Environmental Services

Body Art and Body Piercing Program

The Inspection Services Department is responsible for inspecting all body art and body piercing facilities (except those that offer ear piercing only).

Each facility must:

• obtain a Body Art Permit through the Health Department annually
• operator of the facility must apply for an Operator’s Permit every two years

Inspections are based on compliance and non-compliance standards. Items found in non-compliance must be corrected immediately. For more information concerning the Body Art and Body Piercing Program, please visit the Alabama Department of Public Health’s website.

Body Art Facility Permit/License Application

Body Art Operator Permit Application

Child Day Care Centers

Purpose

These rules are promulgated to provide definitions; to set local standards for child daycare centers.  These rules shall be interpreted/applied to promote, improve, protect the health of Mobile County and eliminate conditions prejudicial to health or likely to become so.

Statutory Authority

The Mobile County Board of Health is authorized to adopt and promulgate these rules under and by the virtue of the authority of Sections 22-3-2 (1) (4), 22-3-5 and 22-10-1 (4) Code of Alabama, 1975.

Gulf Regional Early Childhood Services

Inspections Services Complaints

A food industry- or lodging industry-related complaint may be submitted by calling 251.690.8116 or sending an email to ISComplaints@mchd.org.

Note: The complainant must provide his/her name, address and telephone number if submitting a complaint by email or over the telephone. Any information submitted through the complaint program is considered public information and any interested party may obtain a copy of the complaint through the Freedom of Information Act.

Cottage Food Production Operations

The Alabama Cottage Food Law went into effect in June of 2014 and provides guidance, information and requirements for Cottage Food entrepreneurs wanting to prepare foods for sale from their private-home kitchens without benefit of inspection from the Health Department. The Law was updated in 2021 and states that individuals can produce certain non-potentially hazardous foods that do not require time or temperature control for safety to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation and do not use meat, poultry or fish. Cottage Law Foods include: cakes, bread, pastries, pies, jam, jellies and fruit preserves, dried and dehydrated herbs or herb mixes, dried or dehydrated vegetables or fruits, roasted coffee, candy, dried baking mixes and some fermented or preserved vegetables and fruits.

Cottage Law Foods may not be sold to restaurants, novelty shops, grocery stores or other second or third party retailers for commercial use or resale. A Cottage Food Producer may not sell their products from an establishment, including a mobile food unit, that otherwise requires a permit from the Health Department to operate.

An approved Cottage Food Producer may sell from a venue, mobile unit, tent, booth or store front that does not require a permit from the Health Department as long as the products being sold are being made in the Cottage Food Producer’s home kitchen and are sold directly to the consumer.

Anyone wanting to produce foods under the Cottage Food Law in Mobile County must present their required Food Safety Course Certificate and Product Labels to MCHD Inspection Service for review and approval. Upon expiration of their Food Safety Course Certificate, a Cottage Food Producer must make re-application for review of their current updated course certificate and labels. Please contact Inspection Service at 251-690-8116 for further details.

Alabama Cottage Food Law Information

Cottage Food Law 2021 Update – FAQ’s

Food Handler, Food and Beverage Courses

Any food establishment employee that serves or prepares unpackaged foods or whose job duties require being in food preparation, service, storage or ware washing areas is required to obtain a food handler card every year from the Mobile County Health Department.

Food Handler training is available 24/7 at MCHD Online Food Handler Training Class. Beverage classes are not offered online at this time, but all bartenders and wait staff are still required to obtain a regular Food Handler Card. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person food handler classes are not available at this time through Inspection Services.

All Food Handler Cards are valid for one year from the date of issue and renewals are required annually. The card must be signed and kept on the person to whom it is issued, at all times, and a copy provided to their employer. The person in charge at the establishment must keep a copy of each employee’s card on the premises for inspection.

The Food and Beverage Handler Card does not take the place of the Responsible Vendor program offered by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

For questions on further information, please call 251.690.8116.

