Hawaiʻi Eats · health inspections
How to look up a Hawaii restaurant inspection
The State Department of Health's Food Safety Branch inspects every food business on every island and posts a color-coded placard at the door: green, yellow or red. DOH publishes results one search at a time, not in bulk, so Hawaiʻi Eats shows no inspection results and gives no grade of its own. Here is what each placard means and where to look one up.
The three placards
| Placard | What it means |
|---|---|
| Green | Pass: at most one critical violation, corrected during the inspection. |
| Yellow | Conditional pass: a critical violation left uncorrected, or two or more; a follow-up inspection follows, usually within two business days. |
| Red | Closed: an imminent health hazard, until a follow-up inspection clears it. |
Hawaii State Department of Health, Food Safety Branch: placards and the inspection search
From Hawaii Administrative Rules §11-50-9 (as amended August 24, 2025). Hawaiʻi Eats isn't affiliated with the Department of Health.
Inspection questions
Does Hawaii grade restaurants?
Not with a letter or a number. The Department of Health posts a color-coded placard: green for a pass, yellow for a conditional pass with a follow-up inspection, red for a closure. The placard on the door shows the most recent inspection.
Why doesn't Hawaiʻi Eats show inspection results?
Because there is no bulk data to show fairly. DOH publishes results one search at a time and no statewide file, so Hawaiʻi Eats shows no inspection results rather than a partial or guessed picture, and never gives a grade of its own. Each place in the app and on this site links DOH's food safety page.
Who inspects restaurants in Hawaii?
The State Department of Health's Food Safety Branch, on every island. Counties don't inspect restaurants.
Where are the rules?
In Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 11, Chapter 50, the state food safety code. The placard program has run since February 24, 2014, and the rules were last amended on August 24, 2025.
Restaurants by island
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