A new hire needs an SNHD food handler card before the first shift. Pick a machine, follow the pictures. Every fridge reading is saved with a name.
Why it is hard
You want to sell food. Every machine has to be clean, and nobody showed you how.
Why does it matter?
The machines
The fridge, the grinder, the sink, the toilet: each one has a rule. Nevada's food law moved to NRS 580 on July 1, 2025. The state code is NAC 446, and Clark and Washoe counties write their own on top. The binder gets lost.
The guessing
An SNHD inspector can walk in any day, and the card they leave hangs by your door. You can't watch every shift. Did anyone take the fridge temperature today? You don't know.
The point
You opened to feed people, not to chase clipboards.
Take one fridge reading on a sample cafe and see how little it takes.
Why not take a few demerits?
In Clark County, the grade hangs at the door.
A few demerits will not close you. But in Clark County the card hangs where every customer walks in. The reason is still tomorrow morning.
What does that look like on a shift?
Your opener sees one next thing, each machine's cleaning steps have pictures, and a missing supply is one tap away. Less scramble at open and close.
Your team's name is on good work: every reading, every Caught early. Not policing. On inspection day, you hand over one PDF.
The Southern Nevada Health District posts your grade card where customers walk in (SNHD 8-403.2). A is 0 to 10 demerits, B is 11 to 20, C is 21 to 40. Over 40 closes the place until it passes again. In Washoe County the result is Pass, Conditional Pass, Failed or Closed, on WashoeEats.com.
An inspection is a snapshot. Your records show every day, with times and names, and the binder is one PDF with its own fingerprint. Proof you can show, not a promise. SNHD grades; we don't.
Not sure which? The sample cafe shows every screen.
Who inspects you
Which office do I call?
Since July 1, 2025, Nevada's food law is NRS chapter 580 and the state agency is the Nevada Department of Agriculture. Your health district's own food regulation replaces the state one inside its county (NRS 580.210).
What does that look like on a shift?
Clark County (Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Mesquite, Boulder City, Laughlin): the Southern Nevada Health District, SNHD. Environmental Health (702) 759-0588; after hours (702) 759-1000.
Washoe County (Reno, Sparks): Northern Nevada Public Health, 775.328.2434.
Elko, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Nye, Storey and White Pine: the Nevada Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Program, Sparks main office 775-684-5280.
Carson City and Douglas County: Carson City Health and Human Services, Environmental Health, (775) 887-2190. Its page was read for us by the owner, so confirm by hand.
Churchill, Eureka, Mineral and Pershing: the Central Nevada Health District. Churchill office in Fallon, (775) 867-8181.
What changed in 2025, in plain words: Nevada's food law moved to NRS 580. More in the Nevada blog.
Nevada writes its own food code, NAC chapter 446, from the 2009 FDA Food Code. In Clark County (SNHD) and Washoe County, the health district's own food regulation replaces it. We read each section in Nevada's own text, October 2, 2026.
Nevada's rule beside the FDA Food Code, section by section
The rule
Nevada's section
How it compares
A certified food protection manager FDA Food Code 2-102.12
NAC 446.052
A manager certificate is one way to show knowledge, not required statewide.
Reporting a sick worker FDA Food Code 2-201.11
NAC 446.056(1)(c)
The person in charge tells the health authority within 24 hours.
Telling customers about allergens FDA Food Code 3-602.12
NAC 446.187
Allergens on packaged-food labels only; no written notice for unpackaged food.
Cooling cooked food FDA Food Code 3-501.14
NAC 446.176
Same as the FDA Food Code.
Holding food hot or cold FDA Food Code 3-501.16
NAC 446.178
Same as the FDA Food Code.
Dating food you keep FDA Food Code 3-501.17
NAC 446.179
Same as the FDA Food Code.
Throwing out food past its date FDA Food Code 3-501.18
NAC 446.181
Same as the FDA Food Code.
Using time instead of temperature FDA Food Code 3-501.19
NAC 446.182
Same as the FDA Food Code: 4 hours, or 6 hours below 70°F, with written procedures.
The raw or undercooked food notice FDA Food Code 3-603.11
NAC 446.189
Same as the FDA Food Code.
The handwashing sign FDA Food Code 6-301.14
NAC 446.424(2)
Same as the FDA Food Code.
Cards and certificates
What your staff need, and where your county adds its own.
Nevada's rule first, then each office that writes its own on top. The app shows your county's rule under the rule itself.
What does that look like on a shift?
Food handlers in Nevada: Nevada has no statewide food handler card.
The person in charge: The person in charge shows the inspector they know food safety.
