Fontana · Fire and Food Safety
Fontana Commercial Kitchen Compliance
A commercial kitchen in Fontana answers to three agencies: the Fontana Fire Protection District for fire safety, San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services for food safety, and the city's Public Works Department for grease. Here is who does what, and what each one expects to see.
Who Enforces Fire Code in Fontana
Fire code in Fontana is enforced by the Fontana Fire Protection District, a district governed by the Fontana City Council whose emergency, prevention and administrative services are provided under contract by the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Its Fire Prevention office works out of Fontana City Hall, and the district runs an Annual Self-Inspection Program for local businesses.
The district enforces the California Fire Code with its local amendments. The 2025 California Fire 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 Fontana 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 Fontana
Food safety in Fontana is inspected by the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health's Division of Environmental Health Services. A health permit comes with two routine inspections a year, and each inspection produces a score and a letter grade card that must be posted at the front of the restaurant. The card stays valid until the next routine inspection or a re-score.
The usable part is the re-score. A kitchen that receives a B can ask for one to improve its grade. When the county requires a re-score, the kitchen must correct everything on the inspection report and request the re-score in writing within 30 days, and the county completes it within 10 county business days. Missing that 30-day window, or failing to reach at least a B on the re-score, can close the kitchen until it does.
What's Local: The City's Grease Interceptor Minimum
The City of Fontana regulates grease through its Public Works Department, under Chapter 23 of the Fontana Municipal Code. A restaurant's wastewater discharge application asks how often the grease interceptor or trap is pumped and who hauls away its used cooking oil.
The usable part: section 23-163 requires every food processing facility to have a grease interceptor with a fluid capacity of at least 750 gallons. A conditional waiver is possible under section 23-52, but plan for the full 750 gallons before you sign a lease or draw a remodel. Section 23-162 of the same code prohibits water softeners regenerated on site in excess of one cubic foot.
Fontana Follows San Bernardino County's Framework
For how San Bernardino County grades and publishes inspections, and how it compares with the rest of California, see the San Bernardino County page.