Inspection Services Department Service Fees

ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE AND NON-TRANSFERRABLE

New Food and Lodging Inspection Services

The Beason-Hammond Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act

The Beason-Hammond Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act requires every person or sole proprietorship applying for a license or permit from the state to demonstrate his or her U.S. citizenship, or, if the person is an alien, to demonstrate his or her lawful presence in the United States. The lawful presence of an alien will be verified by the federal government through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.

In order to comply with this law, the Alabama Department of Public Health and Mobile County Health Department require a signed declaration, along with a legible copy of a document demonstrating U.S. citizenship or lawful presence in the United States, in addition to your permit or renewal application. The required declaration, and a list of acceptable documents, are attached to this letter. A business entity will be required to provide a declaration of business ownership structure if the type of ownership or business entity is not clearly indicated on the application. The department cannot process your application without the signed declaration and the appropriate supporting documentation.

Affidavit: Beason-Hammond AL Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act

Fundraising Events

Fundraising events are public events that encourage people to participate in order to raise money for a specific cause or organization. These events are considered charitable, non-profit and 100% of the proceeds raised/collected are donated to the specific cause or organization. If donations are collected for the items or goods sold, a price cannot be set. A donation is something that is given to a charity in order to help a person or organization. Prices for donations are not set.

The following information should serve as guidelines for charitable, nonprofit organizations in the sale of foods to the public through occasional bake sales or prepared meals. All inquiries related to your organization’s sale of food items as fundraisers should be directed to the Department of Food and Lodging, 251.690.8116.

Bake Sales and Prepared Meal Fundraisers

Special Events / Vending

Hotel/Motel/Lodging Worker Program

The Inspection Services Department is also responsible for inspecting the sanitary conditions of establishments that offer rent-overnight sleeping accommodations. Each of these facilities must obtain a Hotel/Motel Permit from the Health Department each year. Hotels and motels are scored on a 100 point grading scale. The current Hotel/Motel permit and inspection sheet must be in public view.

If you are interested in the score received by a hotel or motel, please call our office at 251.690.8116.

MCHD offers Public Health Lodging Worker Training – The goal of the training is to assist the industry workers with an understanding of the rules and standards outlined in the Hotel Regulations and to provide the basic knowledge and awareness of various public health and sanitation issues. For more information, please contact Inspection Services at 251.690.8116.

Rules for Hotels

New Food and Lodging Inspection Services

Thinking of starting a new food/lodging business or remodeling an existing food/lodging business?

All new/renovated/remodeled food establishments, daycare centers, hotels/motels, body art and body piercing facilities, must receive prior approval from the Health Department before beginning construction and again before the operation. Any existing food or lodging establishment undergoing renovation or remodeling must also receive prior approval from the Health Department.

What do I need to turn into MCHD for my construction/renovation project?

• A complete set of construction plans must be submitted for review by the Health Department at least 20 working days prior to the start of construction.
  • Plans should include:
    • the detailed proposal layout
    • arrangement of fixtures and equipment
    • lighting, mechanical and plumbing plans
    • finish and equipment schedules
    • contact information
    • any other items deemed necessary by the Health Department for an efficient review process

Once plans have been reviewed, the Health Department remains an active participant throughout the construction process and must approve the business for operation before sales to the public begin.

New Food and Lodging Inspection Services

Rules for Hotels

Food and Lodging Permit Application

Food Rule

ONSITE  SEWAGE SERVICES

The Mobile County Health Department’s Onsite Sewage division regulates the permitting, installations and inspections of onsite sewage disposal systems (septic tanks) for all of Mobile County, both residential and commercial. Onsite regulates septic and sewage tank pumpers, and requires an annual inspection of the pump truck prior to use. All persons involved in the onsite sewage disposal systems industry are required to be licensed by the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board. Other duties for Onsite include the permitting and inspection of three Solid Waste Transfer Stations in Mobile County, while also being involved in the creation and expansion of private and public cemeteries.

