Placer County, CA Public Health Rules: Restaurant Grade Cards (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Placer County Environmental Health Division
- Green placard
- No uncorrected major violations
- Yellow placard
- Major violation(s) uncorrected
- Red placard
- Imminent health hazard, facility closed
- Posting rule
- Within 5 feet of front door, visible to patrons
- Repeat-violation fine
- Up to $500 per violation
Summary
Placer County's environmental health division posts color-coded placards, green, yellow, or red, at every retail food facility after each routine inspection. A green Pass means no uncorrected major violations, yellow Conditional Pass means major violations remain uncorrected, and red Closed shuts the facility until a re-inspection clears the hazard.
A color-coded placard will describe the compliance status of a food facility as determined during the most recent routine inspection or re-inspection. The placard colors as described below will serve to represent the compliance status as verified by routine inspection or re-inspection. Green: The green "Pass" placard will be issued when no major violations are present at the conclusion of the routine inspection... Red: The red "Closed" placard is issued when an imminent threat to public health and safety is observed. Examples of imminent health hazards include, but are not limited to: operating a food facility without a current valid health permit, surfacing sewage, no hot water, rodent/insect infestation or other unsanitary conditions. The red "Closed" placard must remain posted and the facility closed until a re-inspection is conducted to confirm that the imminent health hazard no longer exists.
Full Breakdown
030). 060, a green 'Pass' placard issues when no major violations remain at the end of a routine inspection, though minor violations still must be corrected within the timeframe on the inspection report or a re-inspection may follow. A yellow 'Conditional Pass' issues when one or more major violations remain uncorrected, or the facility failed a compliance agreement, and a re-inspection may be conducted to verify compliance. A red 'Closed' placard issues for an imminent health hazard, examples given in the code include operating without a valid health permit, surfacing sewage, no hot water, or rodent or insect infestation, and the facility must stay closed and the red placard posted until a re-inspection confirms the hazard is gone. 070). 090-100).
Violations & Fines
Removing, defacing, or hiding a placard can trigger suspension or revocation of the facility's operating permit and mandatory re-inspection at the operator's expense. Beyond an administrative correction order, a repeat violation of the placarding article carries a fine of up to $500 per violation, with notice by certified mail, a right to appeal in writing to the director within 15 days, and referral to a collection agency if the fine goes unpaid 30 days after a final decision (§ 8.30.110).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a red placard mean at a Placer County restaurant?
Can a Placer County restaurant hide its yellow placard from customers?
How much can a food facility be fined for a repeat placard violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Placer County
California rules heatmap·Compare Placer County to another location·View the California public health rules overview
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