Banner Food Safety: Keeping you and your family, and our county's many visitors, safe from foodborne illness.

PERMANENT RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS

Every food establishment owner must get a permit from Kitsap Public Health District's Food Program to open and operate their business. A food establishment is one that stores, sells, packages, vends, serves, or prepares food for the public. A food establishment will fall into one of two categories: Permanent or temporary.

Some foods are allowed to be sold or served without a permit. Here is a list of those foods.

A temporary food establishment is one that operates at a public event. If you fall into this category, please see our Temporary Food Establishment page for more information.

If your establishment does not fall into the temporary food establishment category, then it is in the permanent food establishment category. These establishments are issued an annual permit, which expires every June 30 and must be renewed annually. Permits are non-refundable and not transferable between owners nor locations. The first step to obtaining an annual permit is plan review.


CHANGES OF OWNERSHIP

If you taking over the ownership of an food establishment that is still open and operating, complete and submit a Change of Ownership Notification and a Food Service Establishment Permit Application. Permits are not transferrable from owner to owner. You qualify for a change of ownership if the establishment has not closed for any period of time between owners and the menu, equipment, and services offered are staying the same. The establishment will need to go through full plan review if you do not qualify for a change of ownership (see next section).

PLAN REVIEW

Plan Review Times

Plan Review Applications must be submitted at least 30 days prior to your intended opening. We are currently experiencing a high volume of plan reviews and you may experience delays. Your patience is appreciated.

If you are starting a new food establishment, or changing the menu, equipment, or services offered of your establishment, then you will need to go through review with the Health District.

There are up to three types of review that each food service establishment will need to go through with the Health District: Food, drinking water, and onsite sewage system.  All food establishments will have the food review, and the drinking water and onsite sewage system reviews depend on the utilities of the building the food establishment is located within.  Your Health District contact person for each type of review may differ. 

Applications can be submitted in person or mailed, and we recommend that you submit your applications in person if your establishment is on a septic or holding tank. Only complete applications will be accepted, and incomplete applications will be returned.  Fees for applications are non-refundable.  We accept cash, checks, money orders, Visa, or Mastercard.

If you have questions, please call us at (360) 728-2235 or email dayna.katula@kitsappublichealth.org. We are here to help you be successful!


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