Forms and Publications - Retail Food Establishments
Permit applications may be used for initial licensure, renewal, or change of ownership (including legal entity).
If you would like to apply for a variance, please submit all documentation to our Compliance Department.
Retail Food Operation or Food Store
- Retail Food Establishment or Food Store Permit Application (01/25)
- Food Establishment Inspection Application
- Minor Amendment Change (Name, Address) for Retail Food Operation, Food Establishment, Food Store
- DSHS Retail Food Establishment Inspection Report (2021)
Temporary Retail Food Establishments
- Temporary Retail Food Establishment, Multiple Events
- Temporary Retail Food Establishment, Single Event
- Temporary Retail Food Establishment, Fact Sheet
- Temporary Retail Food Establishment Checklist
School Food Operations
- School Food Establishment Inspection Application
- Minor Amendment Change (Name, Address) for School Establishments
Allergen Awareness Poster
Required by S.B. 812 (88th Legislature).
DSHS Sample Food Allergen Awareness Poster
DSHS Sample Food Allergen Awareness Poster - Spanish
Regulatory Clarifications
These regulatory clarifications are the latest guidance and remain in effect until replaced in writing by the Public Sanitation and Retail Food Safety Unit.
This information is approved for attributed use or reproduction:
- No. 1: Hot Water at Vegetable Prep Sinks - 23-13187
- No. 3: Sprouting Seeds - E23-13189
- No. 4: Storage of Sanitizing Solution Buckets - E23-13190
- No. 5: Food Employee Infected with Hepatitis C Virus - E23-13191
- No. 6: Retail Requirements for Individual Quick Frozen (IQF) Oysters - E23-13192
- No. 7: Wooden Skewers as Single-Service Articles - E23-13193
- No. 8: Restriction of a Food Employee with Lesions - E23-13194
- No. 9: Selling Yard Eggs at a Farmers Market - E23-13195
- No. 10: Demonstration of Knowledge - E23-13196
- No. 11: Competency of Inspectors - E23-13197
- No. 12: Bare Hand Contact with Ready-to-Eat Foods - E23-13198
- No. 14: Service Animals in a Retail Food Establishment - E23-13251
- No. 15: Requirements for Service (Mop) Sinks
- No. 16: HIV and Food Employees
- No. 17: Children's Beverage Stands (Updated 09/19/19)
- No. 18: Certified Food Manager Requirements for Farmer's Markets
- No. 19: Hair Restraints - E23-14843
- No. 20: Selling Non-Chicken Eggs to a Retail Food Establishment
Guidance Publications
- Food Poisoning at a Glance (2025)
- Retail Food Sampling Collection Guidance (2023)
- 228 Texas Food Establishment Rules (2021)
- Summary of Changes TFER 2021 (2021)
- DSHS Retail Food Establishment Inspection Report (2021)
- DSHS Marking Instructions Guide (2021)
- DSHS Quick Code Reference 56 Items (2021)
- 228 TFER Quick Code Reference 47 Items (2021) (Excel)
- FDA Food Code 2017
- 228 Texas Food Establishment Rules (2015)
- 228 Texas Food Establishment Rules Regulatory Code Quick Reference (2015)
- 228 Texas Food Establishment Rules Field Inspection Manual (2015)
- Retail Food Establishment 47 Item Inspection Report
- Reheating for Hot Holding (2025)
- Clean vs. Sanitized
- Clean up of Bodily Fluids
- Cooling of Cooked Potentially Hazardous Foods - F23-13356
- Cooling Methods Fact Sheet
- Corrective Action Plan How-To
- Cross Contamination Shelves
- Custom Processing
- Double Handwash Poster - English
- Emerging and Infectious Disease Guidelines 2016 - (Pages 390-395 refer to Texas Food Establishment Rules on Employee Health Policy)
- FDA-Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook
- FDA Food Code
- FDA_AFDO Guide for Developing a HACCP Plan
- First Aid Kits
- Food Employee Reporting Agreement Form - English
- Food Employee Reporting Sign - English version / Spanish version
- Food Product Date Codes
- Food Temperature Log - F23-13334
- HACCP Plan Review Checklist
- Handwash Poster - English
- How to Determine if Foods Require Time and Temperature Control
- Marking Instructions for 2015 Texas Food Establishment Rules
- Model Form 1-A - Conditional Employee and Food Employee Interview - E23-13281
- Norovirus (from Disinfect-for-health.org)
- Preventing Contamination from Hands - 23-12906
- Proper Thawing
- Retail Food Establishment Inspection Report
- Refrigerated Foods under Reduced Oxygen Packaging
- Safe Food Temperatures Poster - English
- Safe Food Temperatures Poster - English/Spanish
- Service Sinks
- Three-Compartment Sink Poster - English
- Time as a Public Health Control Guidelines 23-14948
- Time As a Public Health Control Log- F23-13363
- Variance Request Procedures - E23-13280
- What Does the Date on a Product Really Mean?
- Wild Mushroom Program
Emergency Guidance Documents
- Reopening After a Fire (02/24)
- Emergency Shelter Sanitation Guidelines
- Emergency Shelter Recommendations
- Guidance for Retail Food Establishments Under a Boil Order (Revised 02/21)
- Reopening a Retail Food Establishment After an Emergency
Spanish Documents
- Reheating for Hot Holding (2025)
- Clean Up of Bodily Fluids
- Custom Processing
- Clean vs Sanitized
- Cooling Method Fact Sheet
- Cross Contamination Shelving Sign
- Double Handwash Poster
- Food Employee Reporting Sign
- Food Employee Reporting Agreement Form
- Food Product Date Codes
- Guidance Document for Pushcarts
- Guidance for First Aid Kit Supplies
- Guidance for ROP
- HACCP Checklist
- Handwash Poster
- How to Create a Corrective Action Plan
- Model Form 1-A - Conditional Employee and Food Employee Interview
- Preventing Contamination From Hands
- Proper Thawing Technique
- Safe Food Temperatures Poster - English/Spanish
- Safe Food Temperatures Poster
- Temporary Food Establishment Fact Sheet
- Temporary Food Establishment Checklist
- Three-Compartment Sink Poster
- Time as a Public Health Control Log
- Time as a Public Health Control Sign
- Variance Request
- What does the Date Really Mean?
- Wild Mushroom Program