Hoboken, NJ Public Health Rules: Restaurant Grade Cards (2026)
Key Facts
- Rating scale
- Satisfactory, Conditionally Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory
- Report access
- Kept on-site for public review, 2-year minimum
- Posting trigger
- Placard required only after suspension or closure order
- Enforcing officer
- Hoboken Health Officer
- Reinspection fees
- $150, $200, $350 for repeat reinspections
- Penalty
- $100 to $1,000 fine under Section 115-11
Summary
Hoboken does not use a letter-grade placard system. Instead, City Code Section 115-10.4 requires every inspected food establishment to keep its most recent Health Department inspection report on the premises for public review on request, and Section 115-10.5 sorts inspections into satisfactory, conditionally satisfactory, or unsatisfactory ratings.
§ 115-10.4. Public posting of inspection reports. ... A. An inspection report shall be presented to the owner or person in charge or in their absence, any employee of the establishment, licensee, business or facility at the completion of each inspection. B. The most recent report shall be maintained by the operator of each establishment, licensee, business or facility on the premises for review by the public, upon request. Inspection reports and other applicable records shall be maintained on the premises for review for a minimum of two years. ... ... § 115-10.5. Evaluation of reports. ... ... B. Evaluations shall be as follows: (1) Satisfactory. The establishment is found to be operating in substantial compliance with this chapter and personnel have demonstrated that they are aware of and are practicing proper sanitation and safety principles as outlined in this chapter. (2) Conditionally satisfactory. At the time of the inspection the establishment was found not to be operating in substantial compliance with this chapter and was in violation of one or more of the provisions of this chapter.
Full Breakdown
Under Section 115-10.4, the Hoboken Health Officer or an authorized inspector must present an inspection report to the owner, person in charge, or an employee at the close of every inspection, and the establishment must keep the most recent report on-site for public review upon request, along with other applicable records, for a minimum of two years. Section 115-10.5 sets the rating scale the Health Officer uses instead of a numeric or letter grade: a Satisfactory rating means substantial compliance with the sanitary code; a Conditionally Satisfactory rating means one or more violations were found that trigger an unannounced reinspection within a reasonable time; and an Unsatisfactory rating covers violations that create an imminent health hazard, which can lead the Health Officer to request the operator voluntarily cease operation and, if refused, to pursue license suspension under Section 115-6 or injunctive relief.
A suspended or ordered-closed establishment must post an evaluation placard on its front entrance stating that its license has been suspended or that it has been ordered to cease operations, so the public-facing signage in Hoboken only appears when an establishment fails, not as a routine graded card. Reinspections carry escalating fees of $150, $200, and $350 under Section 115-14.
Violations & Fines
An establishment that refuses to post the required evaluation placard after a suspension or cease-operations order, or that fails to make its inspection report available on request, is subject to the general Chapter 115 penalty: a fine of $100 to $1,000, up to 90 days of community service or imprisonment, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense under Section 115-11.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hoboken post letter grades for restaurant inspections?
How can the public see a Hoboken restaurant's inspection report?
What happens if a Hoboken restaurant fails its inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hoboken
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