How restaurant inspections work in North Carolina
Who inspects North Carolina's restaurants, how results are graded, and how to read them on CleanPlate.
North Carolina posts numeric grade cards in every restaurant — a 0–100 score with the letter it implies — under one of the country's more uniform county-delivered systems. CleanPlate covers Raleigh and surrounding Wake County.
Who does the inspecting
County health departments inspect under statewide rules; Wake County Environmental Services covers Raleigh, Cary, and the rest of the county.
How results are graded
Every inspection produces a posted score: 90+ is an A, 80s a B, 70s a C — and below 70 the permit is revoked on the spot, which is why you'll essentially never see a sub-70 operating restaurant in North Carolina. CleanPlate shows the score and its letter exactly as the county reports them.
Reading it on CleanPlate
Every North Carolina restaurant page on CleanPlate shows the establishment's current standing, its full inspection history with dates, and a link to the official agency behind the record. Grades are shown exactly as reported; where the source publishes no summary grade, the derived status is labeled as derived. Establishments with no inspection in over two years are treated as likely closed and excluded from search.