Permitted Facility Inspections Food Services
Local health department staff inspect and issue required permits to food service establishments such as school cafeterias, restaurants, food stands at community events, camps, day care centers, B&B’s, and migrant camps. The local health department is also responsible for working with local dairies to assure a healthy product, free of disease. This is done through regular inspections and ongoing input into dairy operations.
To Report Foodborne Illness
If you think something you ate is making you or someone you know feel sick, contact your doctor and then fill out this My Meal Detective form as completely as possible. The Virginia Department of Health will evaluate your complaint and request follow-up by your Local Health Department, if necessary.
My Meal Detective form should be completed per person who is ill.
Restaurant Inspections
The Lord Fairfax Health District currently has approximately 850 annually permitted food establishments. "Food establishment" means an operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends food directly to the consumer that is conducted in a mobile, stationary, temporary, or permanent facility or location where consumption is on or off the premises and regardless of whether there is a charge for the food.
For new establishments: After submitting a plan review packet, a permit is issued, after that annual review inspections are conducted.
For existing establishments: Annual review inspections must be conducted. A Database of the current establishment inspections is provided below.
Application and resources for restaurant inspections:
Food Establishment Application (Application to be submitted 30 calendar days before the expiration of current permit)
Food Establishment Plan Review (Application to be submitted 30 calendar days before the intended opening date)
Mobile Food Establishment Plan Review (Application to be submitted 30 calendar days before the intended opening date)
View a Restaurant Inspection Report
Confirm Redirect. Clicking on the link above will connect you to a site outside VDH. Information about inspections is maintained by a third-party vender, HealthSpace Integrated Solutions.
Temporary Food Establishments
The Lord Fairfax Health District currently has approximately 159 annually permitted temporary food establishments. "Temporary food establishments" means a food establishment that operates for a period of no more than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single event of celebration, including carnivals, fairs, festivals, or similar events. An application must be submitted in order to issue a permit for a temporary event.
Application and resources for temporary food establishments:
Temporary Event Coordinator Application (Application to be submitted 30 calendar days before the date of the temporary event)
Temporary Food Establishment Application (Application to be submitted 10 calendar days before the date of the temporary event)
Tourist Establishments:
The environmental health staff inspects and permits all public swimming pools, hotels, inns, B&B’s, campgrounds, and migrant camps in the Health District. The Lord Fairfax Health District currently has approximately 33 annually permitted campgrounds, 105 annually permitted hotels and motels, 12 annually permitted summer camps, 76 annually permitted swimming pools, and 17 annually permitted migrant labor camps. "Hotel" means any establishment offering to the public for compensation transitory lodging or sleeping accommodations, overnight or otherwise. "Campgrounds" means tourist camps, travel trailer camps, recreation camps, family campgrounds, camping resorts, camping communities, or any other area, place, parcel, or tract of land, by whatever name called, on which three or more campsites are occupied or intended for occupancy, or facilities are established or maintained, wholly or in part, for the accommodation of camping units for periods of overnight or longer, whether the use of the campsites or facilities is granted gratuitously, by a rental fee, by lease, by conditional sale, or by covenants, restrictions and easements. "Swimming pool" shall mean any swimming, wading, or spray pool, including all appurtenant equipment, structures, and facilities provided, for by the use of guests, by transient lodging establishments.
Application for Tourist Establishments:
Tourist Establishment Application (Application to be submitted 30 calendar days before the expiration of current permit or opening date)
Submitting Applications:
Submit applications and inquiries to your local health department.