Printable health inspection checklist for restaurants
26 checks to run before service, in five groups: temperatures, cooling, hygiene and cleaning, pests and records, with their FDA Food Code 2026 sections. We email it as a PDF to print, on two Letter pages. Each area is explained in our guide to what inspectors check.
A template from Patrono, the food safety, scheduling and food cost app for US restaurants.
Updated
What the checklist is for
Your health department's form sets the exact items. FDA's model inspection report lists 29 risk factor items and 27 good retail practices (FDA Food Code 2026, Annex 7). This checklist puts what you can check yourself on paper, so you find a problem before the inspector does.
Check your local limits
The Food Code is a model code. Your state or city adopts it, sometimes with changes. The checklist prints the Food Code's limits, and New York City's where they differ: hot food at 140°F, not 135°F, and cooling counted from 140°F.
Ask the health department that issued your permit which edition it enforces. More in what the 2026 Food Code changes for restaurants.
How to use it
- 1.Print one per run. One copy for each location, each time you run it.
- 2.Run it before service. Walk the kitchen and check each box.
- 3.Fix what is open. A box you cannot check is the first job of the shift.
- 4.Sign and keep it. The manager signs at the end. Keep the pages with your logs.
What is in the checklist
26 numbered checks on two Letter pages. Checks with no section are good practice. We email you a PDF to print.
- 1.Temperatures. 5 checks: cold and hot holding, thermometers, the readings and their corrective actions.
- 2.Cooling. 3 checks: start times, the limits at 2 and 6 hours, and cooling methods.
- 3.Hygiene and cleaning. 9 checks: hand sinks, handwashing, bare-hand contact, raw food storage, date marking, sanitizer, food-contact surfaces, other surfaces and staff hygiene.
- 4.Pests. 4 checks: signs of pests, gaps, garbage and deliveries.
- 5.Records. 5 checks: the manager on shift, the illness policy, temperature logs, pest control visits and your food safety management system.
Keep the records in one app
Patrono keeps food safety records, schedules and food cost for US restaurants in one app, no POS required. Start with 14 days. $0 today, cancel before day 15 and nothing is charged.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost?
Nothing. Enter your email and we send you the file.
Is this the form my inspector uses?
No. Your health department's form sets the exact items. This checklist follows the FDA Food Code 2026 and covers what you can see and measure before service.
Does it work in New York City?
Yes. It prints the two New York City limits that differ: hot food at 140°F, and cooling counted from 140°F, to 70°F within 2 hours, then to 41°F within 4 more hours. Other local codes can differ too, so check yours.
Can I run this checklist in an app?
Yes. In Patrono you build your own checklists to match your standard, and staff complete them in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, with the name of who completed each one.