Hamilton, NJ Public Health Rules: Restaurant Grade Cards (2026)

Article II of Chapter 235, Food Establishments, requires anyone operating a restaurant, market, caterer, vending location or other retail food establishment, as defined by Title 8, Chapter 24 of the State Sanitary Code, to first obtain a license from the Township and pay the applicable fee before opening. The license runs for one year and expires every December 31 regardless of issue date, and it belongs only to the person named on it: it cannot be transferred if the business changes hands. Section 235-3 also requires the establishment to post both its current license and its most recent inspection evaluation placard in a prominent, readily visible spot near the main entrance, so customers can see the result of the Health Officer's most recent evaluation before they walk in.

Establishments are grouped into six license classes under § 235-5, based on the food-safety risk of what they serve, from Risk Type 1 (prepackaged or nonhazardous food, like a coffee shop) up to Risk Type 4 (specialized processes like smoking, curing or reduced-oxygen packaging). Under § 235-6, a license can be suspended or revoked for failing to comply with Chapter 24 of the State Sanitary Code, and under § 235-7 an establishment that receives a "conditionally satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory" evaluation must pay a reinspection fee, set in Chapter 215, before the Health Division will reinspect and clear the violation that caused the low grade.