Southern Nevada Health District: Nevada law: no statewide food handler card. SNHD: every food handler needs an SNHD Food Handler Safety Training Card before starting work; it lasts 3 years.
Southern Nevada Health District: Nevada law: the person in charge shows the inspector they know food safety; a manager certificate is one way. SNHD: the person in charge must be a certified food protection manager (low-risk and temporary places are excepted).
Northern Nevada Public Health: Nevada law: the person in charge shows the inspector they know food safety; a manager certificate is one way. Northern Nevada Public Health: Risk Level II and III places employ a full-time certified food protection manager (in Level III, the person in charge, on site during cooking, cooling and reheating); a new place, or one that lost its manager, has 60 days.
Look up your own place first. Your customers can see it too.
Your guide
Fix health code violations before the inspector finds them.
Every rule your inspector checks, turned into short daily steps your team does. Nevada writes its own food code, NAC chapter 446, and Clark and Washoe counties write their own on top. Each rule below names its source and where your county differs. CleanCleaver keeps the proof.
Do you know the rules for Nevada?
NAC 446.178, Potentially hazardous food: holding
NAC 446.178 Potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food). (NRS 439.200, 446.940) 1. Except during preparation, cooking or cooling, or when time is used as a public health control as described in this chapter and, except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food) must be maintained: (a) At 135°F (57.2°C) or above, except that roasts cooked or reheated as specified in this chapter may be held at a temperature of 130°F (54.4°C) or above; or (b) At a temperature of 41°F (5°C) or below. 2. Eggs that have not been treated to destroy all viable Salmonellae must be stored in refrigerated equipment that …
NAC 446.176 Potentially hazardous food: Cooling. (NRS 439.200, 446.940) 1. Cooked potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food) must be cooled: (a) Within 2 hours from 135°F (57.2°C) to 70°F (21.1°C); and (b) Within a total of 6 hours from 135°F (57.2°C) to 41°F (5°C) or below. 2. Potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food) must be cooled within 4 hours to 41°F (5°C) if prepared from ingredients at ambient temperature, including, without limitation, reconstituted foods and canned tuna. 3. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, a potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food) received in compliance with this …
NAC 446.056 Employee health conditions. (NRS 439.200, 446.940) 1. In accordance with the provisions of this chapter and chapter 441A of NAC, the following employee health conditions apply: (a) A food employee shall not work in or around any place where unwrapped or unpackaged food or beverage products are prepared, sold or offered for sale if the food employee knows that he or she has: (1) A symptom of gastrointestinal infection, including, without limitation, diarrhea, vomiting or jaundice, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (k); (2) A diagnosed infection by a disease agent that can be transmitted from a food employee through food, including, without limitation, Salmonella species, …
NAC 446.179 Refrigerated, ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food): Date marking. (NRS 439.200, 446.940) 1. Except when packaging food using a reduced oxygen packaging method, and except as specified in this chapter, refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food) prepared and held in a food establishment for more than 24 hours must be clearly marked to indicate the date or day on which the food was prepared or the date or day by which the food must be consumed on the premises, sold or discarded, based on the temperature and time combinations specified in this section. The day of preparation must be …
NAC 446.424 Handwashing sinks: Availability and use. (NRS 439.200, 446.940) 1. A supply of soap or detergent for cleaning hands and disposable towels or a hand drying device as specified in this chapter must be available at each handwashing sink. 2. A sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands must be provided at all handwashing sinks used by food employees and must be clearly visible to all food employees. 3. Handwashing sinks must be accessible to employees at all times and may not be used for purposes other than washing hands. 4. If approved in advance by the health authority, when food exposure is limited and handwashing sinks are not conveniently available, …
NAC 446.052, Person in charge: demonstration of knowledge
NAC 446.052 Person in charge: Demonstration of knowledge. (NRS 439.200, 446.940) 1. Based on the risks inherent to the food operation, during inspections and upon request, the person in charge shall demonstrate to the health authority knowledge of the prevention of foodborne illness, application of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles and the requirements of this chapter. The person in charge may demonstrate this knowledge by: (a) Being a certified food protection manager who has shown proficiency in the required information through passing a test that is part of an accredited program; or (b) For a low-risk food establishment or temporary food establishment, responding …
Sick workers stay off the line. Within 24 hours, the person in charge tells the health authority about jaundice or a diagnosed illness that spreads through food (NAC 446.056).
Before the shift, answer the health questions.
Vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, a sore throat with fever, an infected cut: no food work today.
A diagnosis like Salmonella, norovirus or hepatitis A: the person in charge tells the health department.
CleanCleaver: Health questions before each shift. You see only OK to work or No food work today.
