Brown County, WI Public Health Rules: Restaurant Grade Cards (2026)
Key Facts
- Who inspects
- County Health Officer, every restaurant
- Posting rule
- Report posted inside restaurant
- Trigger for suspension
- 2 consecutive uncorrected violations
- Penalty
- $250-$2,500 forfeiture
Summary
Brown County's Health Officer inspects every restaurant and requires the inspection report to be posted inside the restaurant, not hidden from customers or altered.
(6) Inspection. (a) The County Health Officer shall inspect every restaurant in the County. If the County Health Officer discovers a violation of any provisions of this chapter, an order shall be issued to correct the violation. Failure to obey the order on two consecutive inspections shall be cause for immediate suspension of the permit.
(b) One copy of the inspection report shall be posted by the County Health Officer within the restaurant and shall not be defaced or removed by any person except the County Health Officer. Another copy of the inspection report shall be filed in the Health Department.
37(5)
(7) Sanitation Requirements. All eating and drinking establishments shall comply with all of the following requirements:
(a) Floors. The floors of all rooms in which food or drink is stored, prepared, or serviced, or in which utensils are washed, shall be smooth-surfaced and easily cleaned and shall be kept clean and in good repair.
(b) Walls and Ceilings. Walls and ceilings of all rooms shall be kept clean and in good repair. All walls and ceilings of rooms in which food or drink is stored or prepared shall be light colored. The walls and ceilings of all rooms in which food or drink is prepared or utensils are washed shall have smooth, washable surfaces.
Full Breakdown
Brown County Code § 37.10(6)(a)-(b) requires the County Health Officer to inspect every restaurant in the county and post one copy of the inspection report inside the establishment, where it can't be defaced or removed by anyone but the Health Officer; a second copy goes to the Health Department. There's no letter-grade card - Brown County posts the inspection report itself. Two consecutive inspections with an uncorrected violation trigger immediate suspension of the restaurant's operating permit under § 37.10(6)(a), on top of the county's general licensing and inspection powers under § 37.08 and § 37.09.
Violations & Fines
Defacing or removing a posted inspection report, or failing to correct a cited violation across two inspections, triggers immediate permit suspension and a forfeiture up to $2,500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Brown County use letter grades for restaurants?
Can a restaurant remove its posted inspection report?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brown County
Compare Brown County to another location·View the Wisconsin public health rules overview
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