Who inspects commercial kitchens in Imperial County?

Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division is the food safety authority for Imperial County. Reach them at (442) 265-1888. California Retail Food Code provides the statutory base; the agency conducts inspections, scores them per local methodology, and posts results to the public.

How are inspection results communicated in Imperial County?

Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division documents inspections per letter grade methodology. Results are available to the public through the agency's published portals.

Who enforces fire and hood-cleaning rules in Imperial County?

In Imperial County, fire code authority rests with Imperial County Fire Department. Enforcement covers the 2025 California Fire Code and NFPA 96 (2021 edition) for commercial kitchen exhaust. Hood cleaning default frequency: quarterly.

What fire code edition applies in Imperial County?

The 2025 California Fire Code is the adopted edition. NFPA 96 (2021) governs commercial kitchen exhaust systems. Ask Imperial County Fire Department whether Imperial County has adopted local amendments to the 2025 California Fire Code.

Where can I verify Imperial County inspection records?

Primary source: https://www.icphd.org/environmental-health. EvidLY ScoreTable mirrors the latest health-department-published results at https://www.getevidly.com/scoretable/california/imperial.

California Health Department

Imperial County commercial kitchen compliance

Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division is the authority. Here's the methodology, the thresholds, and the fire code overlay.

Authority chain

Imperial County → Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division → California Retail Food Code

Inspection cadence and methodology in Imperial County track the state framework with local agency-specific implementation. The health department oversees approximately 900 permitted food facilities. The county seat is El Centro. El Centro Fire: (760) 337-4940. City of El Centro Fire, Calexico Fire are separate city authorities having jurisdiction.

Standard 01

Food Safety

Authority

Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division

Phone: (442) 265-1888
Website: www.icphd.org/environmental-health
Scoring type: Numeric Deduction
Grading type: Letter Grade
Permitted facilities: ~900
Office: 797 Main Street, Suite B, El Centro, California 92243
Pass threshold: 90
Warning threshold: 80
Critical threshold: 70

Methodology

Imperial County operates a numeric-deduction letter-grade system through the Public Health Department's Environmental Health Division. Each inspection begins with 100 points; point value from each marked violation is deducted; remaining points written as a percentage determine the letter grade. Standard CalCode Official Retail Food Inspection Report template with violations numbered 1-24 for Critical Risk Factors (Major 2-4 pts, Minor 2 pts) plus Good Retail Practices items 25-49 (1 pt each). Letter Grade Card (A/B/C) or Closure Notice issued at end of routine inspection per the threshold table: 90-100=A (generally superior, no re-score required), 80-89=B (generally good, no re-score required), 70-79=C (minimally acceptable, re-inspection required within 30 days), <70=Closure (poor practices, 24-hour minimum closure, must achieve at least B to reopen). Re-score inspection available once per calendar year by owner request with fee. Posted card must be in initial patron contact area within 5 feet of front door (front window OR mounted display case OR environmental health department-approved alternative). Card shall not be defaced, marred, reproduced, copied, camouflaged, hidden, or removed. Local enabling ordinance: Imperial County Code Title 8 Chapter 8.02, with misdemeanor enforcement per California Penal Code §19 — up to $1,000 fine or 6 months imprisonment, each day a violation continues being a separate offense. This is more aggressive penalty language than typical California county food ordinances.

Inspection results published by the agency are mirrored at Imperial County on ScoreTable.

Primary source

Imperial County Retail Food Inspection and Grading Guide PDF (10/12/2023) at https://www.icphd.org/assets/Environmental-Health/Food/Food-Inspection-and-Grading-Guide-10.12-23.pdf — A/B/C/Closure thresholds (90/80/70/<70), 100-point baseline, deduction methodology, violation point structure (Major 2-4 pts, Minor 2 pts, Good Retail Practices 1 pt), 5 inspection types, re-score apparatus (owner request, fee required, 1 per calendar year, outcome not guaranteed), closure triggers and reopening workflow, appeal vs permit suspension hearing distinction, 5-foot posting requirements with shared-space provision, Official Retail Food Inspection Report template fields and structure, common terminology definitions, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 5 risk factors, Food and Drug Administration 5 public health interventions, Environmental Health program scope (7 programs including Animal Care and Control), address (797 Main Street, Suite B, El Centro), phone (442) 265-1888, fax (442) 265-1903, mission statement. Imperial County Code 8.02 ordinance citations.

