The Commercial Kitchen Standard

California Jurisdiction

Napa County commercial kitchen compliance

California's 35th-largest county by commercial kitchen population. Napa County Planning, Building and Environmental Services Department, Environmental Health Division -- Retail Food Program is the authority. Here's the methodology, the thresholds, and the fire code overlay.

Authority chain

Napa County → Napa County Planning, Building and Environmental Services Department, Environmental Health Division -- Retail Food Program → California Retail Food Code

Napa County is a smaller California jurisdiction. Inspection volume is lower than the metro counties, but the statutory framework — California Retail Food Code — is identical. City of Napa Fire: (707) 257-9508. CAL FIRE LNU for unincorporated.

Standard 01

Food Safety

Authority

Napa County Planning, Building and Environmental Services Department, Environmental Health Division -- Retail Food Program

Phone
707-253-4540
Scoring type
Points Deduction 100
Grading type
Letter Grade
Pass threshold
90
Warning threshold
80
Critical threshold
70

Methodology

Napa County operates a points-deduction-from-100 system with a 4-tier letter grade A/B/C/F. Each inspection begins at 100 points; violations are deducted based on severity (Major = 6 points, Minor = 2 or less points; variable). Letter grade is assigned by total points deducted: A (0-10 deducted, score 90-100), B (11-20 deducted, score 80-89), C (21-30 deducted, score 70-79), F (30+ deducted, score below 70). F grade necessitates immediate action and subjects facility to additional inspections and/or legal actions. Distinct from other letter-grade CA jurisdictions: most use 3-tier A/B/C, San Bernardino uses 4-tier with a "Closure" bottom tier, Kern uses 4-tier with a "Notice of Closure" placard, and Napa uniquely uses F as the failure tier. Risk-based inspection frequency: Low risk (prepackaged/convenience) = 1/yr, Medium risk (limited prep) = 2/yr, High risk (full menu/supermarkets) = 3/yr; poor-scoring facilities inspected more frequently. Authority: California Retail Food Code. Local Napa County Code section authorizing the grading system was not identified in primary sources captured this session -- follow-up needed.

Primary source

Napa County Grand Jury 2015-2016 Final Report "Maintaining Food Quality in Napa County" + Napa County PBES April 2025 News Release

Last verified by JIE: May 21, 2026

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

Standard 02

Fire Safety

Authority having jurisdiction

CAL FIRE LNU / Napa City FD

Phone
(707) 253-4320
Fire code edition
2025 CFC
NFPA 96 edition
2024
Hood cleaning default
Quarterly
Permit type
Operational Fire Permit — annual renewal, pass/fail

Hood cleaning frequencies

Frequencies enforced by CAL FIRE LNU / Napa City FD per NFPA 96 (2024).

Cooking volume / typeFrequency
Solid-fuel cookingMonthly
High-volume / 24-hour / charbroil / wokQuarterly
Moderate-volumeSemiannually
Low-volume / seasonal / place of worshipAnnually

Hood cleaning enforcement

MODERATE

Reference

Frequently asked

Who inspects commercial kitchens in Napa County?
Napa County Planning, Building and Environmental Services Department, Environmental Health Division -- Retail Food Program is the food safety authority for Napa County. Reach them at 707-253-4540. California Retail Food Code (CRFC) 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 Napa County?
Napa County Planning, Building and Environmental Services Department, Environmental Health Division -- Retail Food Program 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 Napa County?
CAL FIRE LNU / Napa City FD is the fire authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). They enforce 2025 CFC and NFPA 96 (2024 edition) for commercial kitchen exhaust. Hood cleaning default frequency: quarterly.
What fire code edition applies in Napa County?
2025 CFC is the adopted edition. NFPA 96 (2024) governs commercial kitchen exhaust systems. Local amendments: none recorded.
Where can I verify Napa County inspection records?
Primary source: https://www.countyofnapa.org/1906/Retail-Food-Program. EvidLY ScoreTable mirrors the latest jurisdiction-published results at https://www.getevidly.com/scoretable/california/napa.
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