Los Angeles Health Department Permits

Health Department Approvals

From public swimming pools to day care centers to food trucks – you all need the same thing. A permit issued by the Environmental Health Division of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Who needs a Public Health Permit in Los Angeles?

Throughout Los Angeles County, there is a wide variety of businesses that need a Public Health Permit. These include (but are not limited to):

• Restaurants
• Food Trucks and carts/stands
• Food Markets and Farmers Markets
• Swimming Pools
• Swap Meets
• Apartment Buildings
• Schools
• Day Care Centers
• Tattoo and body art shops
• Hotels
• Theaters
• Laundromats
• Water Systems
• Garment manufacturing establishments
• In-Home kitchen facilities categorized as “cottage food operations”

A public health permit is different from a business permit. The county issues the public health permit. The individual municipality issues the business permit. For example, if you are opening a food truck to operate in Silverlake, you need an LA County Public Health Permit and a business permit from the city of Los Angeles.

What types of public health permits are issued in Los Angeles?

Since there is a wide variety of businesses that require a public health permit, there are also a variety of permits.

If you are opening a restaurant, you want to make sure that each of your employees who will handle food has a certified food handler permit. This requires each food handler to take an eight-hour course in food safety to become a State certified food handler. These classes can be taken at vocational school, community college or online. A TB (tuberculosis) test is also required.

Another health permit that is frequently issued is to body art practitioners. If you plan on tattooing or piercing in Los Angeles County, you will need to register with the county. You will need:

• A photo ID to verify that you are 18 years old or older
• Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Training
• Certificate of Hepatitis B vaccination/laboratory evidence of immunity/a letter from a doctor contraindicating for medical reasons or a Hep-B Vaccination Declination Form

The Public Health Department also plays a huge role in the opening and operation of food facilities. Public Health inspects restaurants and other food facilities one to three times a year to ensure that health and safety codes are being followed.

Hiring a permit expeditor in Los Angeles

The permitting process in the city and county of Los Angeles can be byzantine at times. If you are opening a business that requires a health department approval, this is not the only permit you will need. There are a myriad of permits from a variety of offices throughout the county and the city that you will need to obtain to legally operate your business.

A professional permit expeditor can walk you through the process. They know all the ins and outs of the permitting process for any type of business in Los Angeles. So, take the hassle out of the permitting process. Call us today for a free estimate for a permit expeditor.