Division of Hotels and Restaurants

MISSION: Protect the health and safety of the public by providing the industry with quality inspections and fair regulation

The Division of Hotels and Restaurants (H&R) licenses, inspects and regulates public lodging and food service establishments in Florida under Chapter 509, Florida Statutes (FS). The division also licenses and regulates elevators, escalators and other vertical conveyance devices under Chapter 399, FS.

Last fiscal year, the division operated its seventh full year of centralized public food service plan review in Tallahassee providing cost reductions and faster turnaround for its customers; conducted 118,136 public food service and lodging establishment inspections; cited 784,555 violations of sanitary standards in public food service and lodging establishments; completed over 92% of its statutorily required inspections; achieved an elevator compliance rate of 98.49%; and continued to implement its enterprise-wide re-engineering project to improve future operating efficiencies and enhance inspection procedures. For more information about the division, see our annual reports.

Zika Virus

• Mosquito Bite Protection in Florida
• Florida Health - Zika

If you have further questions, please refer to the Department of Health at 850.245.4444 or by visiting www.floridahealth.gov.

Applying for a license?

Start by clicking the 'Licensing Guides' link below for a brief explanation of the license types available.

• Licensing Guides

Before applying please review the basic guides, they can help you determine which license type best suits your needs and potentially speed up your licensing time by avoiding costly mistakes.

Hot Topics

• Inspection Frequency
• 2009 Food Code
• Review of 2009 FDA Food Code Changes
• Listeria Retail Workshop
• Food Allergen Awareness
• Employee Health Responsibilities
• Annual Reports
• E-mail Subscription Service
• Emergency Recovery Guidelines
• 2016 Legislative Changes: Food Service • Elevators
• Guide to Vacation Rentals and Timeshare Projects
• 2015 Legislative Changes
• Rule Adoption Activity: Food & Lodging • Elevators
• Price Gouging Information
• More...

Quick Links

• Licensing Guides
• Apply Online for Food and Lodging Licenses and Plan Review
• Food Service License Fee Calculator
• Lodging License Fee Calculator
• File a Complaint
• Search for an Inspection
• Food Service Manager Certification
• Food Service Employee Training
• Guide to Temporary Food Service Events
• Apply for H&R Employment
• DACS Food Recovery Resource Guide