DOHMH rodent violations NYC
You got a DOHMH rodent violation. Here's what it means for your NYC restaurant — and what actually closes it.
Codes 04K and 04L are critical violations — each worth at least 5 points, fines up to $2,000, and a B in your window if you hit 14 points combined. Standard treatment clears the violation this cycle. It doesn't stop the same citation from appearing at the next unannounced visit. Here's what changes that math.
What the codes mean
Codes 04K and 04L: critical violations, immediate points, fines at OATH.
Rats — live or evidence
Live rats, dead rats, fresh droppings, gnaw marks, burrows, or active rat signs in food or non-food areas.
Mice — live or evidence
Same standard for mice. Evidence of live mice or mouse activity in food handling or storage areas.
Rodent violations carry fines from $300 to $2,000 per citation, set at an OATH hearing. You can settle before the hearing by admitting to the violation, typically at a reduced amount. Repeat violations within a short period are treated as a pattern and typically carry higher fines and increased inspection frequency. At 14 to 27 points you receive a B grade or Grade Pending during re-inspection. At 28 points, the grade drops to C and DOHMH can issue a correction order or temporary closure of the food service establishment.
How inspections are triggered
You can't prepare for the inspection date. Either you have it under control or you don't.
DOHMH conducts unannounced inspections of food service establishments on a cycle based on your current grade — across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. A 311 rodent complaint can also trigger an out-of-cycle visit. You cannot prepare for the inspection date — you either have the problem under control or you don't when they walk in.
What triggers the citation
Inspectors don't need to see a live rat. Evidence is enough.
An inspector who finds fresh droppings, gnaw marks on packaging, burrows near the exterior, or any sign of active rodent movement will issue a critical health code violation. Live rodents are the most serious finding, but evidence of recent activity is sufficient.
The timing problem: standard treatment clears the active colony. Within four to eight weeks, a new group moves in from the surrounding block. If the inspector arrives during week two after your treatment, you're clean. Week six, you're exposed to the same violation again.
There's no version of standard pest control — regardless of how frequently your licensed exterminator or pest control operator visits — that removes that variable. The inspection cycle and the replacement cycle run on similar timelines. What changes the math is reducing how fast the replacement population forms.
Live rats
Anywhere in the premises — kitchen, storage, dining, or non-food areas.
Dead rats
Found during the inspection. Evidence of prior activity even if currently inactive.
Fresh droppings
Along baseboards, in storage areas, near food or waste. Fresh droppings indicate recent activity.
Gnaw marks
On food packaging, structural wood, or utility penetrations. Signs of active feeding.
Burrows
Exterior burrow holes near building foundation or trash storage areas.
Grease marks
Smear marks along walls or pipes from repeated rat travel along the same path — evidence of harborage and established activity.
What changes the outcome
Closing the violation is different from closing the vulnerability.
Treatment closes the violation by clearing the active population. It doesn't reduce how fast the replacement forms. Inspectors increasingly want to see active management documentation, not just a service receipt.
What standard treatment gives you
- Cleared active population at the time of treatment
- Service receipt documenting the visit
- Licensed pest management professional (PMP) compliance documentation
- 4 to 8 weeks before replacement pressure builds back
What the 90-day program adds
- Documented declining trend — not just point-in-time treatment
- Monthly track count comparisons against Week 1 baseline
- Population that decreases rather than cycling back
- A record that shows active, continuous, measured management
- Your existing vendor stays — this adds a layer, not a replacement
A 90-day record showing declining track counts is a different conversation with an inspector than "we called the exterminator last month." It shows the problem is trending down, not just treated and waiting to return.
Field data
Numbers from monitored urban deployments.
What a two-phase managed program produces over 90 days.
Source: SenesTech, Inc. — February 18, 2026.
Start before the next unannounced visit.
The 90-day program takes time to produce a documented trend. The sooner it starts, the more distance you have between your kitchen and the next inspection.
- Layered onto your existing pest program
- EPA-designated minimum-risk bait
- Documented monthly reporting
- Month-to-month, no long contracts