Opening a commercial kitchen in Indiana means meeting the structural, equipment, plumbing, and staffing standards in 410 IAC 7-24, submitting plans to your local county health department at least 30 days before you intend to operate, passing a pre-operational inspection, and keeping a certified food protection manager accountable for the operation. Indiana commercial kitchen requirements are enforced by county health departments for private businesses and by the Indiana Department of Health for facilities located on state property.1Indiana Department of Health. How to Start a Retail Food Business
One boundary worth clearing up first: if you only plan to sell shelf-stable, non-refrigerated items like cookies, breads, jams, honey, or dried herbs from your primary residence directly to consumers, Indiana’s Home-Based Vendor law (IC 16-42-5.3) exempts you from commercial kitchen standards and health inspection. Sell anything that needs refrigeration or hot-holding to stay safe — meat, dairy, cut produce, prepared meals — and the exemption ends. You need a licensed commercial kitchen.2Indiana Department of Health. Indiana Home Based Vendor Regulations
Plan Review and Pre-Operational Inspection
Before construction starts, submit a plan review package to your county health department. State law requires notice at least 30 days before you intend to begin operating. Facilities on state property go directly to the Indiana Department of Health.
The package must include:
- A scaled floor plan showing rooms, fixed equipment placement, floor finishes, plumbing, and lighting
- An equipment list with make, model, location, dimensions, and performance capacities for each item
- The proposed menu, so reviewers can gauge the complexity of the operation and its food safety risks
- Mechanical schematics, construction materials, and finish schedules
- Anticipated food volume for storage, preparation, and service
- Water source and sewage disposal information
Requirements and fees vary by county, so ask your local health department for its exact forms and fee schedule before spending money on drawings. If your facility relies on a private water source or septic system, the Indiana Department of Health has to be involved with septic approval; county health departments can only permit residential septic sites.
Once plans are approved and construction is complete, the department walks the facility to confirm it matches the submitted plans and that all equipment is properly installed and working. Passing this pre-operational inspection is the last step before your operating permit is issued.
Physical Facility Standards
Floors, walls, and ceilings in food preparation and warewashing areas must be smooth, non-absorbent, and easy to clean. That typically means quarry tile or sealed concrete underfoot and fiberglass-reinforced panels or stainless steel on the walls. Coving is required where the floor meets the wall to eliminate the crevices where debris and moisture collect.
Plumbing systems must include grease interceptors to keep fats and oils out of the public sewer, plus backflow prevention devices to protect the municipal water supply from contamination.
Lighting in food prep and storage areas has to be bright enough for the work being done, and any light fixture over exposed food needs shielding or a shatter-resistant cover. Ventilation must clear smoke, steam, and grease-laden vapors well enough to prevent condensation on walls and ceilings.
Equipment, Sinks, and Temperature Control
Fixed equipment has to be designed, constructed, and installed for food service use. Health departments look for equipment certified under NSF/ANSI standards, which cover material safety, sanitation, and performance for cooking equipment, refrigeration, warewashing machines, and food prep tools.3NSF International. Food Equipment Standards Used equipment without NSF or equivalent certification is one of the most common reasons a plan review fails.
Every kitchen needs a three-compartment sink for manual wash, rinse, and sanitize. The vats have to be large enough to fully submerge the largest piece of equipment you’ll hand-wash. Handwashing sinks — separate from the three-compartment sink — must be placed conveniently throughout the kitchen with hot and cold running water, soap, and single-use towels. Handwashing signage is required at each station. A dedicated mop or service sink is required for floor cleaning and wastewater disposal.
Hot and Cold Holding Temperatures
Cold-holding equipment must keep potentially hazardous food at 41°F or below. Hot-holding equipment must keep prepared food at 135°F or above, with an exception for certain roasts that may be held at 130°F.4Cornell Law Institute. Indiana Code 410 IAC 7-24-187 – Potentially Hazardous Food; Hot and Cold Holding Accurate thermometers must be available for monitoring food temperatures during storage, preparation, and service.
Ventilation Hoods and Fire Suppression
Indiana has adopted the International Fire Code through 675 IAC 22-2.5, which incorporates NFPA 96 for commercial cooking ventilation and fire protection.5Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission Every Type I hood — the kind installed over equipment producing grease-laden vapors — must have an automatic fire suppression system. When it triggers, the system has to automatically shut off all fuel and electrical power to the protected equipment.
