requires every employee of a bakery or bulk food establishment to hold a food handler's certificate of current issue. The requirement sits inside a broader sanitation code for these businesses covering ratproof construction, refrigeration at 50 degrees or below, screened openings and clean employee clothing, all enforced by the health department.
Sec. 16-123. - General regulations. The following provisions shall apply to the operation and conduct of any establishment coming under the provisions of this article: (1)Buildings and places of business must be free from contaminating surroundings and be of ratproof construction. ... (13)All employees shall have food handler's certificates of current issue.(14)Employees shall wear clean washable clothes. Street clothes must be covered while working. Suitable head covering must be worn.
Full Breakdown
Section 16-123 of the Dearborn Heights City Code sets 23 general sanitation requirements for the bakeries and bulk food establishments covered by Article IV of Chapter 16, as defined at Section 16-121. Item (13) states plainly: "All employees shall have food handler's certificates of current issue." The same section requires buildings to be free from contaminating surroundings and of ratproof construction, floors and walls that are tight, smooth and easily cleaned, adequate toilet and handwashing facilities with hot water piped to sinks, refrigeration kept at 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below, screens on outside openings, clean washable employee clothing with suitable head coverings, and a bar on live animals or fowl in any room where food is prepared, stored or served.
Section 16-124 layers additional rules onto bakeries specifically, including metal sinks sized for the largest utensil used and strict time-and-temperature controls for custard mix. Section 16-125 adds rules for bulk food establishments, such as elevating raw fruit and vegetable displays at least 12 inches above the floor, or 24 inches outdoors. Section 16-28 lets the health officer sample and examine food or drink at any establishment and condemn, remove or destroy anything found unwholesome or adulterated. Section 16-122 authorizes the city council to adopt further rules and regulations to carry the article into effect, and any additional requirement the council adopts applies alongside the certificate mandate.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 16, Food and Food Handlers, is a Class D municipal civil infraction under Sec. 1-11(e): $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense within a year, and $1,000 for a third or later offense within that year, plus costs. Each day a bakery or bulk food establishment operates without certified food handlers is a separate offense, and the health officer can also condemn unwholesome food found on the premises under Section 16-28 independent of any fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which businesses need certified food handlers in Dearborn Heights?
What other sanitation rules apply to these businesses?
Who inspects food for spoilage or contamination?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dearborn Heights
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Food Handler Certification in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle food handler certification.