The Environmental Health Services Division protects the health and safety of Pasadena’s residents and visitors through education and enforcement.
The division regulates retail food facilities, public swimming pools, tobacco retailers, and body art, lodging, cannabis, and massage establishments. Staff conduct inspections at these businesses and investigate complaints related to sanitation, smoking, lead hazards, and bed bugs in the community.
Contact
Environmental Health
1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91103
Map & Directions»
Phone: (626) 744-6004
Planning Your Visit
Open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and every other Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
(Closed for lunch from 12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
Closed alternating Fridays and holidays.
Please call (626) 744-6004 to confirm office hours prior to your visit.
Applying for a Health Permit
Before applying for a health permit for a retail food facility, food truck or cart, body art facility, cannabis retailer, swimming pool, or massage establishment, you must first submit plans. See details below.
Health permit applications are submitted online. Select “Apply for Health Permit” in the Quick Links box to begin. The application must be completed and signed by the business owner or by an individual listed as a member on the articles of incorporation, LLC, or limited partnership documents.
You will need to upload your articles of incorporation, LLC or partnership documents, and the business owner’s driver’s license when submitting the application
Submitting Plans
Plan submittal is required for all new retail food facilities—including restaurants, markets, food trucks, food carts, and other commercial kitchens—as well as body art facilities, cannabis retailers, swimming pools, and massage establishments. Plan review is not required if you are taking over an existing, currently permitted business that has remained open and you are not changing the menu, operations, equipment, or services.
Printed plans must be submitted in person to the Environmental Health Division at 1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 1200. The plan review fee is due at the time of submittal.
Plans are reviewed within 20 business days. If plans are incomplete, a Correction Letter listing missing items will be emailed to you. All missing items must be added, and revised printed plans must be resubmitted. Resubmittals are reviewed within 10 business days. Once approved, a Plan Approval Letter will be emailed. Construction or renovation should not begin until plans are approved.
After construction or renovation is complete and you have passed the final inspection, you may apply for a health permit. Additional information on the plan review process and submittal requirements is available in program-specific plan review guides. Select “Forms” at the top of the page to view all guidance documents.
Cottage Food Operations
Cottage Food Operations (CFOs) are food businesses where operators can prepare and package certain non-potentially hazardous foods in their home-kitchen. Only foods listed on the California Department of Public Health’s approved list are permitted. There are two classes of Cottage Food Operations:
- Class A (registration): Allows direct sales to the consumer only.
- Class B (permit): Allows direct to the consumer and indirect sales through restaurants and food markets.
Transactions can be made by phone, internet, or other digital method. Orders can be fulfilled in person, by mail, or by using a third-party delivery service. Maximum gross annual sales limits apply.
Before completing the application, CFOs must obtain a Home Occupation Permit (HOP) from the Pasadena Planning & Community Development Department. Applications must include the approved HOP, a government issued ID showing Pasadena residency, sample labels for all packaged food, and a Food Handler Card.
Helpful Links
Planning Your Visit
Open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and every other Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
(Closed for lunch from 12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
Closed alternating Fridays and holidays.
Please call (626) 744-6004 to confirm office hours prior to your visit.
Applying for a Health Permit
Before applying for a health permit for a retail food facility, food truck or cart, body art facility, cannabis retailer, swimming pool, or massage establishment, you must first submit plans. See details below.
Health permit applications are submitted online. Select “Apply for Health Permit” in the Quick Links box to begin. The application must be completed and signed by the business owner or by an individual listed as a member on the articles of incorporation, LLC, or limited partnership documents.
You will need to upload your articles of incorporation, LLC or partnership documents, and the business owner’s driver’s license when submitting the application
Submitting Plans
Plan submittal is required for all new retail food facilities—including restaurants, markets, food trucks, food carts, and other commercial kitchens—as well as body art facilities, cannabis retailers, swimming pools, and massage establishments. Plan review is not required if you are taking over an existing, currently permitted business that has remained open and you are not changing the menu, operations, equipment, or services.
Printed plans must be submitted in person to the Environmental Health Division at 1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 1200. The plan review fee is due at the time of submittal.
Plans are reviewed within 20 business days. If plans are incomplete, a Correction Letter listing missing items will be emailed to you. All missing items must be added, and revised printed plans must be resubmitted. Resubmittals are reviewed within 10 business days. Once approved, a Plan Approval Letter will be emailed. Construction or renovation should not begin until plans are approved.
After construction or renovation is complete and you have passed the final inspection, you may apply for a health permit. Additional information on the plan review process and submittal requirements is available in program-specific plan review guides. Select “Forms” at the top of the page to view all guidance documents.
Cottage Food Operations
Cottage Food Operations (CFOs) are food businesses where operators can prepare and package certain non-potentially hazardous foods in their home-kitchen. Only foods listed on the California Department of Public Health’s approved list are permitted. There are two classes of Cottage Food Operations:
- Class A (registration): Allows direct sales to the consumer only.
- Class B (permit): Allows direct to the consumer and indirect sales through restaurants and food markets.
Transactions can be made by phone, internet, or other digital method. Orders can be fulfilled in person, by mail, or by using a third-party delivery service. Maximum gross annual sales limits apply.
Before completing the application, CFOs must obtain a Home Occupation Permit (HOP) from the Pasadena Planning & Community Development Department. Applications must include the approved HOP, a government issued ID showing Pasadena residency, sample labels for all packaged food, and a Food Handler Card.
Helpful Links
Radon Test Kit Distribution
Radon Sources and Health Significance
Breathing air that contains radon increases the risk of lung cancer, especially for people who do not smoke. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon exposure contributes to about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and forms when uranium breaks down in soil, rock, and water. It can seep into buildings and accumulate indoors.
