The Metro Public Health Department's Food Protection and Public Facilities Division provides protection from the threat of environmental hazards by performing inspections of Davidson County’s food service establishments, hotels, swimming pools, bed & breakfasts, schools, tattoo and body piercing shops, childcare locations, camps, and prisons. The division employs twenty-three Environmental Health Specialists to conduct inspections on the over 6,800 permitted facilities within the county.
The program conducts unannounced routine inspections, complaint investigations, and follow-up inspections as needed. The inspection rate is based on the program and nature of each permit. At a minimum, pools are inspected every month that they are open for swimmers, hotels and bed & breakfasts are inspected twice per year, tattoo shops are inspected four times per year, camps are inspected twice per year, and body piercers, schools, and childcare locations are inspected once per year. Food service establishments are inspected between one to three times per year based on their operating practices and history. Any location that cooks animal products from a raw state or cools down heated food is inspected at least twice per year.
Inspection scores are based on a 0-100 point scale, where non-priority violations constitute 1-2 points and priority violations are 4-5 points. Priority violations must be corrected immediately or within 10 days of the inspection. Administrative actions are required if establishments fail to correct priority violations within the prescribed time or have repeat priority violations identified on three consecutive routine inspections.
To contact us by phone, please call 615-340-5620.
Food Protection Services
Environmental Health Specialists in the Food Protection Services team work to ensure all restaurants, food trucks, concession stands and other food service establishments are safe for the community. For more on food safety and the requirements for a food establishment in Davidson County, visit our Food Protection Services page.
Complaint? Email the Food and Public Facilities team.
Public Facilities Inspections
The Public Facilities Inspection team works to ensure the community’s hotels, swimming pools, schools, camps, prisons and tattoo and body piercing shops are safe. The team works with owners and operators to make Nashville’s public facilities a healthy and safe option for the community. To learn more about the specific requirements and regulations, visit our Public Facilities Inspections page.
Tennessee Non-Smokers Protection Act
Nashville Ordinance Smoking Prohibited in Age-Restricted Venues