LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 104Pt. 7Ch. 6Art. 3§ 114161 Food Storage Location Restrictions

§ 114161 Food Storage Location Restrictions

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 114161 Food Storage Location Restrictions

Key Takeaways

  • •Food, clean dishes, and clean linens must be stored in safe places, not near dirty or risky spots like bathrooms or trash rooms.
  • •Don’t store food or clean stuff under leaky pipes, sewer lines, or stairwells where dirt or water can drop on them.
  • •If there’s a washing machine or dryer, it must be in a spot where it won’t contaminate food or clean items nearby.

Example

A restaurant stores clean plates under a leaky pipe in the basement.

This is against the law because water dripping from the pipe could make the plates dirty or unsafe to use.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 114161 Food Storage Location Restrictions

(a) Except as specified in subdivision (b), equipment, a cabinet used for the storage of food, or a cabinet that is used to store cleaned and sanitized equipment, utensils, laundered linens, and single-use articles shall not be in any of the following locations: (1) In locker rooms. (2) In toilet rooms. (3) In refuse rooms. (4) In mechanical rooms. (5) Under sewer lines that are not shielded to intercept potential drips. (6) Under leaking water lines, including leaking automatic fire sprinkler heads, or under lines on which water has condensed. (7) Under open stairwells. (8) Under other sources of contamination. (b) If a mechanical clothes washer or dryer is provided, it shall be located so that the washer or dryer is protected from contamination and located only where there is no exposed food, clean equipment, utensils, and linens, and unwrapped single-use articles. (Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007. Operative July 1, 2007, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 23.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

equipmentcabinet used for the storage of foodcleaned and sanitized equipmentutensilslaundered linenssingle-use articlesmechanical clothes washer or dryercontaminationexposed food

Related Statutes

  • § 114179 Food Service Storage Rules
  • § 114157 Food Temperature Monitoring Requirements
  • § 114178 Food Service Storage Rules
  • § 5460 Contamination Abatement Orders
  • § 5461 Sewage Discharge Contamination Penalty

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 114161.
View Official Source