Welcome to the Division of Hotels & Restaurants Frequently Asked Questions Center

Please click on the desired category below for more information:

  • What information does the Division of Hotels and Restaurants provide as a download file on the Instant Public Records website?

The Instant Public Records website includes current and historical data for the Bureau of Elevator Safety, public food service establishments, and public lodging establishments. Download files providing current data are updated weekly, unless otherwise noted.

Elevators download files include:

    • Active elevators and other vertical conveyances, registered elevator companies, certificates of competency, and certified elevator inspectors; and
    • Elevator permits issued by the Bureau of Elevator Safety.

Lodging download files include:

    • Inspection results;
    • Active lodging establishments by licensing district; and
    • New and change owner lodging licenses issued.

Restaurants/Food Service download files include:

    • Inspection results;
    • District lists of active food service establishments in Florida;
    • New and change owner food service licenses issued;
    • Administrative complaints and fines, updated monthly;
    • Plan reviews processed by the division within the past 18 months; and
    • Food service workers trained in Florida.
  • How do I get help downloading the files available as instant public records?

The department does not offer technical support during or after the download process. If you require assistance, please refer to your computer manuals, or contact your Corporate Help Desk or Internet Service Provider. If you believe there is a defective file or broken link please email the division at hrpublicrecords@myfloridalicense.com.

  • Where can I find information explaining the Division of Hotels and Restaurants download file layout, including column headings and code descriptions?

The Hotels and Restaurants Public Records Layout Information webpage explains the column headings and the codes used by our system. Additional information is available on our Inspections webpage.

  • What does the column for PDA Status in the food service and lodging inspection download files mean?

Division of Hotels and Restaurants inspectors use mobile devices for collecting inspection data and producing inspection reports for the licensees. These devices promote consistency, legibility, accuracy and thoroughness in our inspection process.

  • What do the columns for violations on the food service and lodging inspection download files mean?

These columns coincide numerically with the violations described on the Hotels and Restaurants Public Records Layout Information webpage. Complete listings of our food and lodging violations are available on our Inspections website. We also provide examples of our food and lodging inspection reports for your information.

  • Why are there more violation columns than actual violations on the food service and lodging inspection download files?

The extra columns correspond to obsolete references that are no longer used. These columns will always show a zero value.

  • What do the numbers in the violations columns on the food service and lodging inspection download files mean?

Most violations have multiple code citations and observations referenced within the single numeric violation code or category. For example, a vermin violation has observations for “Roaches noted”, “Flies in kitchen”, “Dead roaches”, etc. Each of these constitute a separate violation under the violation category. The number in the violation column indicates the total number of violations cited for that violation category. For instance, if an inspector cited violations for “Roaches noted” and “Flies in kitchen,” a “2” would be listed in the violation column for a vermin violation. A zero means no violations were cited for that violation category. Complete listings of our food and lodging violations are available on our Inspections website.

  • Where can I find more information about what the Division of Hotels and Restaurants inspector found?

The best public resource we have for inspection information is our Inspection Search Portal. This site includes all of the individual citations and observations for each inspection completed with a mobile device (as well as abbreviated information for manually entered inspections). If you see an inspection in the extracts that interests you, note the license number to find the records faster. You can also perform a search by license name.

  • Whom should I contact if I have questions about the Instant Public Records download files. 

Please call our Customer Contact Center at 850.487.1395 or use our contact form.

  • How can I obtain records from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants that are not available for download from the Instant Public Records website?

Please email the division at hrpublicrecords@myfloridalicense.com. You may also request public records by telephone, fax or standard mail. More information on submitting public records requests is available on our website.

Dogs in Restaurants

Fire Safety

 Food Safety

General Licensing Information

Applications and Renewals

HUD-Inspected Apartments

General Information

Applications, Approvals and Denials

Drawing a Plan

Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicles, Hot Dog Carts and Commissaries

Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicles
Hot Dog Carts
Commissaries

Technical Requirements

Cove Base
Floors, Walls and Ceilings
Bathrooms, Sinks and Plumbing
Water and Sewage Service
Smokers and Grills

Fire Safety

Food Service Employee Training

Food Service Employee Training Reporting

Are public lodging establishments obligated to ensure that human trafficking awareness training has been provided to all employees?

No. Section 509.096(1)(a), Florida Statutes, requires that training only be provided to employees of the establishment who perform housekeeping duties in the rental units or who work at the front desk or reception area where guests ordinarily check in or check out.

May an establishment create its own human trafficking awareness training curriculum to provide to its employees?

Yes. Any curriculum may be used, as long as the curriculum satisfies the requirements for such training. See § 509.096(2)(a)-(c), Florida Statutes.

How can an establishment demonstrate that its employees have successfully completed human trafficking awareness training?

Each establishment must obtain from each applicable employee a signed and dated acknowledgement of having received the training. See § 509.096(1)(a), Florida Statutes.

How can an establishment ensure that its procedure for reporting of suspected human trafficking is sufficient?

The establishment will be in compliance so long as it has a procedure in place by January 1, 2021, for the reporting of suspected human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline or to a local law enforcement agency. See § 509.096(1)(b), Florida Statutes.

How can a public lodging establishment submit their human trafficking awareness employee training curriculum to the Division for review and approval?

A public lodging establishment can submit their chosen training curriculum to our Division’s headquarters office for review, or the establishment may present the training curriculum to a representative of the Division during an official visit to the establishment. The Division plans to post a list to its website of third-party training curriculums that have already been reviewed and approved. This list is intended to help establishments that may be seeking to use a curriculum that has already been reviewed and approved, versus creating their own curriculum.

Are individual units that are part of a larger, licensed vacation rental collective or group subject to the requirements of section 509.096, Florida Statutes?

Yes. All public lodging establishments must comply with the requirements of section 509.096, Florida Statutes. See § 509.096(1), Florida Statutes.

May an establishment provide “live”, in-person human trafficking awareness training to their employees?

Yes, as long as the training meets statutory requirements and is able to be reviewed by the Division upon request. See § 509.096(1)(a) and (2)(a)-(c), Florida Statutes.

Are licensed non-transient public lodging establishments exempt from the human trafficking awareness requirements?

No. All public lodging establishments must comply with the requirements of section 509.096, Florida Statutes. See § 509.096(1), Florida Statutes.

Balcony Inspection

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Cribs and Crib Safety

Fire Safety

Guest Registers

HUD Apartment Exclusion

Landlord and Tenants

Nontransient Apartments
Transient Lodging

Mold

Swimming Pools and Spas

Vacation Rentals and Timeshare Projects

Miya’s Law

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Need Help?

All requests for public records, complaints, forms, and applications for licenses can be obtained by contacting the Customer Contact Center.

Steven von Bodungen, Director

Division of Hotels and Restaurants
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1011

Telephone: 850.487.1395
Email: dhr.info@myfloridalicense.com