Inspection guides · California
Restaurant inspections in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County's Department of Environmental Health inspects food facilities unannounced. Each posts a green, yellow or red placard near its main entrance. Routine inspections also get a score from 0 to 100.
What the results mean
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Green placard ("PASS") | At most 1 major violation, corrected during the inspection. |
| Yellow placard ("CONDITIONAL PASS") | 2 or more major violations, all corrected. A re-inspection follows within 3 business days. |
| Red placard ("CLOSED") | An imminent health threat not corrected during the inspection. The facility must close. |
Check before you go. ForkFax maps every Santa Clara County restaurant with its latest inspection, as the county published it. Free, no account.
Good to know
- The score is separate: each violation takes points off 100, 8 for a major, 3 moderate, 2 minor.
- A closed place stays closed until a re-inspection shows the hazard is gone.
- Food trucks, carts and caterers do not get placards yet.
Check or report a restaurant
- Search any facility on SCCDineOut, the county's inspection web app.
- Got sick from food? File a foodborne illness report, or call (408) 918-3400.
Sources
- Santa Clara County DEH: Food facility placarding and scoring Program
- Santa Clara County DEH: Food Safety Placarding workshop handout
- Santa Clara County DEH: SCCDineOut Web App
- Santa Clara County DEH: Report food-related problems and concerns
- Santa Clara County DEH: File a report for a suspected foodborne illness
Facts checked November 3, 2026. ForkFax is not affiliated with any health department; the agency's own records are the official ones.