Decode the inspection report
NYC restaurant health code violations
Current official records
Common NYC restaurant violation codes
Counts below show restaurants whose latest inspection includes the code—not every historical occurrence.
| Code | Official violation description | Latest inspections | Critical records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10F | Non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit. | 13,849 | — |
| 08A | Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests. | 6,126 | — |
| 06C | Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. | 6,058 | 6,058 |
| 10B | Anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of. | 5,919 | — |
| 06D | Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. | 5,789 | 5,789 |
| 02G | Cold TCS food item held above 41 °F; smoked or processed fish held above 38 °F; intact raw eggs held above 45 °F; or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures except during active necessary preparation. | 5,446 | 5,446 |
| 02B | Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F. | 4,510 | 4,510 |
| 04L | Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas. | 3,437 | 3,437 |
| 04N | Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage associated with (FRSA) flies or other nuisance pests in establishment’s food and/or non-food areas. FRSA flies include house flies, blow flies, bottle flies, flesh flies, drain flies, Phorid flies and fruit flies. | 2,507 | 2,507 |
| 10G | Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient. | 2,471 | — |
| 04A | Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations. | 2,166 | 2,166 |
| 06F | Wiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses. | 1,703 | 1,703 |
| 06E | Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. | 1,688 | 1,688 |
| 04H | Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan. | 1,628 | 1,628 |
| 09C | Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained. | 1,573 | — |
| 08C | Pesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used. | 1,448 | — |
| 06A | Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed. | 1,407 | 1,407 |
| 05D | No hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device. | 1,392 | 1,392 |
| 10H | Single service article not provided. Single service article reused or not protected from contamination when transported, stored, dispensed. Drinking straws not completely enclosed in wrapper or dispensed from a sanitary device. | 1,316 | — |
| 04M | Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area. | 1,032 | 1,032 |
| 09B | Thawing procedure improper. | 915 | — |
| 09E | Wash hands sign not posted near or above hand washing sink. | 800 | — |
| 10E | Accurate thermometer not provided or properly located in refrigerated, cold storage or hot holding equipment | 765 | — |
| 04K | Evidence of rats or live rats in establishment's food or non-food areas. | 699 | 699 |
| 02H | After cooking or removal from hot holding, TCS food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal temperature is reduced from 140 °F to 70 °F or less within 2 hours, and from 70 °F to 41 °F or less within 4 additional hours. | 652 | 652 |
| 28-06 | Contract with a pest management professional not in place. Record of extermination activities not kept on premises. | 646 | — |
| 10D | Mechanical or natural ventilation not provided, inadequate, improperly installed, in disrepair or fails to prevent and control excessive build-up of grease, heat, steam condensation, vapors, odors, smoke or fumes. | 622 | — |
| 04J | Properly scaled and calibrated thermometer or thermocouple not provided or not readily accessible in food preparation and hot/cold holding areas to measure temperatures of TCS foods during cooking, cooling, reheating, and holding. | 594 | 594 |
| 08B | Garbage receptacle not pest or water resistant, with tight-fitting lids, and covered except while in active use. Garbage receptacle and cover not cleaned after emptying and prior to reuse. Garbage, refuse and other solid and liquid waste not collected, stored, removed and disposed of so as to prevent a nuisance. | 567 | — |
| 03A | Food, prohibited, from unapproved or unknown source, home canned or home prepared. Animal slaughtered, butchered or dressed (eviscerated, skinned) in establishment. Reduced Oxygen Packaged (ROP) fish not frozen before processing. ROP food prepared on premises transported to another site. | 365 | 365 |
| 09A | Swollen, leaking, rusted or otherwise damaged canned food to be returned to distributor not segregated from intact product and clearly labeled DO NOT USE | 361 | 93 |
| 10A | Toilet facility not maintained or provided with toilet paper, waste receptacle or self-closing door. | 360 | — |
| 06B | Tobacco or electronic cigarette use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area. | 329 | 329 |
| 04C | Food worker/food vendor does not use utensil or other barrier to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment. | 249 | 249 |
| 05H | No approved written standard operating procedure for avoiding contamination by refillable returnable containers. | 171 | 171 |
Critical vs. non-critical
What is a critical restaurant violation?
The NYC source flags violations that present a greater food-safety concern as critical. The flag comes directly from the official inspection record.
Critical does not mean “currently unsafe”
A critical flag describes the violation recorded during that inspection. It does not prove that the condition remains present today. Check the inspection date, action and any follow-up visit.
Point totals still need context
Two restaurants can have the same score but different violation types. That is why every profile shows descriptions, critical flags, repeat patterns and inspection history instead of only a letter.
Recurring violations
When the same code appears in multiple inspection events, the profile identifies it as recurring. Recurrence is calculated from the restaurant’s official history and is not a separate city designation.
How to look up a restaurant’s violations
Search the NYC restaurant health ratings map by name, address, neighborhood or cuisine. Open the restaurant profile to see its latest violations first, then use the inspection-history table for earlier scores and visit types.
For time-sensitive health or safety decisions, confirm the record using NYC’s official restaurant inspection search. Our data methodology explains source timestamps, grouping and comparison calculations.