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Does an assisted living facility in Minnesota need a separate food service license?

No. Under Minn. Stat. 144G.10, subd. 3, facilities licensed as assisted living under Chapter 144G are not separately required to hold a boarding-estab

Quick answer

No. Under Minn. Stat. 144G.10, subd. 3, facilities licensed as assisted living under Chapter 144G are not separately required to hold a boarding-establishment, food-and-beverage, hotel/motel, or restaurant license under Minnesota's general lodging and food code, Chapter 157. MDH's assisted living survey process covers that ground instead.

HomeQuestionsDoes an assisted living facility in Minnesota need a
Answer

No. Under Minn. Stat. 144G.10, subd. 3, facilities licensed as assisted living under Chapter 144G are not separately required to hold a boarding-establishment, food-and-beverage, hotel/motel, or restaurant license under Minnesota's general lodging and food code, Chapter 157. MDH's assisted living survey process covers that ground instead.

What this means in practice

This is a narrow but occasionally confusing point for families who assume every facility serving meals needs the same type of restaurant inspection a standalone café would. In practice, MDH's assisted living licensure survey already evaluates food safety, sanitation, and dietary services as part of the overall facility inspection, so a separate food-service license would be duplicative. If a family has a specific concern about food safety or a dietary issue at a Twin Cities community, that concern still belongs with MDH's Office of Health Facility Complaints rather than a city or county food inspector, since the facility's food service falls under its assisted living license rather than a standalone restaurant permit.

Related questions

Questions families ask

Does an assisted living facility in Minnesota need a separate food service license?

No. Under Minn. Stat. 144G.10, subd. 3, facilities licensed as assisted living under Chapter 144G are not separately required to hold a boarding-establishment, food-and-beverage, hotel/motel, or restaurant license under Minnesota's general lodging and food code, Chapter 157. MDH's assisted living survey process covers that ground instead.

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