Quick answer: Use Clark County Restaurant Inspections to find the establishment, then compare the latest routine report with any follow-up or closure record. Open Clark County Restaurant Inspections and follow its official search portal, search by the establishment’s current name and address, then open more than one inspection so you can see whether important violations were corrected.
Clark County Public Health inspects restaurants, delis, groceries, temporary vendors, and school food service. Search the correct facility type and verify the full address.
Search the Clark County Washington record without choosing the wrong facility
| Starting clue | How to search | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Business name | Enter the full or partial establishment name, then confirm the facility detail and address | Legal and trade names can differ |
| Street or city | Match the full street address and municipality | Separates same-name locations |
| Permit/license number | Use the facility, permit, or record number when displayed | Usually the strongest location identifier |
| Inspection date | Open the routine report and every later follow-up in date order | Finds follow-up after a cited problem |
Why a new restaurant may have no published score
Clark County says a new restaurant, or one with a change in ownership, generally receives its first inspection within three months of opening. That first inspection is educational, and the county does not make its score available on its website. The county also warns that online results may be incomplete while it changes permitting and data systems. A blank search or missing score therefore cannot establish whether an inspection happened, whether a restaurant passed, or whether its record is complete. Read the county’s inspection explanation, then search both the current name and address and check the facility’s dated inspection history. If you need the first inspection or a complete history, ask Clark County Public Health for the exact facility record.
When a report is available, use its label and date. For example, a public report dated October 15, 2026 is labeled Food Establishment Inspection | Routine and shows a 10-point score, OUT items 02 (food-worker cards) and 41 (warewashing), and submissions due October 22. That deadline is an instruction in the report, not proof the actions were completed. Open later entries for the same facility before describing their outcome. A visible routine result should not be mistaken for the unpublished score of an educational first inspection.
A school result needs its own reading
The same county search includes school cafeterias and student stores; the school food-service page tells readers to enter the school name. Confirm that you opened the intended school food-service record, then read its inspection date, type, observations, and any later record. The county says school food-service scores are displayed as pass or fail, whereas restaurant results use red and blue violation points with different follow-up and closure thresholds.
The current portal needs a careful reading: in the October 8 school routine report checked October 16, 2026, the list and opened report display a numeric 0 even though the county’s explanation says school scores are pass/fail. The cause is unverified. Do not translate that zero into “Pass,” a restaurant score, or a blanket food-safety conclusion. When the display and the county’s scoring explanation do not match, use the report’s observations and ask the county to clarify the specific result before relying on a score label.
Read Clark County Washington results using the local system’s definitions
Clark County records red high-risk and blue lower-risk violation points. The county specifies automatic follow-up at 40 or more red points, automatic closure at 65 or more red points, and automatic closure at 100 or more combined red and blue points. These are local violation-point thresholds, not percentages or letter grades. Read the actual agency action; a low total does not certify present conditions.
| Inspection item | Useful interpretation | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Routine inspection | A dated regulatory snapshot | Treating it as a permanent cleanliness grade |
| Complaint inspection | The agency checked a reported concern | Assuming the complaint itself was proven |
| Reinspection/follow-up | The agency returned to verify correction | Reading the first report without the outcome |
| Local score, rating, or violation points | The agency’s summary for conditions observed during that inspection | Treating unlike inspection types or local scoring systems as directly comparable |
Read the sequence, not just the score or violation count
The useful evidence is the sequence: routine inspection, cited item, correction timing, reinspection, and any closure or reopening decision. A single number without that sequence can reverse the meaning of the record.
- Confirm the exact establishment and facility identifier.
- Separate routine, complaint, pre-opening, and follow-up inspections.
- Record high-risk, repeat, and on-site-corrected items.
- Open the next agency event to verify whether the cited condition was resolved.
If no record appears
A missing result may reflect a shortened licensed name, new ownership, a different local health jurisdiction, a portal transition, or records available only by request. Do not substitute a review site for the government record.
- Search a distinctive fragment instead of the full business name.
- Search or filter by address and municipality.
- Check for a new owner or facility identifier at the same location.
- Use the contact or records route on Clark County Restaurant Inspections when the online history is incomplete.
What an inspection report cannot tell you
The October reports above illustrate different reading problems: an outstanding submission deadline in a restaurant record and an unexplained numeric display in a school record. An October inspection does not guarantee the conditions of a meal served later. Clark County’s numeric restaurant score counts violation points, so higher points do not mean a better result. Read red and blue items, correction instructions, and later inspections before drawing a conclusion.
Keep a Clark County record trail
Save the selected Food or School program, the report URL, the facility history link, and the date range you searched. Beside each dated report, note its Purpose and Inspection Type, then record cited items and what the corrective-action text still requires. The violation-reading guide helps separate an instruction from a documented correction. For an address outside this Washington county, choose its own authority in the city inspection directory.
Read the newest entry with its stated scope: a follow-up can check particular items without replacing the last full routine report. Keep repeat violations and unresolved instructions visible. If a record is absent during the system transition, give Public Health the exact address, former and current names, and requested inspection dates; ask which agency record answers the missing part.
Related guides
Official sources
- Clark County restaurant inspections — official name search, current transition notice, red/blue violation points, reinspection, and closure thresholds
- Clark County food safety — official inspection, complaint, food-code, and permitting program directory
Official sources and linked report examples checked: October 16, 2026. The school numeric display and data-transition notice were present on this check date.