According to CleanCleaver.com (https://cleancleaver.com/nevada/)
Cold food at 41°F or colder, hot food at 135°F or hotter
Hot food at 135°F or hotter. Cold food at 41°F or colder. Same in Nevada (NAC 446.178). In Clark County, cold food held at 42 to 45°F is used or thrown out within 24 hours and labeled with the date (SNHD 3-501.6).
Probe the food, not just the air.
Cold: 41°F or colder. Hot: 135°F or hotter.
Warm? Move the food, and write what you did.
CleanCleaver: Each reading is saved with time and name. A warm one asks what you did.
According to CleanCleaver.com (https://cleancleaver.com/nevada/)
In Clark County: the SNHD card before the first shift
No statewide food handler card. In Clark County, every food handler needs an SNHD Food Handler Safety Training Card before starting work. It lasts 3 years (SNHD 2-601). Washoe County's regulation has no card.
Clark County: get the SNHD Food Handler Safety Training Card before the first shift. SNHD's own test; it lasts 3 years.
Washoe County and the state: no food handler card is required.
Your health district can require one: ask.
CleanCleaver: The app keeps each card and its expiry date, and flags a hire until the card is on file.
NRS 580; NAC 446 (no card requirement found)
Does your county differ? 1 of Nevada's 5 health departments do
Nevada law: no statewide food handler card. SNHD: every food handler needs an SNHD Food Handler Safety Training Card before starting work; it lasts 3 years. SNHD 2023 Food Regulations 2-601(A)
According to CleanCleaver.com (https://cleancleaver.com/nevada/)
The person in charge knows food safety; in Clark County, certified
The person in charge shows the inspector they know food safety (NAC 446.052). In Clark County, the person in charge must be a certified food protection manager (SNHD 2-102.2). In Washoe County, Risk Level II and III places need a full-time certified manager, with 60 days to get one.
Show the inspector you know food safety (NAC 446.052).
Clark County: the person in charge must be a certified food protection manager (SNHD 2-102.2).
Washoe County: Risk Level II and III places, a full-time certified manager within 60 days.
CleanCleaver: The app keeps the certificate on file, and the binder lists it.
NAC 446.052
Does your county differ? 2 of Nevada's 5 health departments do
Nevada law: the person in charge shows the inspector they know food safety; a manager certificate is one way. SNHD: the person in charge must be a certified food protection manager (low-risk and temporary places are excepted). SNHD 2023 Food Regulations 2-102.2
Nevada law: the person in charge shows the inspector they know food safety; a manager certificate is one way. Northern Nevada Public Health: Risk Level II and III places employ a full-time certified food protection manager (in Level III, the person in charge, on site during cooking, cooling and reheating); a new place, or one that lost its manager, has 60 days. Washoe County food regulations 040.005, 040.015
So each rule becomes a daily tap: fridge, strip, check-in.
The plan
Your food safety logs, in three steps.
Set up once. Your team takes the temperatures and taps them in on their phones.
How does this work?
Pick your kind of place and what you serve. Nothing extra is listed. No phone? Use the shop tablet and a 4-digit PIN. Your team's health answers stay private. A fixed record is crossed out, never deleted. Cancel in the 25 free days and you pay nothing. Real screens, sample data. How it works
Today shows the one thing that needs you now, the fridge before the dusting, and folds the rest away.
How does this work?
A sample day. During the rush, only what is urgent shows. The rest waits under When you have a minute. Most places do about five quick taps a day: the thermometer, the fridge, the sanitizer and the restroom at opening, and the fridge at close.
The pastry case reads 45°F. The limit is 41°F (NAC 446.178). Press Warmer until it reads 45, then write what you did.
The screen asks what you did before it saves the reading. A reading counts the same whether it passes or not. The person who wrote 45°F gets credit for catching it.
The person in charge sees only what to do, like No food work today.
How does this work?
The arrival log keeps only "at the shop" or not, never where anyone is. Your records are kept apart from every other business. Changes to records, people and permissions are written down with who and when. The answers are stored; manager screens show only what to do. Within 24 hours, the person in charge tells the health authority about a worker with jaundice or a diagnosed illness that spreads through food, like Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli (STEC), hepatitis A or norovirus (NAC 446.056(1)(c)). Team check-in
No Worker sees: You're good to work. Thanks. Manager sees: OK to work.
Yes Worker sees: Please don't work today. Rest and get well. Thank you for telling us. Manager sees: No food work today.
Sam's phone
Vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
Manager's phone
Today's check-ins
No check-ins yet today.
SSam
The worker keeps their own answer. The manager's screens show only the action: OK to work, or No food work today.
