Health Code Cheat Sheet · City of St. Louis

City of St. Louis Restaurant Equipment Requirements

These are the St. Louis restaurant requirements for opening inside city limits. What the City of St. Louis Department of Health requires before you open: the equipment checklist, 2017 Food Code, Hepatitis A vaccination, plan review, permits and grease rules.

Print this checklist

Start with the federal Food Code equipment checklist and the Missouri Food Code guide. Both apply here. This page covers who you deal with locally and what’s different.

Equipment the city checks before you open

The Health Department’s opening checklist asks for:

• Hot and cold running water under pressure
• Hand sinks with soap and paper towels
• A three- or four-compartment sink with drainboards
• A mop or utility sink
• Chemical sanitizer and a test kit
• A thermometer in every refrigerator and freezer, plus a metal-stem probe thermometer
• Enough hot and cold holding equipment for your menu
• Employee restrooms with self-closing doors
• Proper ventilation, with outside openings sealed against pests
• A commercial dumpster

Staff rules specific to the city

• A person in charge with a food safety certificate on every shift
• Every food handler vaccinated for Hepatitis A within 30 days of starting

Steps to open

1. Building or remodeling? Call the Health Department before construction and submit plans for plan review (a fee applies).
2. Get your occupancy permit from the city’s Building Division.
3. Get a business license (or a liquor license if you’ll serve alcohol).
4. Apply for a permanent food permit. Bring your licenses, ID and food safety certificate, and pay the fee by check or money order.
5. Schedule your pre-opening inspection.

Grease and fire: separate from the health department

• Sewer service in the city is MSD. Ask MSD about grease interceptor requirements before you finalize plumbing plans. MSD recommends pumping interceptors before they reach 60% full
• Hood fire suppression systems are inspected by the St. Louis Fire Department’s fire prevention bureau, not the Health Department

Sources

• City of St. Louis: Opening a new food and beverage establishment
• Ordinance 71324: New City Food Code
• MSD: Grease interceptors

Questions about St. Louis restaurant requirements?

Call the health department listed above 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. This guide is general information to help you plan and ask better questions. It is 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.