Division of Hotels and Restaurants

Inspection Terms and Definitions

Next Routine Inspection

The inspector has documented non-critical violations and requires them to be corrected by the next routine inspection. If a pattern of violations continues, the inspector may request enforcement action and penalties without the benefit of a warning notice.

Warning

The inspector documented violations that must be corrected by a certain date or within a specified number of days from receipt of the inspection report. To speak to the inspector or supervisor before that date, call the Customer Contact Center at 850.487.1395 and leave a message including your license number, inspector name and inspection date.

At the time of the re-inspection, the inspector may issue a time extension if all critical violations are corrected, significant progress is made on all other violations, and no history of repeated violations exists.

If all violations are not corrected on time and a lack of progress is observed, the inspector may recommend enforcement action.

Administrative Complaint

An Administrative Complaint is a form of legal action taken by the division against licensees. The administrative complaint process must follow the requirements in Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

Insufficient compliance with a warning, a pattern of repeat violations, or existence of serious conditions that warrant immediate action may result in the division initiating an Administrative Complaint against the establishment. Correcting the violations is important, but penalties may still result from violations corrected after the warning time was over.

Emergency Closure or Suspension of License

Based on an immediate threat to the public, the Division of Hotels and Restaurants director has determined that the establishment must stop doing business and any division license is suspended to protect the public health, safety or welfare.

A 24-hour callback inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or emergency suspension of license. The establishment may reopen only when a division inspection shows that all critical violations that caused the suspension are corrected.

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