Existing Food Establishments

Gilmer County Health Department considers food establishments as vital partners in protecting the health of Gilmer County residents and those visiting the county.  Gilmer County Health Department is committed to helping all food establishments be successful in food safety and food preparation.

Operational Permits:

1. Food establishments are permitted by Gilmer County Health Department annually for the period of July 1 to June 30.
2. Gilmer County Health Department mails permit renewal reminders approximately one month before permits expire.
3. To renew annual permits, food establishments must submit an Application for a Permit to Operate a Food Establishment and pay appropriate fees to Gilmer County Health Department as detailed on the fee schedule.  A 25% late fee is applicable to all fees submitted after June 30.
4. Gilmer County Health Department may renew annual permits following submission of the application and fees.

Compliance Inspections:

1. Gilmer County Health Department provides routine compliance inspections.  Food establishments are measured against standards detailed in the 2013 FDA Food Code and W.V. 64 C.S.R. 17 during these inspections.  Compliance violations may be debited during inspections based on severity as priority, priority foundation or core respectively.  Priority items are code violations that directly lead to an imminent threat to the health of the consumer such as improper food holding temperatures, improper cooking temperatures, improper food handling and misuse of chemical.  Priority foundation items are code violations that create conditions that potentially develop into priority items.  Core items are code violations that are primarily related to general cleanliness and maintenance as opposed to direct food handling and holding.
2. Food establishments must take care to maintain conditions and practices that lead to no more than three immediately non-correctable priority items.  Such conditions warrant closure of the food establishment by Gilmer County Health Department until such time as the priority items may be corrected.
3. Follow-up compliance inspections may be required in the event that a food establishment experienced serious code violations that were immediately non-correctable at the time of the routine compliance inspection.  In the event of a follow-up inspection, Gilmer County Health Department must charge the food establishment an inspection fee of $40.  All outstanding fees must be paid prior to permit renew.
4. Inspection results are considered public record and are routinely made available to the public.

Change of Ownership and/or Remodeling:

1. Change of ownership and/or remodeling of a food establishment is equivalent under law to opening a new food establishment.  Permits are non-transferable, and remodeling usually requires significant changes in food processing.
2. When changing ownership and/remodeling, the food establishment must follow the procedures detailed on the New Food Establishments page of this website.