Arizona health inspection reports are free public records, but there is no statewide database. To pull a report, go to the website of the county health department where the restaurant is located and search by name, address, or zip code. Each of Arizona’s 15 counties runs its own inspection program, so the portal, the search fields, and even the way violations are labeled will vary depending on where the establishment sits.
Where to Search by County
The Arizona Department of Health Services sets food safety standards but does not inspect restaurants. County environmental health staff do the actual inspections and post the results.1Arizona Department of Health Services. FY2020 Food Safety and Environmental Services Annual Report You cannot search a Tucson restaurant in the Maricopa County system, and Phoenix restaurants will not appear in Pima County’s portal.
Online portals for the most populated counties:
- Maricopa County: Restaurant Ratings tool run by the Environmental Services Department, free to search.2Maricopa County Environmental Services. Restaurant Ratings Tool
- Pima County: Health Inspect Portal at healthinspect.pima.gov, run by Consumer Health and Food Safety.3Pima County. Consumer Health and Food Safety
- Pinal County: Food Inspection Search at app1.pinal.gov, searchable by name, permit number, or city.4Pinal County. Food Inspection Search
- Yavapai County: online portal linked from the Health Inspections and Food Safety page under Community Health Services.5Yavapai County. Health Inspections and Food Safety
- Coconino County: Inspection Results Portal searchable by facility name, address, or zip code.6Coconino County. Environmental Health
For a smaller county, open its government website and look for Environmental Health or Food Safety. If there is no online lookup, call or email the county health department to request records. ADHS keeps a directory of all 15 county departments on its food safety page.7Arizona Department of Health Services. Food Safety and Environmental Services
Reading Violations by Severity
An inspection report lists the date of the visit, the inspector’s findings, and every violation observed. Violations are grouped by how likely they are to make someone sick. That grouping matters more than the total count. One temperature violation on raw chicken is worse than a page of housekeeping notes.
Priority Violations
Priority items are directly tied to foodborne illness: food held at unsafe temperatures, employees handling food without washing their hands, raw meat stored above ready-to-eat food.8Maricopa County Environmental Services. A for Food Safety – Grade Card Information These are the ones to watch for.
Priority Foundation Violations
Priority foundation items are the systems that keep priority items in check. A handwashing sink without soap, a cooler with no thermometer, no certified food protection manager on duty. No one is sick yet, but the safeguard is gone.
Core Violations
Core items cover general cleanliness and building maintenance. Leaky pipes, damaged floor tiles, poor lighting in a prep area. They still need to be fixed, but they are not immediate health threats.
Not every county uses this language. Mohave County labels violations “critical” and “non-critical” instead.9Mohave County. Food Safety The idea is the same: critical violations are the ones that can quickly cause illness.
Why Grades and Scores Can Mislead
Arizona does not require a statewide grading system. Maricopa County runs a familiar letter-grade program (A, B, C, or D), but participation is voluntary. Before each inspection, the person in charge is asked whether they want to participate; if they decline, the report shows “Not Participating,” and the inspection still happens.10Maricopa County Environmental Services Department. Grade Card Guidance Document A missing grade does not mean a missing inspection.
Mohave County uses its own labels, such as “Needs Improvement” when critical violations cannot be corrected on the spot.9Mohave County. Food Safety Other counties may use numbers, descriptive ratings, or no summary at all. Read the actual violations. The headline rating tells you less than the details underneath.
What Happens After Violations Are Found
The Arizona Food Code requires critical violations to be corrected during the inspection whenever possible.11Arizona Department of Health Services. Arizona Food Code Chicken held at room temperature has to go into cold storage or the trash before the inspector leaves.
When a fix is too involved for the spot, the regulatory authority can grant up to 10 calendar days. That extension is not automatic, and the code bars it when the violation was intentional, shows a pattern, or poses an active risk. After the deadline, the department must re-inspect within 24 hours to confirm compliance. Failure to comply opens the door to enforcement, including license suspension or revocation. An imminent health hazard, like a sewage backup or an outbreak, requires the establishment to stop serving food immediately and get approval from the health department before reopening.
How to File a Food Safety Complaint
If you saw something unsanitary or think a restaurant made you sick, report it to the county where the establishment is located. Maricopa County accepts complaints online through its Food and Restaurants page.12Maricopa County. Food and Restaurants Other counties use online forms, phone, or email. ADHS also has a central food safety page with links for reporting foodborne illness if you are not sure which county handles the location.7Arizona Department of Health Services. Food Safety and Environmental Services
Be specific. Include the restaurant name and address, the date and time of your visit, what you ate or observed, and when any symptoms started. Vague or anonymous complaints are harder to act on. A specific complaint can trigger an unscheduled inspection, and the resulting report will appear in the same county portal you would use to look up any other inspection.