Harrisburg, PA Public Health Rules: Restaurant Grade Cards (2026)

Chapter 6-501, Food Inspection, dates to Ord. No. 40-1926. Section 6-501.1 says no person can sell or offer for sale as human food any meats, fish or other foods in the City of Harrisburg without first obtaining a food license, and § 6-501.2 bars the Health Officer from issuing one until the sanitary conditions where the food is produced, handled or sold have been checked.

Section 6-501.4 is the posting rule. The annual license fee is due at the office of the City Treasurer on January 1, the Treasurer enters the licensee in a registry designated "Health License," and the Health Officer furnishes a certificate showing the license number and year. That certificate, together with the inspection form and rating classification form, must be displayed conspicuously at the place of business. The code names the rating classification form in that section without printing a letter-grade or score scale there, and § 6-503.1 adopts the Food Code set out in 7 Pa. Code Chapter 46 as controlling within the City limits.

Fees in § 6-501.3 are set by category. Public eating and drinking establishments are split between a capacity of zero to 99 persons and 100 or more, with other categories for caterers, street vendors, market-style vendors, grocers, wholesalers and institutions. Dollar amounts sit in the Appendix to the Codified Ordinances. A reinspection fee applies when an unsatisfactory inspection requires one, a late fee applies to any annual fee received after the due date, and all fees are doubled when an application is submitted less than 10 days before an opening or event, or when an opening happens without an approved license.

Under § 6-501.9, the Health Officer or another authorized City employee conducts periodic inspections of any public eating and drinking establishment. Interfering with an inspector who has shown identification is unlawful. Grease interceptor maintenance logs must be kept for a minimum of three years under § 6-501.6.