Will this get me an A in Los Angeles?
No app can promise that. In Los Angeles County the inspector scores the visit out of 100 and posts the letter. A is 90 to 100, B is 80 to 89, C is 70 to 79. Below 70 the card shows the score itself. The grade applies in unincorporated areas and in cities that adopted the county's grading ordinance. Long Beach, Pasadena and Vernon have their own health departments. CleanCleaver keeps your records the way an inspector reads them, problems first, so what you did every day is on paper. The county decides the grade.
Do my staff need a food handler card in California?
Yes. Each food handler gets a California Food Handler Card within 30 days of being hired, from an ANSI-accredited course. It lasts 3 years, and the employer pays for the course and the time (HSC 113948). Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties run their own card instead: in Riverside it is due within 7 days and lasts 2 years. The app counts the days from the hire date and keeps each card and its expiry on file.
Do I need a certified food protection manager?
Yes. At least one owner or employee at each food facility holds a food protection manager certificate from an accredited exam (HSC 113947.1). A new place, a new owner, or a place that lost its certified person has 60 days. The certificate lasts 5 years (HSC 113947.3). A temporary event booth shows food safety knowledge instead. The app keeps the certificate on file.
What signs go on the wall in California?
Your health permit, where customers see it (HSC 114381). A wash-your-hands sign at every hand sink (HSC 113953.5). A notice that your latest inspection report is here for customers to read (HSC 113725.1). "No smoking" at each entrance (Labor Code 6404.5). With 10 or more employees, the Prop 65 food warning goes up (27 CCR 25607.5). One of three ways. An 8½ by 11 sign at each public entrance. A 5 by 5 sign at each register. Or the warning on your menu. Serving alcohol adds the Prop 65 alcohol warning (27 CCR 25607.3). Where your county grades, the grade card or placard where the inspector puts it. The app lists the signs your place needs and prints them, the Prop 65 warning word for word.
A worker is sick. Who do I tell?
The person in charge tells the county environmental health office. That is for a worker diagnosed with Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli (STEC), hepatitis A or norovirus. It is also for two or more workers with a stomach illness at once (HSC 113949.5). The law names no hour count: call right away. The app's check-in asks each person the health questions before the shift, and you see only OK to work or No food work today.
A worker got hurt. Who do I call?
California runs its own OSHA plan, Cal/OSHA. A death, or a serious injury or illness at work, is reported right away, never later than 8 hours (8 CCR 342). You call the Cal/OSHA district office for your job site. There is no single statewide number; the app shows the district office for your place.
Can I sell meals from my home kitchen in California?
Only where your county or city has said yes by ordinance (HSC 114367). Then a microenterprise home kitchen (MEHKO) permit allows up to 30 meals a day, 90 a week, and 110,442 dollars a year in 2026. A cottage food operation is different. Registered Class A sells direct, up to 75,000 dollars a year. Permitted Class B also sells through stores, up to 150,000 dollars (HSC 114365). The county start page says whether your county offers MEHKO, or that we could not confirm it.
Does California make me list allergens?
From July 1, 2026, a chain with 20 or more locations lists the major food allergens in each menu item (HSC 114093.5). On the menu, or digitally with a paper alternative. Sesame counts as a major allergen. For one place, the law asks two things. The person in charge knows the major allergens, and the food handler course covers them (HSC 113947, 113948). CleanCleaver makes a written allergen notice for you anyway, and we recommend posting one.
What does it cost after the 25 free days?
It depends on how many people are on your staff list: Solo (1–2) is $8, Small (3–6) is $24, Team (7–12) is $40 and Kitchen (13 or more) is $69 a month, per location. Churches and community kitchens pay $19 a month per building. Cancel anytime.
Do I need a card to start?
Yes, to start the 25 free days. You add a card on Stripe's own page, and CleanCleaver never sees the number. Cancel before the 25 days end and you pay nothing. Check-ins, sick reports and food-safety steps work with or without a card.
Do my staff need to install an app?
No. Each person gets a text link and uses CleanCleaver in their phone's web browser. People without a phone check in on a shop tablet with a 4-digit PIN.
Can a manager see my health answers?
No. The manager sees only what to do today, like "No food work today". Your symptoms stay private.
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