To help residents check radon levels in their homes, the Pasadena Health Department (PPHD) received a supply of free test kits from the California Department of Public Health, Indoor Radon Program and is offering the kits to Pasadena residents.
Test Kit Pickup Information
Pasadena residents can pick up one free radon test kit while supplies last. Proof of residency, such as a valid ID or utility bill, will be required at the time of pickup.
Visit:
Pasadena Public Health Department
Environmental Health Services Division
1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 1200
Pasadena, CA 91103
Kits are available during business hours and include instructions, an information form, one charcoal radon sampler, and a return mailer. For availability and pickup times, call (626) 744-6004.
Additional Information
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers helpful guidance for families:
The City of Pasadena Environmental Health Division is a separate agency and jurisdiction from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Environmental Health. Health permits issued by Los Angeles County Environmental Health are not valid within the City of Pasadena.
Food Protection
Through the permitting and inspection of food businesses, we ensure compliance with all applicable food safety and sanitation requirements. Environmental Health Specialists conduct foodborne illness investigations, register and permit Cottage Food Facilities, permit and inspect Community Events, and address illegal vending activity.
Download a PDF of the Pasadena Retail Food Field Inspection Guide. It has been developed to provide guidance to food service operators in matters related to retail food inspections and the placard system:
Plan Review
Plan Check Guidelines:
Click on the link below to download a PDF version of plan review applications:
Community Events
The Environmental Health Division at the Pasadena Public Health Department is committed to ensuring that all community events held in the City of Pasadena are operated so that we provide our residents and visitors with safe, wholesome food. We accomplish this by partnering with each Event Organizer and Temporary Food Facility Operator (also referred to as “Food Booth Operator”) to help them understand the basic food safety requirements. Download the requirement guidelines and applications below for organizing a community event and/or setting up a temporary food booth at a community event:
- Animal Display on City Property Application
- Certified Farmer’s Market Overview
- Community Event Requirements
- Event Organizer Application
- Temporary Food Facility Application
Cottage Food Operations
The California Homemade Food Act was signed into law by Governor Brown on September 21, 2012 and went into effect on January 1, 2013. This new law will allow certain foods, known as Cottage Foods, to be made in private homes and sold to the public. These home-based businesses will be known as Cottage Food Operations (CFO). For individuals interested in starting a CFO, approval must be obtained from the Environmental Health Division at the Pasadena Public Health Department. Review the CFO Guidelines and submit the following documents to the Environmental Health Division:
- CFO Registration Permitting Form
- Cottage Food Self Certification Checklist
- A copy of all proposed cottage food product labels;
- If the potable water source is from a private well, a laboratory analysis from within the prior 3 months verifying that the water meets State water quality standards for bacteriological and primary inorganic chemicals; AND
- Payment of the applicable fee
Note: for Class B, a permit to operate will only be granted after an initial inspection has been conducted and approval to operate is received.
About the Safe Body Art Act
Assembly Bill (AB) 300, the Safe Body Art Act, became effective throughout California on July 1, 2012. The ordinance regulates tattooing, branding, body piercing, and permanent makeup, and requires all body art practitioners to annually register with the City, obtain annual blood-borne pathogen training, provide documentation of Hepatitis B vaccination status, obtain specific health information from clients, and obtain “informed consent” from clients.
The Safe Body Art Act also requires the owner of a body art facility to obtain a Health Permit, operate the facility in a safe and clean manner, maintain written procedures for the operation of the facility, and maintain records of training and equipment sterilization. AB 300 also regulates the performance of body art at body art events, in temporary demonstration booths, and in vehicles.
The Body Art Program’s inspectors conduct annual inspections of body art facilities to determine compliance with the Safe Body Art Act and may suspend or revoke permits and registrations under specified conditions.
Regulations
Practitioner Registration
Each artist tattooing, body piercing, or conducting permanent makeup, whether at a permanent location or at a temporary event, must submit all required documents and register as a Body Art Practitioner.
- Bloodborne Pathogens Approved Trainers 2017.07
- Practitioner Registration Form
- Voluntary Declination of Hepatitis B Vaccine
Body Art Facility
A Health Permit is required for the body art facility. Additionally each artist must submit a Practitioner Registration Form. Both must be renewed annually.
- Body Art Facility Application
- Body Art Plan Review Overview
- Body Art Facility Infection Prevention and Control Plan Guidelines
- Informed Consent Form Requirements
- Sample Sterilization Cycle Log
- Body Art Facility Practitioner List (submit to envhealth-bodyart@cityofpasadena.net if there are new practitioners at the facility)
Body Art Temporary Event
Each booth must obtain a health permit and each artist must submit a Practitioner Registration Form.
- Body Art Event Frequently Asked Questions
- Body Art Booth Health Permit Application
- Body Art Event Sponsor Application (to be completed by the event organizer)
Other Programs
Bulletins
Vector Control
The PPHD plans to join forces with the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District to improve customer service against mosquito-borne diseases. The process of merging with the District is already underway and will take about one year to complete. The goal is to better protect the public from life-threatening diseases such as West Nile Virus and Zika Virus. At a cost of less than $1 per parcel to all residential property owners, the enhanced services to protect the public by merging with the District includes:
- Increased disease surveillance and mosquito control
- Expanded services during an outbreak
- Community outreach and youth education
- Enhanced complaint response
- A highly specialized laboratory facility
- Staff trained to also investigate murine typhus and plague
- New programs for underground mosquito control and free mosquito fish
There are several steps to joining the District and the PPHD will provide additional periodic updates. For more information, call the Environmental Health Division at (626) 744-6004. For more information about the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District, visit http://www.sgvmosquito.org/.
View health advisories related to mosquito-borne diseases: