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The Health Code Cheat Sheets

Restaurant equipment requirements for the St. Louis region, on one page per city and county.

Restaurant equipment requirements depend on where you open, so start here. What the health code says your kitchen needs, from the federal baseline down to your city and county, on both sides of the river. 18 cheat sheets in plain English, each with a printable checklist.

Start here

FDA Food Code (federal baseline)The equipment rules every health department in the region builds on.Read the guide →Missouri Food Code (state baseline)The statewide minimum for every Missouri restaurant, based on the 2009 FDA Food Code.Read the guide →Illinois Food Code (state baseline)2022 FDA Food Code statewide, 85°F hand sinks, food handler and allergen training.Read the guide →

Find your health department

Just type your city. That said, in most of the region the county handles restaurant inspections, not the city.

Missouri

Missouri’s statewide minimum is the Missouri Food Code. Most local health departments add stricter rules:

City of St. LouisCity Health Department, 2017 Food Code, Hep A rule.Read the guide →St. Louis CountyCounty Food Code (Chapter 807) and plan review.Read the guide →St. Charles CountyCounty Food Code (2016, revised 2023) and plan review.Read the guide →City of St. CharlesCounty health rules plus the city grease interceptor permit.Read the guide →City of St. PetersSt. Peters runs its own health department and food inspections.Read the guide →Jefferson County, MOArnold, Festus, Hillsboro. County Food Code (revised 2021).Read the guide →Franklin County, MOWashington, Union, Pacific. Plans due 14 business days before opening.Read the guide →Lincoln County, MOTroy, Moscow Mills, Elsberry. Plan review and $150 permit.Read the guide →Warren County, MOWarrenton, Wright City. Hep A vaccination for all food handlers.Read the guide →

Illinois (Metro East)

Madison County, ILEdwardsville, Alton, Granite City, Collinsville.Read the guide →St. Clair County, ILBelleville, O’Fallon, Fairview Heights, Shiloh.Read the guide →East St. Louis & East Side Health DistrictEast St. Louis, Cahokia Heights, Fairmont City, Washington Park.Read the guide →Monroe County, ILWaterloo, Columbia, Valmeyer.Read the guide →Jersey County, ILJerseyville, Grafton.Read the guide →Clinton County, ILCarlyle, Breese, Trenton, Aviston.Read the guide →

How to use these guides

  1. Start with the federal checklist, then your state guide: Missouri or Illinois. Every health department here builds its rules on the FDA Food Code.
  2. Next, open your local guide. It covers who inspects you, which code they use, and local extras like Hepatitis A vaccination rules or grease interceptor permits.
  3. Finally, call before you buy. Plan review usually happens before construction. Get your equipment list approved first, so you don’t buy something the inspector will reject.

Common questions

Is there a federal list of required restaurant equipment?

Not as a single list. Instead, the FDA writes the Food Code as a model, and state and local health departments adopt it. Its equipment rules (hand sinks, a three-compartment sink or dish machine, a mop sink, refrigeration that holds 41°F, thermometers, NSF-type equipment) apply everywhere in the region.

Does used restaurant equipment pass inspection?

Yes, as long as it’s commercial-grade, in good repair, easy to clean, and does its job, like holding 41°F. Inspectors look at condition and certification, not whether it’s new. However, household appliances usually fail.

Does my city or my county inspect my restaurant?

Usually the county. In contrast, the exceptions are the City of St. Louis and the City of St. Peters, which run their own health departments, and the East Side Health District, which covers East St. Louis and nearby townships in Illinois. Use the finder above.

Are the rules different in Illinois?

A little. For example, Illinois uses the 2022 FDA Food Code statewide. Hand sink water needs to be at least 85°F, and the state requires food handler training and allergen training. See the Illinois guide.

restaurant equipment requirements - foodservice equipment identification guide for commercial kitchens
Know your kitchen: the equipment that shows up on a health inspection, from the cook line to the dish pit.

Questions about restaurant equipment requirements?

Call your local health department before you buy equipment. Getting your list approved first costs nothing and can save you from buying something that won’t pass.

Last reviewed September 2026. These cheat sheets are general information, not legal advice. Codes change and inspectors have final say, so confirm with your health department, building department, fire marshal, and sewer district before you buy or install equipment.