Inglewood, CA Public Health Rules: Food Handler Certification (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopts
- LA County Ordinance No. 97-0071 by reference
- Effective date
- January 16, 1998
- Also covers
- Posting of inspection grades, same section
- Enforcement lever
- Health Officer may withhold permit (Sec. 7-3)
- Related provision
- Owner-initiated inspections, Sec. 7-1.2
Summary
Inglewood requires certified food handlers at every food establishment by adopting Los Angeles County Ordinance No. 97-0071 in full under Municipal Code Sec. 7-1.1, effective since January 16, 1998. The same section also mandates posting of county inspection grades, and compliance ties directly into whether the City will issue or renew a food establishment permit.
§ 7-1.1. Posting of Inspection Grades and Certifying Food Handlers. The City of Inglewood hereby adopts and incorporates by reference in their entirety the provisions of the Los Angeles County Ordinance No. 97-0071, which was effective on January 16, 1998 together with all subsequent amendments thereof that requires the posting of food establishment inspection grades and the certification of food handlers in the City of Inglewood.
Full Breakdown
Rather than write its own food-handler rules, Inglewood incorporated Los Angeles County's food-safety framework wholesale. Sec. 7-1 first adopts the county's "Public Health Code of the County of Los Angeles" (Ordinance No. 7583, August 25, 1959, as amended) as Inglewood's own Health Code under Government Code Section 50001 et seq. Sec. 1 then layers on County Ordinance No. 97-0071, effective January 16, 1998, together with all later amendments, which is the source of both the county's grade-posting requirement and its food handler certification requirement inside Inglewood city limits.
Sec. 2 adds a related piece, adopting County Ordinance No. 98-0037 (effective August 7, 1998), which lets a food business request owner-initiated re-inspections and sets the county fee schedule for those extra inspections. Enforcement runs through the City's own permit mechanism: Sec. 7-3 makes it unlawful to operate a food establishment, defined broadly at Sec. 7-2 to include restaurants and any business preparing, storing or serving food or drink to the public, without a permit from the Health Officer, and the Health Officer can withhold that permit until the applicant complies with the certification and posting requirements this Article incorporates.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 7-3 makes operating a food establishment without a permit unlawful, and lets the Health Officer withhold issuance of that permit until the operator complies with the food handler certification and grade-posting requirements adopted at Sec. 7-1.1, effectively tying certification compliance to the ability to legally operate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Inglewood require food handler certification?
Who enforces the certification requirement?
Can my restaurant lose its permit for not having certified staff?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Inglewood
California rules heatmap·Compare Inglewood to another location·View the California public health rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Food Handler Certification in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle food handler certification.