Florida, not Lee County, inspects Fort Myers restaurants. Of 595 inspections since July 1, 449 needed no further action, state records show.
Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Figures come from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s food service inspection file for District 7, downloaded Oct. 8, 2026, through the state’s public records page. We refresh it monthly.
In Florida, restaurants are inspected by the state, not the Lee County health department. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants licenses and inspects every public food service business. Florida gives no numeric scores or letter grades; each inspection lists violations and ends with an outcome.
Who to call
- Division of Hotels and Restaurants: 850-487-1395
- Look up a restaurant: MyFloridaLicense.com license search
- File a complaint: MyFloridaLicense.com
Fort Myers since July 1
From July 1 to Oct. 7, 2026, state inspectors made 595 first-visit inspections at 574 food service businesses with a Fort Myers mailing address. Most were routine (503); 45 followed a complaint and 47 were licensing inspections. A Fort Myers address does not always mean the city: the count includes unincorporated ZIP codes such as 33908, 33912, 33913 and 33919 that use the Fort Myers name.
| Outcome of the first visit | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection completed, no further action | 449 | 75% |
| Warning issued (a follow-up visit is set) | 123 | 21% |
| Administrative complaint recommended | 15 | 3% |
| Emergency order recommended (closure until fixed) | 8 | 1% |
281 of the 595 inspections found no high-priority violations. The middle inspection found four violations of all kinds. Across all of Lee County in the same period there were 1,399 first-visit inspections, and 1,105 of them ended with no further action. Florida’s file lists outcomes, not the reasons a business was or was not closed, and a recommended action is not a final finding.
How to read an inspection
According to the division’s inspections page:
- High priority violations are those that could contribute directly to foodborne illness or injury. The state’s list includes holding food at the wrong temperature, bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food and signs of rodents or insects.
- Intermediate violations could lead to those risks if not fixed.
- Basic violations are, in the state’s words, “considered best practices to implement.”
Each restaurant gets one to four unannounced inspections a year, depending on its risk: the food it serves, how it prepares it and its record. Complaints can bring extra visits.
The outcomes:
- No further action: the inspection is complete.
- Warning issued: violations must be corrected by a set date, and the inspector returns.
- Administrative complaint recommended: high-priority violations, or violations not corrected after an earlier visit, need administrative action to ensure compliance.
- Emergency order recommended: the inspector recommended closing the business until violations are corrected. A callback visit shows whether it complied.
Look up a restaurant
Search any Fort Myers restaurant by name or address on the state’s license search. The full reports list each violation in the inspector’s words. The raw data, statewide and by district, is on the public records page. District 7 covers Lee County along with Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Manatee, Okeechobee and Sarasota counties.
Method
We counted rows in the state’s District 7 file whose county is Lee, whose location city is Fort Myers and whose inspection date is July 1 to Oct. 7, 2026, using only first visits (visit number 1) so follow-ups are not counted twice. Shares are rounded. We do not rank or name restaurants on this page; individual results are in the state’s records.
What this means for you
- Florida has no grades on the door; look up the latest inspection yourself.
- A warning means problems to fix by a deadline, not a closure.
- Report a concern to the state, not the city or county.
Related: new businesses in Fort Myers and who to call at City Hall.
Frequently asked questions
Who inspects restaurants in Lee County?
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants, not the county. Each restaurant gets one to four unannounced inspections a year, based on its risk.
Do Florida restaurants get inspection scores or letter grades?
No. Florida gives no numeric scores or letter grades. Each inspection lists violations by type (high priority, intermediate and basic) and ends with an outcome, such as no further action, a warning or an administrative complaint.
How do I look up a restaurant’s inspection in Fort Myers?
Search the business name or address on the state’s MyFloridaLicense.com license search, or download the state’s District 7 inspection file, which covers Lee County.
What does an emergency order mean on a Florida restaurant inspection?
The inspector recommended that the business close until problems are fixed. A follow-up visit shows whether it complied and reopened.
How do I report a restaurant in Fort Myers?
File a complaint with the Division of Hotels and Restaurants through MyFloridaLicense.com or call 850-487-1395.
Have your say