Last verified by JIE: May 21, 2026

Published inspection data for Imperial County is mirrored on ScoreTable, direct from the agency.

Health department detail

What makes Imperial County distinct

Numeric-deduction letter-grade system with 100-point baseline: Imperial overlays a letter-grade system on the standard CalCode Official Retail Food Inspection Report template — 100-point baseline, deductions per violation, A/B/C/Closure tiers at 90/80/70/<70 thresholds. Same threshold pattern as Los Angeles County, San Bernardino, Napa.
Hybrid letter grade card or inspection score card display: Local ordinance allows either Letter Grade Card OR Inspection Score Card display — same hybrid model as Los Angeles County.
Aggressive misdemeanor enforcement teeth with daily-offense framing: Imperial County Code 8.02 backs the grade system with explicit misdemeanor classification, up to $1,000 fine, 6 months imprisonment, with each day a violation continues being a separate offense. More aggressive penalty language than typical California county food ordinances.
Animal Care and Control integrated into Environmental Health Division scope: Imperial Environmental Health covers Animal Care and Control across 4,050 sq mi of unincorporated area 24/7, alongside its food/water/sewage/pools Environmental Health portfolio.
Re-score inspection apparatus with fee + 1-per-calendar-year limit: Owner-initiated re-score with fee, capped at 1 per calendar year. Re-score outcome is not guaranteed. Available for B grade (upgrade opportunity) and required pathway for C grade (re-inspection mandatory). A grade does not require re-score.
Cross-border owner mix (Calexico-Mexicali): United States-Mexico border crossing at Calexico drives bilingual owner base and cross-border commerce. Owner outreach in Imperial requires bilingual capacity.

Standard 02

Fire Safety

Authority having jurisdiction

In Imperial County, fire code authority rests with Imperial County Fire Department.

Phone: (760) 337-6880
Website: co.imperial.ca.us/fire
Fire code edition: 2025 California Fire Code
NFPA 96 edition: 2021
Hood cleaning default: Quarterly
Permit type: Operational Fire Permit — annual renewal, pass/fail

Hood cleaning frequencies

Frequencies enforced by Imperial County Fire Department per NFPA 96 (2021).

Cooking volume / type	Frequency
Solid-fuel cooking	Monthly
High-volume / 24-hour / charbroil / wok	Quarterly
Moderate-volume	Semiannually
Low-volume / seasonal / place of worship	Annually

Hood cleaning enforcement

LOW

Reference

Frequently asked

Who inspects commercial kitchens in Imperial County?: Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division is the food safety authority for Imperial County. Reach them at (442) 265-1888. California Retail Food Code provides the statutory base; the agency conducts inspections, scores them per local methodology, and posts results to the public.
How are inspection results communicated in Imperial County?: Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division documents inspections per letter grade methodology. Results are available to the public through the agency's published portals.
Who enforces fire and hood-cleaning rules in Imperial County?: In Imperial County, fire code authority rests with Imperial County Fire Department. Enforcement covers the 2025 California Fire Code and NFPA 96 (2021 edition) for commercial kitchen exhaust. Hood cleaning default frequency: quarterly.
What fire code edition applies in Imperial County?: The 2025 California Fire Code is the adopted edition. NFPA 96 (2021) governs commercial kitchen exhaust systems. Ask Imperial County Fire Department whether Imperial County has adopted local amendments to the 2025 California Fire Code.
Where can I verify Imperial County inspection records?: Primary source: https://www.icphd.org/environmental-health. EvidLY ScoreTable mirrors the latest health-department-published results at https://www.getevidly.com/scoretable/california/imperial.

Related coverage

What to do with this data

EvidLY

Predict the failure. Reduce the cost. Prove the work.

EvidLY reads the regulations for Imperial County, identifies what's about to slip, and documents what got done — before an inspector or insurer asks.

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ScoreTable

Imperial County inspection data — direct from the agency.

Real inspection results for Imperial County, mirrored from the health department's own published portals. No aggregation, no conversion.

View Imperial County on ScoreTable

FTC disclosure: Stovio Advisors is a Cleaning Pros Plus, LLC company. Cleaning Pros Plus, HoodOps, and EvidLY (with ScoreTable) are commonly owned. Links to these sister brands are editorial references, not paid placements, and do not influence coverage. Vendor Network placements are paid and labeled as such; they do not influence editorial coverage.

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