Division of Hotels and Restaurants

Enforcement Actions

The Division of Hotels and Restaurants licenses and inspects public food service and lodging establishments in Florida. The division also regulates all elevators, escalators and related people movers. Some regulatory functions are shared with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Department of Health.

The Office of Compliance in the Division of Hotels and Restaurants is responsible for handling enforcement activity.

The following information is provided as a general guide. It is not intended as legal advice. Anyone receiving an Administrative Complaint should consider seeking legal counsel. Applicable statutes or administrative rules supercede the information herein.

The following situations may lead the division to begin a compliance action:

• Violations which resulted in an Emergency Suspension of License or Emergency Closure.
• Operating without a required license or certificate.
• Failing to correct violations by the time given on a warning notice.
• A history of repeated critical and non-critical violations.
• Interfering with division employees performing their assigned duties.

To understand the enforcement process, it is helpful to understand the following inspection terms and definitions.

• Next routine inspection
• Warning
• Administrative Complaint
• Emergency Closure or Suspension of License

If you have received an Administrative Complaint or want to learn about the compliance process, see our What to do if you receive an Administrative Complaint page.

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