Chula Vista, CA Public Health Rules: Restaurant Grade Cards (2026)
Key Facts
- Passing score
- 80 percent minimum on scorecard
- A grade
- 90 percent or higher
- B grade
- 80–89.5 percent
- C grade
- Below 80 percent
- Correction window
- 30 days after deficiency notice
- Card placement
- Front window, visible to entering patrons
Summary
Chula Vista restaurants must score at least 80 percent on the health department scorecard to keep a permit, and must post an A, B, or C grade card in a spot clearly visible to patrons entering the establishment. Establishments that fall below 80 percent must fix deficiencies within 30 days or close.
No permit shall be issued to any establishment scoring less than 80 percent on the scorecard. Each establishment shall maintain standards of sanitation and health sufficient to score 80 percent on the scorecard at all times... An establishment failing to comply with the written notice, or failing to attain a score of 80 percent on the reinspection, shall immediately close and remain closed until a score of at least 80 percent is achieved on a reinspection by the department. Restaurants scoring 90 percent or more on the scorecard shall receive an "A" grade card; those scoring 80 to 89.5 percent shall receive a "B" scorecard; those scoring below 80 percent shall receive a "C" scorecard.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3623, passed May 19, 2026).
Full Breakdown
" If an inspection turns up a score under 80 percent, the health officer serves written notice listing the deficiencies, which must be corrected within 30 days before a reinspection. 110 then governs display: the grade card must be posted "in the front window of the establishment so as to be clearly visible to patrons entering," or in an approved display case near the front door, protected from weather and never defaced, marred, or hidden. Both the health permit and the grade card must stay posted at all times the restaurant is open. 040.
Violations & Fines
Scoring below 80 percent triggers a written deficiency notice with a mandatory 30-day correction window; failure to correct, or failing the reinspection, forces immediate closure under CVMC 8.08.100 until an 80 percent score is reached. Posting a grade card that is defaced, hidden, or moved from the required front-window/entrance location violates CVMC 8.08.110. A permit denial or revocation tied to a failing score may be appealed to the City Manager within the procedure set out in CVMC 8.08.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
What score does a Chula Vista restaurant need to stay open?
Where must the grade card be displayed?
What happens if a Chula Vista restaurant fails its inspection?
Can a denied or revoked health permit be appealed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chula Vista
California rules heatmap·Compare Chula Vista to another location·View the California public health rules overview
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