Dearborn County, IN Public Health Rules: Restaurant Grade Cards (2026)

Dearborn County Code § 110.64 governs inspections of retail food establishments and bed and breakfast establishments. Under § 110.64(A)(1) the Dearborn County Health Department inspects each one at least once every three months. Section 110.64(A)(2) lets the department inspect less often only when the establishment is fully operating under an approved and validated HACCP plan, or when it is assigned a less frequent schedule under a written risk-based inspection and menu-type schedule applied uniformly across the jurisdiction. Temporary food establishments are inspected periodically throughout their period of operation under § 110.64(B).

Section 110.64(C) makes frequency performance-based. The department prioritizes more frequent inspections after weighing past violations of 410 IAC 7-15.5, 7-20 and 7-22, repeat noncritical violations, valid complaints, the hazards of the foods served, the number of people served and whether the population served is highly susceptible.

At the end of each visit the department provides a copy of the completed inspection report and a notice to correct violations to the operator or the person-in-charge under § 110.64(E)(1). Critical violations are corrected at the time of inspection unless the department agrees to or specifies a longer time frame, and the department then verifies the correction and enters it on an Inspection Report in its records. Refusing to sign an acknowledgment of receipt does not remove the duty to correct violations, and the refusal is noted on the report.

The public-facing piece is § 110.64(G): except for trade secrets under 410 IAC 7-20, the department treats the inspection report as a public document and makes it available to a person who requests it. The only posting the subchapter requires is the permit itself, which § 110.62(A)(1) says must be posted in a conspicuous location.