How are restaurants graded in Imperial County?

Imperial County uses a Letter Grade (A/B/C) evaluation method for food safety inspections, administered by Imperial County Environmental Health Services.

Who handles fire safety inspections in Imperial County?

Fire safety for commercial kitchens in Imperial County is overseen by CAL FIRE / Imperial County Fire Department.

How many food facilities are in Imperial County?

Imperial County has approximately 1,000+ permitted food facilities.

Local Results

Imperial County Restaurant Inspections & Health Scores

Name: Imperial County Restaurant Inspection Data
Creator: Imperial County Environmental Health Services

The Score Behind Every Table.

Data verified: April 2026

CaliforniaLetter GradeCalCode

Imperial County — Fire Safety & Food Safety

Food Safety: Imperial County Environmental Health Services

Fire Safety: CAL FIRE / Imperial County Fire Department

California's border county — where 120°F desert heat, cross-border commerce, and letter grade inspections create the most extreme food safety environment in the state.

The Score Behind Every Table.

Food Safety

Evaluation

Letter Grade

Public Posting

No mandate

Inspection Frequency

Risk-based

Facilities

1,000+

Fire Safety

Fire Code

CFC

Cleaning Standard

NFPA 96

Cleaning Frequency

Per NFPA 96 Table 12.4

Authority

CAL FIRE / Imperial County Fire Department

Letter Grades

Imperial County uses a 100-point deductive scoring system with posted letter grades. Inspectors start at 100 and deduct points for each violation. The resulting letter grade must be posted during all hours of operation.

Excellent

Facility is in substantial compliance. Minor violations only.

Good

Moderate violations found. No re-score inspection required but improvement expected.

Needs Improvement

Major violations present. Mandatory closure for minimum 24 hours and reopening inspection required. Must achieve B or higher on re-inspection.

Fire Safety

Fire Authority

CAL FIRE / Imperial County Fire Department

El Centro Fire: (760) 337-4940. CAL FIRE SLF for unincorporated. CAL FIRE contract. City of El Centro Fire, Calexico Fire are separate city AHJs.

Hood Cleaning Standard

NFPA 96 Table 12.4 sets the interval by what the kitchen cooks: monthly for solid fuel, quarterly for high-volume cooking, semiannually for moderate volume, annually for low-volume or seasonal cooking.

Suppression Inspection

UL-300 wet chemical suppression systems required for all commercial cooking hoods. Semiannual by licensed fire protection contractor.