Health Permit Exemption FAQ

What facilities are exempt from obtaining a health permit?

All Food Establishments require a health permit.

Food Establishment does not include:

An establishment that offers meets the exemption requirements pursuant to NRS 446.870 and is subject to the requirements of NAC 446.042.
Private homes, unless the FOOD prepared or manufactured in the home is sold, offered or displayed for sale, or for compensation or contractual consideration of any kind.
Fraternal or social clubhouses at which attendance is limited to members of the club.
VEHICLEs operated by common carriers engaged in interstate commerce.
Any establishment in which religious, charitable, and other non-profit organizations sell FOOD occasionally to raise money, or in which charitable organizations receive salvaged FOOD in bulk quantities for free distribution, unless the establishment is open on a regular basis to sell FOOD to members of the general public.
Any establishment where animals are slaughtered which is regulated and inspected by the State Department of Agriculture.
Dairy farms and plants which process milk and products of milk, or frozen desserts, which are regulated in NRS Chapter 584.

The PREMISES of a wholesale dealer of alcoholic BEVERAGEs licensed in NRS Chapter 369 and who handles only alcoholic BEVERAGEs which are in SEALED containers.

How do I apply for a health permit exemption?

Email a completed Exemption Application to foodrev@snhd.org. A fee of $50 will be assessed and an inspector will survey the establishment to verify that the exemption criteria is met. If approved, you will receive an annual renewal invoice for $50.

Less than 25% of my business is food, do I qualify for an exemption?

For an establishment to be exempt from a health permit, it must:

Provide restroom facilities for its employees that meet the requirements of this chapter.
Not serve, sell, give away, display or store potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food).
Store all food to be sold or offered for sale within the establishment.
Ensure that food is not consumed on the premises.
Not offer seating to the public.

Ensure that the primary business of the establishment is not related to food and that the portion of the establishment that is related to food does not occupy more than 25 percent of the total area of the establishment. (NRS 439.150, 439.200, 446.870, 446.940)

Which foods may be sold or offered for sale by a food establishment that is exempt?

Exempt foods may include:

Commercially canned or bottled beverages.
Coffee or coffee beans.
Prepackaged non-TCS snacks and candies.
Prepackaged food such as spices, teas and herbs.
Whole fruits and vegetables in a natural and unprocessed state, provided that it is from an approved source.

Can an exempt establishment handle food, by cooking it, opening and repackaging bulk containers of it or processing it?

No, this is not allowed within an exempt establishment. If open food is handled in any way, a health permit is required.

My business is already inspected by the USDA or FDA, am I required to obtain a health permit?

Yes, each food establishment within the state of Nevada must be inspected at least annually by a Health Authority. “Health Authority” means the officers and agents of the Division of Public and Behavioral Health or the officers and agents of the local boards of health. If all activities within the facility are permitted by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health or the Nevada Department of Agriculture, a health permit with the Southern Nevada Health District may not be required.

Contact Information

Phone: (702) 759-1258

Email: FoodRev@snhd.org

Location:
Fremont Public Health Center
2830 E. Fremont St.
Las Vegas, NV 89104

Updated on: July 11, 2021