Fremont · Fire and Food Safety
Fremont Commercial Kitchen Compliance
A commercial kitchen in Fremont answers to three different agencies: the Fremont Fire Department for fire safety, the Alameda County Environmental Health Department for food safety, and the Union Sanitary District for grease. Here is who does what, and what each one expects to see.
Who Enforces Fire Code in Fremont
Fire code in Fremont is enforced by the Fremont Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau, under the Fire Marshal. Its safety inspection program inspects most commercial properties annually, and the bureau publishes a pre-inspection checklist so a business can inspect itself before the inspector arrives.
The city adopted the 2025 California Fire Code as the Fremont Fire Code, Chapter 15.35 of the Fremont Municipal Code, in September 2025. The 2025 code has been in effect statewide since January 1, 2026, and it is the path by which NFPA 96, the standard for commercial kitchen exhaust systems, applies to your hood, ducts and fan, in the edition California has adopted.
In practice, that means a Fremont fire inspector can ask for proof that your exhaust system is cleaned on the frequency your cooking calls for, and that your suppression system has been serviced on schedule. The record is what answers that question, not the memory of the last visit.
Who Inspects Food Safety in Fremont
Food safety in Fremont is inspected by the Alameda County Environmental Health Department, not by the city. The county inspects every retail food facility, from restaurants and markets to commercial kitchens and food trucks.
Alameda County posts color-coded placards: green for pass, yellow for a conditional pass, and red for a failed inspection and closure. Behind the color is a point system. Each major violation, one of the six risk factors the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ties to foodborne illness, costs 2 to 4 points; each minor violation costs 1. Routine inspection results are published online.
What's Local: Grease
Grease in Fremont is regulated by the Union Sanitary District, which serves Fremont, Newark and Union City, under its Ordinance 38. Every food service establishment must have a grease interceptor or trap, with the type and size set by the district engineer based on your facility and your menu.
The number to know: a grease-intensive kitchen, such as Mexican, Indian, Chinese or a buffet, needs an outside interceptor of at least 1,500 gallons. Dishwashers may not drain into it. And a new build, a tenant improvement or a change of ownership each require a Food Service Permit Application, with your menu, filed with the district.
Fremont Follows Alameda County's Framework
For how Alameda County placards and publishes inspections, and how it compares with the rest of California, see the Alameda County page.