A manual pull for the suppression system must sit between 42 and 60 inches above the floor. The system itself must be inspected and serviced at least every six months by a qualified technician. Exhaust cleaning frequency depends on cooking volume: quarterly for solid-fuel and high-volume operations, semiannually for moderate-volume restaurants, and annually for low-volume or seasonal operations. Your local fire marshal can impose stricter timelines.
Certified Food Protection Manager
Indiana law requires every food establishment to have at least one certified food protection manager accountable for all periods of operation. That person doesn’t have to be physically present on every shift, but they are responsible for making sure food safety protocols are followed at all times.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 16-42-5.2-8 – Presence of Certified Food Protection Manager The certification must come from an examination recognized by the Conference for Food Protection or an equivalent nationally recognized program.7Cornell Law Institute. Indiana Code 410 IAC 7-22-15 – Certified Food Handler Requirements
New establishments, and businesses that change ownership, have six months to get a certified manager on staff. If your certified handler leaves, you have three months from their departure to certify a replacement. When one operator runs multiple food establishments on the same or neighboring properties, one certified manager covers them all. ANSI-accredited certifications typically last five years, after which the exam has to be retaken.
Any other person responsible for food safety at the establishment must also be trained in food safety, and all food employees must be free from transmissible infections and practice proper hygiene.
Zoning and Building Code Approvals
Health department approval is only one track. Before you sign a lease or order equipment, confirm the space is zoned for food service. Zoning is set at the city or county level and varies across Indiana. A location that previously held a restaurant may still need new zoning approval if you’re changing the type of operation, adding a drive-through, or expanding the footprint. Catching a zoning conflict after construction plans are submitted is expensive.
Building codes enforced by the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission apply separately to construction and renovation. They govern fire-rated walls, emergency exits, electrical systems, and accessibility. You may need approvals from both the health department and the building commission before construction begins.
OSHA and Chemical Handling
Federal OSHA rules apply to every commercial kitchen with employees, whatever the size. Employers must assess the workplace for hazards and provide appropriate personal protective equipment: oven mitts for hot surfaces, cut-resistant gloves for knife work, and proper gear for handling cleaning chemicals.8Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Food Services – Kitchen Equipment
A few requirements catch operators off guard. Walk-in freezers need a panic bar or similar mechanism that lets a worker exit from the inside. Guards are required on slicers, large mixers, and other equipment with moving parts that could cause amputations. All electrical equipment must be free from recognized hazards.
If your kitchen uses hazardous chemicals like sanitizers, degreasers, or oven cleaners, OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) applies. You have to keep a Safety Data Sheet for every chemical on site, keep the sheets accessible to employees, label secondary containers when chemicals are transferred out of their original packaging, and train staff on safe handling. It’s one of the most frequently cited OSHA violations across all industries, restaurants included.
Pest Control
Indiana’s food code requires you to keep the facility secure from insects, birds, and rodents. That means sealing gaps around doors, windows, pipes, and utility penetrations, installing air curtains or self-closing doors at entry points, and keeping screens on windows that open. Inspectors look for evidence of pest activity during every routine inspection, and visible signs of rodents or insects in a food prep area can trigger an immediate closure.
The USDA recommends an Integrated Pest Management approach that combines physical exclusion, monitoring, and targeted treatment rather than relying only on chemical pesticides.9USDA. Integrated Pest Management Written monitoring and treatment records aren’t specifically required by Indiana’s code, but they help demonstrate compliance during inspections.
Penalties for Violations
Indiana uses a tiered civil penalty schedule for food code violations, grouped by risk level:
- Core violations, $0 to $100: minor maintenance issues or record-keeping gaps
- Core or Priority Foundation, $100 to $150: increased risk, such as improper storage practices
- Priority or Priority Foundation, $150 to $250: direct risks to food safety like inadequate cooking temperatures or bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food
- Imminent health hazards, $250 to $500: sewage backups, no running water, or widespread contamination
Before penalties are levied, the regulatory authority must offer the establishment a chance to enter a corrective action plan and fix the violation.10Indiana Department of Health. Retail Food Penalty Schedule Amendment Regulatory Analysis Civil penalties target operations with a history of noncompliance that don’t correct problems within the agreed timeline. Severe or repeated violations can also lead to permit suspension, which closes the kitchen until the issues are resolved.