1110 Schillinger Rd N #200
Mobile, Alabama 36608

*Located next to the Jon Archer Agricultural Center (1110 Schillinger Road North)

Monday – Friday
7:30am – 4:30pm

251.634.9801

• On-site system verification & certification
• Septic tank permits & inspections
• Subdivision approval
• Solid waste inspections

ADPH Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Rules

Onsite Schedule of Fees:

Application/Inspection Fee:

• Residential $185.00
• Commercial $250.00

Large Flow Developments

• Preliminary Review (Phase I, II, III) $125.00
• Final Review (Phase I/II – 10 lots or less) $375.00
• Final Review (Phase II/III) Over 10 lots $35.00/lot
• Site Evaluation Fee $375.00
• System Verification/Certification Fee $90.00
• Onsite Reinspection Fee $60.00

Septic

• Sewage Tank Pumper Permit & Inspection $90.00
• Sewage Tank Pumper Permit & Inspection Late Fee $90.00

Solid Waste

• Solid Waste Collector (Annual Inspection & 1st Truck) $250.00
• Additional Trucks (from the same company) $155.00
• Solid Waste Collector Late Fee $125.00
• Transfer Station Fee $315.00

Miscellaneous Onsite Fees

• Cemetery Review $60/acre
• Electronic Transmission Fee $30.00/month
• Administrative (Non Medical) $30.00 + $0.25 per page
• Document/correspondence search and per page copy
• Miscellaneous Permit/Inspection (i.e. chickens in city, etc.) $30.00
• Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal (420-3-1) Regulations (Printed Copy) $25.00

Restaurant and Food Establishment Program

The Inspection Services Department has Environmental Health Specialists who perform restaurant and food establishment inspections on a routine basis to protect consumers from unsanitary conditions, educate food service employees and to prevent foodborne illnesses.

Each food service establishment must obtain a Food Permit from the Health Department each year. Any establishment, permanent or temporary, that offers for sale, any unpackaged food product or potentially hazardous packaged product to the public must have a current permit. This permit must be displayed in public view.

The environmentalists in the Inspection Services Department use an inspection sheet based on the one used by the Alabama Department of Public Health to score restaurants using a 100-point grading scale. Critical items are four- and five-point violations that require immediate correction. A “Notice of Violation” is issued for these items until all problems are resolved. One- and two-point violations must be corrected before the next inspection date. The inspection sheet must be current and displayed in public view.

Score details:

• 85 and above is a passing score.
• 70-84 requires re-inspection within 30 days.
• 60-69 requires re-inspection within 48 hours.
• 59 or below requires immediate closure.

An interactive digital map can be found under the Community Tools section that provides current and historical inspection scores for permitted food establishments. The map can be found at this link — https://mchd.org/community-tools.

If you are interested in the score received by a restaurant not listed, please call our office at 251.690.8116.

Food and Lodging Permit Application

Restaurant Ratings

Click on an establishment for ratings and details

Swimming Pool Program

The Mobile County Board of Health adopted the “Rules for the Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Swimming Pools and Spas” effective October 20, 2005. It is necessary for persons operating public pools and spas to apply for a Swimming Pool/Spa Permit for each pool or spa on the premises. There is a $250 fee per pool or spa, effective May 2013. Current permits expire in September. Notices and applications for renewal are mailed in July.

The Inspection Services Department inspects outdoor facilities at least three times between the months of May to September. Indoor facilities have inspections a minimum of three times a year.

Copies of the rules may be obtained from the Mobile County Health Department for $20 or downloaded for free from this link.

Temporary Food Service 

Individuals or groups planning to hold events that are open to the public must have a permit. The rules of the State Board of Health require that a permit to operate a temporary food booth be obtained prior to any food being sold. Each concession must have its own permit.

If you advertise the event with flyers, banners, newspaper articles or by any other means, it is considered a public event.

A valid permit shall be conspicuously posted in every temporary food service establishment. This helps ensure that the food sold will be as safe as possible. Many outbreaks of foodborne illness have been traced back to food improperly handled at temporary events.

To receive more information regarding temporary and special event requirements, please contact our office at 251.690.8116 or select documents given on this page.

Temporary Food Service Guidelines

Special Event Vending Inspection Services