Food and Facilities Licensing

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, through Licensure and Regulatory Services, licenses and inspects, under both county and state regulations, facilities such as assisted living facilities; group homes; food service facilities (including restaurants, grocery stores, bars, mobile food trucks, and bed and breakfasts); facilities offering bingo, raffles and amusements; massage establishments; swimming pools; tanning facilities; transient lodging; and video game facilities. 

Licensure and Regulatory Services is made up of three units:

Environmental Health

This unit enforces the regulations associated with the operation of all licensed food service facilities. This includes routine and complaint investigations, food-borne disease outbreak investigations (with the Disease Control Office), plan review for public pools and food service facilities, and emergency response at licensed facilities.  Staff conduct educational seminars for licensees and issue  periodic newsletters.  This unit also enforces Montgomery County's smoking, trans fat and menu labeling laws, as well as regulations related to the control of rats.

This unit consists of Environmental Health Specialists who perform complex inspections and investigations of public facilities to enforce the regulatory standards associated with the operation of all licensed facilities. The investigators work in assigned areas of the county and schedule and conduct on-site inspections and investigations of construction and operating standards in facilities and institutions, such as restaurants: markets: bakeries; nursing homes; group residential homes; public and private schools; tanning salons; and public swimming pools, for the purpose of identifying public health and safety hazards.

Health Care

This unit ensures the protection of the public health and quality of care through a program of inspection and investigation of licensed health care facilities, ie., nursing homes and large and small assisted living facilities.  A team of nurses is responsible for enforcing local, state and federal regulations relating to resident (s) rights, quality of care and quality of life in nursing homes and large and small assisted living facilities. Nurse surveyors determine if nursing homes are in compliance with Federal, State and County laws and regulations in order to be licensed to receive Medicare/Medicaid funds.  In addition, nurse surveyors inspect Domiciliary/Assisted Living facilities to determine compliance with State and County laws and regulations. Health Care Facility inspections are unannounced and are conducted on site. In addition, this program licenses small group home facilities for three or more unrelated individuals.

Licensing Services

This unit processes and issues facility and personal licenses; receives complaints regarding licensed facilities; smoking , trans fat and menu labeling violations; and rats.  The unit also distributes general information to the public.