Monterey Park, CA Public Health Rules: Restaurant Grade Cards (2026)
Key Facts
- Grade A threshold
- 90% or higher inspection score
- Grade B threshold
- 80% to under 90%
- Grade C threshold
- 70% to under 80%
- Below 70%
- Only the inspection score card is posted
- Violation class
- Misdemeanor under Section 6.05.220
Summary
Monterey Park requires every food establishment to post a letter grade card or inspection score card issued by the health officer after inspection, visible to patrons. Defacing, hiding, or removing that card, or operating without it posted, violates Municipal Code Section 6.05.040 and can trigger permit suspension.
A grade of "A" shall indicate a final score of ninety percent or higher as determined by the health officer. ... A grade of "B" shall indicate a final score of less than ninety percent but not less than eighty percent as determined by the health officer. ... A grade of "C" shall indicate a final score less than eighty percent but not less than seventy percent as determined by the health officer. ... The posted letter grade card, inspection score card, or both, shall not be defaced, marred, camouflaged, hidden or removed. It is unlawful to operate a food establishment unless the letter grade card, the inspection score card, or both, as determined by the health officer, is or are in place in a location clearly visible to the general public and to patrons
Full Breakdown
Under Section 6.05.020, the health officer assigns a letter grade after each routine or owner-initiated inspection based on the numerical score in the food official inspection report: an A for ninety percent or higher, a B for eighty to under ninety percent, and a C for seventy to under eighty percent. Section 6.05.030 requires the health officer to post the letter grade card, the inspection score card, or both, so as to be clearly visible to the general public and patrons entering the establishment, though an establishment scoring below seventy percent gets only the inspection score card posted.
Every food establishment must also post a sign directing public health concerns to the Los Angeles County Environmental Health Office. Section 6.05.040 makes it unlawful to deface, mar, camouflage, hide, or remove the posted card, and unlawful to operate without the required card in place and visible, a violation that can lead to suspension or revocation of the establishment's public health permit. Section 6.05.050 keeps the underlying food official inspection report available for public review at the establishment during business hours until the next report issues, and Section 6.05.060 keeps a grade valid until the next routine or qualifying owner-initiated inspection.
Grading and enforcement run through the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services under a code amendment to Title 8 of the county's Public Health Code, since Monterey Park contracts county health inspectors as its health officer.
Violations & Fines
Section 6.05.040 makes defacing, hiding, or removing a posted grade or score card, or operating without one properly displayed, a violation punishable as set forth in Section 6.05.220, which classifies any Chapter 6.05 violation as a misdemeanor punishable under the code's general penalty provisions. Beyond a fine and possible jail time, the health officer may separately suspend or revoke the establishment's public health permit for the posting violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a Monterey Park restaurant scores below 70 percent?
Is it illegal to hide a restaurant's grade card in Monterey Park?
Who assigns the grade to a Monterey Park food establishment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey Park
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Restaurant Grade Cards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle restaurant grade cards.