The Sample Food Allergen Awareness Poster required by S.B. 812 (88th Legislature) is now available: 

DSHS Sample Food Allergen Awareness Poster (PDF)

DSHS Sample Food Allergen Awareness Poster - Spanish (PDF)

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.

Food & Drug Program Update
EFFECTIVE 11/19/2021

Please send all applications with fees to:

Department of State Health Services 
Cash Receipts Branch – MC 2003
PO Box 149347
Austin, TX 78714-9347
 

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) 

Mobile or Roadside Food Establishments

• Guidelines on Mobile Food Units- How to Mobilize Your Food Operation Updated 04/15/2019!
• Mobile Food Unit Permit Application (01/25)
• Roadside Food Vendor Checklist 
• Roadside Food Vendor Permit Application (01/25)

• Guidance Document for Pushcarts 

• Minor Amendment Change (Name, Address) for Mobile / Roadside Food Vendor

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 Operation Permit Application (01/25)
• School Food Establishment Inspection Application
• Minor Amendment Change (Name, Address) for School Establishments

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. 2: Mobile Shrimp Vendors - E23-13188 
• 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 09/19/2019)
• 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

Presentation 

Check back for uploads of future presentations. 

Guidance Publications

• 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 
• BBQ Pit Requirements - DSHS SOP 
• 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
• Food Product Date Codes
• Food Temperature Log - F23-13334
• Guidelines for Mobile Food Units - How To Mobilize Your Food Operation 
• 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
• Pushcarts
• Retail Food Establishment Inspection Report 
• Refrigerated Foods under Reduced Oxygen Packaging 
• Safe Food Temperatures Poster - English
• Safe Food Temperatures Poster - English/Spanish 
• Service Sinks  
• Starting a New Retail Food Establishment
• 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
• Variance Request Procedures for Mobile Food Units
• What Does the Date on a Product Really Mean?
• Wild Mushroom Program 

Emergency Guidance Documents 

• Reopening After a Fire (NEW 02/2024)
• Emergency Shelter Sanitation Guidelines
• Emergency Shelter Recommendations
• Guidance for Retail Food Establishments Under a Boil Order (Revised 02/2021)
• Reopening a Retail Food Establishment After an Emergency

Spanish Documents

• BBQ Pit Requirements
• 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 
• Guidelines for Mobile Food Units - How To Mobilize Your Food Operation 
• HACCP Checklist  
• Handwash Poster 
• How to Create a Corrective Action Plan
• Mobile Food Establishment Pre-Licensing Checklist
• Model Form 1-A - Conditional Employee and Food Employee Interview 
• Preventing Contamination From Hands 
• Proper Thawing Technique
• Roadside Vendor Checklist 
• Safe Food Temperatures Poster - English/Spanish
• Safe Food Temperatures Poster 
• Starting a New Retail Food Establishment
• 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
• Variance Request Procedures for Mobile Food Units  
• What does the Date Really Mean?
• Wild Mushroom Program