Inspection day
The binder fills itself.
Your records, the way an inspector reads them, in one PDF. Problems come first, then the temperatures, checklists, corrections and permits.
How does this work?
It starts at the last 90 days, and managers download it. A fixed record is crossed out, never deleted. In Clark County the binder adds a map of SNHD's inspection form, item by item, with the records in the binder that speak to each. A map of where to look, not a score. The inspection binder
Your team did the work. The record shows it, reading by reading, with the time, the name and the rule. When someone asks, you open the binder.
When would you need these records?
A health inspection, routine or surprise. One PDF, problems first, every record with its time and name.
A customer says they got sick. You open that day, hour by hour: who was cleared to work, every reading, each fix.
A fridge fails overnight. The readings before and after, with their times, for your insurer.
A re-inspection after a violation. What was fixed, by whom and when. A fixed record is crossed out, never deleted. In Clark County the card on your door comes from the latest SNHD visit; over 40 demerits closes the place until it passes (SNHD 8-403.2).
A permit renewal, or the day you sell. The last 90 days in one PDF, and the audit trail as a spreadsheet.
A brand audit across locations. One binder per location, each download fingerprinted.
Record-keeping, not legal advice: it shows what you did and when. Your health department decides.
You opened to greet the regulars, nail the menu and train a new hire with pride. The temperature still gets taken, by a person, with a thermometer. It is one tap. The rule, the record and the reminder are already done.
Show all 12
Gone, we do itThe binder fills itselfEvery reading, strip test and check-in lands in the inspection PDF with its time and name. Inspection tomorrow? The binder is already done.
Easy, one tapOne next thingToday shows the one thing that needs you now and folds the rest under When you have a minute. During the rush, only what is urgent shows.
Even a little funCaught earlyA warm reading you wrote down is marked Caught early, not a mark against you. The person who caught it gets the credit, by name.
Gone, we do itWhich rule applies hereThe state rule, then your county's difference, shows under the rule itself. You never look up who decides.
Easy, one tapA temperature is a tapType the number. A warm one asks what you did before it saves, so the fix is on record with the reading.
Even a little funPoints that only go upAn on-time check earns points, a late one still earns some, and nothing ever takes points away. A reading scores the same whether it passes or not.
Gone, we do itCards and certificates, trackedIn Clark County a new hire needs an SNHD food handler card before the first shift (SNHD 2-601(A)). The hire is flagged until the card is on file. The manager sees it, and it never blocks a check-in.
Easy, one tapPaper still worksPrint our log sheets, fill them in by hand, snap a photo. It becomes records. What the app is not sure it read goes to a person to check.
Even a little funKudos, in privateA manager sends kudos with one tap. The receiver sees it, with a small celebration; nobody is ranked, and nobody is shown at zero.
Gone, we do itInspection day, readyProblems first, then the temperatures, checklists, corrections and permits, the way an inspector reads them. A fixed record is crossed out, never deleted.
Easy, one tapHand it to a teammateAsk Susan, or whoever closes. They see Dana asked you; anyone on shift can tap I'll do it. Late is Needs a hand, never a name on a list.
Easy, one tapWho to callThe office for your county, one tap to call. For a sick customer, a sick worker, a permit question: the right number, never a search.
Open a sample cafe and do one shift's taps yourself.
Not ready to start?
What does my shop need to open legally?
Opening in Nevada? The order comes from the law: plans before you build, the health permit before the city license, the inspection before the permit. Your health district's own steps are in the app the day you pick your county.
What are the steps to open, in order?
1
Send your plans to the food safety authority before you build
Plans are approved before work begins, so nothing is built twice. (NRS 580.260)
2
Apply for your health permit
You can't run a food business without it. (NRS 580.400(1), (3))
3
Pass the inspection before the permit
The permit is issued once the inspection shows the place meets the rules. (NRS 580.400(3))
4
Be ready to show the inspector you know food safety
The person in charge shows their knowledge; a manager certificate is one way. (NAC 446.052(1))
5
Post your health permit
Nevada law asks every food place to post it. (NRS 580.400(5)(b))
How to open a restaurant in Las Vegas or Reno
Who to call, what to bring and when, for your county, in order.
The app lists the same steps for your place on day one, and ticks them off as you go.
How we keep up, so you don't have to
Every Nevada county, checked.
Every county writes its own rules. You shouldn't need a law degree to sell coffee. So we read Nevada's law, then each office's own pages: 17 counties, 5 health districts and offices.
How do we know your county's rule?
Who inspects you in each of the 17 counties, with its grade or placard and its card rule. The office's phone where its page prints one: 16 of 17 confirmed places.
