Health Officer Inspections and Enforcement
Resources and Information for local health officers about licensing inspections and sanitation and environmental investigations.
The local Health Officer is required to complete certain licensing inspections as well as conduct investigations into various sanitation and environmental hazard concerns. These documents provide an overview of the types of inspections you will complete as well as the enforcement tools you can utilize.
Child Care Licensing Inspections
State law requires child day care and residential childcare facilities to pass a health inspection by a Health Officer prior to issuance of an initial license and every 3 years after that for license renewal. Additionally, facilities may require a health inspection if they renovate physical spaces or engage in other upgrades.
Foster Care Licensing Inspections
Individuals or families applying to become foster parents, or to adopt a child, must have their home(s) inspected as part of the requirements to gain approval from the NH DHHS. Home inspections assess whether the home meets health and safety standards prior to the issuance of a license or permit.
School Health
A school health inspection is part of the NH Department of Education review process to ensure that school facilities meet minimum standards and operate a sanitary building. The health inspection must be performed by a health official.
Housing Inspections
It is the responsibility of the local Health Officer to enforce the minimum health and safety standards set forth in RSA 48-A:14 that are specific to rental housing. In conjunction with municipal building and fire officials, the Health Officer may respond to complaints that buildings are unfit for human habitation, and when necessary, condemn a property until the conditions have been repaired or the building demolished.
Administrative Inspection Warrants
If a Health Officer has a reasonable belief that a sanitation or public health concern exists in a location that cannot be easily observed from a public vantage point or inspected via voluntarily access, the Health Officer has the option to file an administrative inspection warrant with the NH Judicial System. These warrants provide authorization by a court to enter a certain area of a location within a certain timeframe.
Healthcare Facilities
As part of the requirements for a health facility to receive a license from the State of New Hampshire, it must meet the local health regulations of the town in which it is located. Local Health Officer approval is required as a part of the licensing for all new or changed facilities, as defined by RSA 151.