Retail Food Establishments:
Montana state law requires that all food establishments meet the required state and federal regulations and are licensed by the State. This means that all restaurants, coffee kiosks, grocery and convenience stores, delicatessens, caterers, and mobile trucks must be approved, licensed, and inspected.
The following link will take you to the state’s new public portal to submit change form requests for existing establishments, submit a plan review to begin the licensing process or file a complaint: https://myhealthdepartment.com/montana/dashboard
Review the applicable guidelines and regulations below:
- Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Regulations (Adopted by Montana in 2015)
- Montana Rules for Retail Food Establishments
- Montana DPHHS Environmental Health and Food Safety Website
Food Establishment Grading:
Lincoln County Environmental Health has implemented a retail food establishment grading system based on annual inspection results. We issue a grade(“A+” to” C-“) to each food establishment based on their annual inspection. The food establishment is required to post the grade where it is visible to the public.
Retail Food Establishment Grades 2020-2025
Temporary Food Establishments:
Lincoln County requires that temporary food establishments(TFE) obtain and display a permit to operate. This permit can be obtained through our office. A temporary food establishment is defined as a retail food establishment that (a) operates at a fixed location for no more than 21 days in conjunction with a single event or celebration; or( b) uses a fixed menu and operates within a single county at a recurring event or celebration for no more than 45 days. Examples of definition (a) are Logger Days and the Lincoln County Fair. Examples of definition (b) are the local farmers markets. All TFE permits require a plan review before the permit will be issued. In order to complete a successful plan review, you need to know what we require, and these requirements are contained in the guidelines that can be found below.
Non-Profit Temporary Food Stands:
If you are a non-profit organization planning on operating a food stand for a single event, you may be exempt from licensing by providing us proof of your 501(c)(3) status. However, you will still need to get and display a non-profit temporary food permit for the event. The non-profit temporary food permit is available for download below.