47 sourced rules and facts for Nevada, 38 of them with the source's own words, each dated. Last read October 3, 2026. The next full re-check is due January 1, 2027, with 6 changes on watch until then.
What we could not confirm says so, never a guess. 15 of 25 county-rule checks are marked unknown, never guessed.
The rule for your county shows in the app under the rule itself, with both citations when the county differs from the state.
See every Nevada county, who inspects it and how we check.
Pricing
One price for your team size. Not per check-in.
Move the slider to your staff list and see your plan.
How does this work?
Prices are per location. Churches and community kitchens pay per building. Invited people count once they join. Adding someone within your size costs nothing, and you never pay per check-in, so nobody has a reason to skip one. Want the app to read your food photos? That is $6 per person a month, and it is optional. 25 days free. Cancel anytime.
Monthly price per location, by people on your staff list
Size
People on staff
Per month
Solo
1–2
$8
Small
3–6
$24
Team
7–12
$40
Kitchen
13 or more
$69
Church or community kitchen
Unlimited volunteers
$19
25 days free. Cancel anytime.
Not a real TV ad
A spoof ad, for fun.
Three made-up spots in the style of 1985. Tap play. Sound on.
"Inspection-ready. Every. Morning!"Only the cold brew should sit out overnight. CleanCleaver lines up the rest.
"It's not nagging if it's food safety!"
"Your binder fills itself!"Fill in the paper form and snap a photo, or tap it in the app. Your team will follow the rules better than drivers at a four-way stop. Which isn't saying much. Right, Jane? “That's right, ambiguous TV ad narrator!”
Your team logs it. Your binder shows it.
Questions owners ask
Before you start.
Will this get me an A in Las Vegas?
No app can promise that. The Southern Nevada Health District grades your inspection by demerits. A is 0 to 10, B is 11 to 20, C is 21 to 40. Over 40 means the permit is suspended until the place passes again. CleanCleaver keeps your records the way an inspector reads them, problems first, so what you did every day is on paper. The inspector decides the grade.
Do my staff need a food handler card in Nevada?
Nevada has no statewide card. In Clark County, SNHD requires its own Food Handler Safety Training Card before a person starts work. It is SNHD's own test, and the card lasts 3 years. Washoe County's regulation has no card requirement. The app keeps each card and its expiry date on file, and flags a new hire until the card is there.
Do I need a certified food protection manager?
Nevada law says the person in charge shows the inspector they know food safety (NAC 446.052). A manager certificate is one way to do that. In Clark County, SNHD requires the person in charge to be a certified food protection manager, except in low-risk and temporary places. In Washoe County, Risk Level II and III places need a full-time certified manager, with 60 days to get one. The app keeps the certificate on file.
What signs go on the wall in Nevada?
Your health permit (NRS 580.400). A handwashing sign at every hand sink (NAC 446.424). Where alcohol is sold by the drink, a pregnancy health warning at least 8½ by 11 inches, in English and Spanish (NRS 580.510). In Clark County, your grade card and permit where customers see them as they walk in (SNHD 8-403.2). The app lists the signs your place needs and prints them.
A worker is sick. Who do I tell?
In Nevada, the person in charge tells the health authority within 24 hours (NAC 446.056). That covers a worker with jaundice, or a diagnosed Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli (STEC), hepatitis A or norovirus. 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?
Nevada runs its own OSHA plan. A worker admitted to the hospital, or who loses a body part or an eye: the employer calls Nevada OSHA within 24 hours. A death: within 8 hours (NRS 618.378). Southern Nevada (702) 486-9020, Northern Nevada (775) 688-3700. The app's injury steps show the same number for your place.
Can I sell food I make at home in Nevada?
Not from a home kitchen as a permitted business: food made in a private home needs a permit from the health authority (NRS 580.900). A cottage food operation is different. It registers with the health authority and sells listed shelf-stable foods in person, up to 100,000 dollars a year. Each one is labeled as made in a cottage food operation not subject to inspection (NRS 580.600). On July 1, 2027 the Department of Agriculture becomes the registering authority statewide.
Does Nevada make me tell customers about allergens in writing?
Not that we found. The 2022 FDA Food Code (3-602.12(C)) asks for a written allergen notice on unpackaged food. Nevada's NAC 446 and SNHD's 2023 regulation name allergens only on packaged food labels. CleanCleaver makes a written 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.
Still want a person?
Rather talk it through?
Call or text. Some owners want a voice first, and that is fine.
Picture the next surprise visit. The team checked in. The fridge temperature is written down. The binder is one tap away. You hand it over and go back to the food.
For Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno and every Nevada kitchen
