Inspection Notice Placard

Posting Guidelines

The purpose of this guide is to provide assistance and educational information to food establishment owners/operators for posting color-coded Inspection Notice placards reflecting their most recent inspection. The guidelines listed below apply to all food establishments located within Champaign or Urbana city limits. Posting of Inspection Notice placards is required by ordinance.

At the end of each routine inspection or re-inspection, a green, yellow or red Inspection Notice placard will be issued to the facility. The placard shall be posted in a location which is clearly visible to the public and to patrons or potential patrons, easily readable and available prior to ordering or selecting food. The placement location shall be approved by the health officer. The Inspection Notice placard shall remain in that location until replaced with another placard.

Clearly visible and easily readable means:

1. Facing outward.

2. Posted in a front window or door at the main entrance, or exterior menu display box within 5 feet of the main entrance and about at a height of 60 inches above the finished floor or ground.

3. If the food establishment does not have a front window or door or display box or if the window is heavily tinted, post the placard inside the food establishment within 5 feet of the main entrance and about at a height of 60 inches above the finished floor or ground.

4. If the food establishment is operated as a separately permitted business in the same building as other business, such as in a retail mall or retail food store, post the placard at the service counter or at a location prior to ordering or selecting food.

5. Given due regard to the nature of the facility, post at a location as determined by the health officer.

The owner/operator is responsible for keeping the placard from being altered, defaced, marred, camouflaged, hidden, covered, disguised, or removed from the approved location. If an owner/operator finds that the placard is damaged or removed, it is their responsibility to immediately call Environmental Health at (217) 373-7900 to request a new placard. Replacement placards may be provided for a fee. Placards are the property of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. Old placards are required to be surrendered when a new placard is issued.

A placard is NOT considered properly posted when it:

• is not in the location approved by the health officer.
• was stolen and the owner/operator has not called for a replacement.
• has been damaged or altered, and the owner/operator has not called for a replacement.
• is covered by equipment, papers, tint, foliage, colored plastic sleeves or anything that camouflages, covers, or disguises the placard