Maryland food service license and certified food manager rules

Owners who move to Maryland from another state are often surprised that there is no single office that handles everything. Food service facilities are licensed and inspected by local health departments, under state rules, and the details differ by county. This guide explains the structure, what to ask your health department about managers and permits, and how to build a routine so you are ready for an inspection in any county. It is general information. Your county health department is the authority on your license.

Who licenses a restaurant in Maryland?

A food service facility license is required whether you sell food or give it away, according to Maryland guidance. Licensing and inspection are done by the health department of the county, or Baltimore City, where your business sits. State rules guide them, and the details differ by county. In practice, you contact your local health department, submit plans if you are building or remodeling, and pass an inspection before you open.

What do plan reviews involve?

If you open a new restaurant or make major changes, most counties want to review plans before construction. They look at the layout, equipment, sinks, floor surfaces, ventilation and water supply. Ask for a pre-application meeting. Fixing a layout on paper costs a small fraction of fixing it after the contractor has finished, and the health department can tell you what they will want to see on inspection day.

Do you need a certified food manager?

It depends on the county. Some health departments require a Certified Food Service Manager to be in immediate control of the facility, and sources conflict on how widely that applies, so ask your own health department. Also ask whether the exam must be taken at a proctored location, because some counties do not accept online test certificates.

How do you choose a certification course?

Look for a program accredited to the national standard for food protection manager certification, and confirm with your county that it accepts it. Ask whether the exam must be taken in person, and whether the course is available in the languages your staff speak. Keep the certificate and the course approval together. Plan for more than one certified person if you open seven days, since a manager on vacation can leave you uncovered. Budget for the exam fee and for the time it takes.

Who needs a food handler card, and what do inspectors look for?

Requirements for ordinary food handlers vary by county, and some counties require training or cards while others do not. Check with your health department, and where the rule is unclear, train everyone anyway. Basic training in handwashing, temperature control, allergens and illness reporting prevents the problems inspectors look for.

Inspectors check temperatures, handwashing, cross-contamination, cleanliness, pest control and whether a certified person is present where required. Items that can cause illness are treated more seriously than cosmetic ones. Keep a binder with your license, certificates, cleaning logs and temperature logs, and make sure a manager can answer questions about how you cool and reheat food.

How can you prepare for an inspection?

A monthly mock inspection is the most useful habit. Walk the kitchen with a checklist as if you were the inspector.

• Check that hand sinks are clear, stocked and hot.
• Test sanitizer strength and thermometer accuracy.
• Look at storage order in the walk-in: ready-to-eat food above raw meat.
• Check dates and labels on prepared food.
• Make sure certificates and the license are posted or ready.

Fix what turns up the same day, and write it down. Rotate the role of the pretend inspector among your leads, since fresh eyes notice different things. After a real inspection, hold a short meeting to go over any violation and what changed.

What if you have a food truck or pop-up?

Mobile and temporary operations have their own licensing and commissary rules, and they vary by county. Ask each county where you plan to operate, and plan for fees and inspections in each one. Record every certificate expiry date in a shared sheet and set a reminder 60 days ahead, keep photocopies, and update your files when staff leave. A short annual call to the health department about rule changes is cheap insurance. Keep the answers you get in writing, with the date and the name of the person who gave them, and file them with your license, so that a new manager inherits the rules you have already confirmed. When a county inspector explains a violation, ask what a correct fix looks like and write it on the same page, because the same question will come up again at the next inspection.

Do you want diners to see how much you care about the kitchen?

A clean inspection means little to a guest who has never heard of you. Mosey is a food-first app where diners search by dish and mood, rate what they ate and keep lists, and where independent restaurants and cafes get tools for their own page, menu and regular guests. If you want the care in your kitchen to show up in what diners say about your food, being found and rated by the dish is what Mosey is built around.

More guides for your business:

• Maryland minimum wage and tipped wage for restaurants (2026)
• Maryland sales tax on restaurant meals and alcohol: what to charge

More in the US guides for food businesses.