The Schenectady County Environmental Health Unit protects public health through enforcement of State and local sanitary codes. The Unit uses inspections, surveillance, industry and public education, and partnerships with NYS Department of Health and the health care community to fulfill its mission.
Individual programs regulate food service establishments, public water supplies, swimming pools and bathing beaches, camping facilities, temporary residences (hotels and motels), body art establishments, mobile home parks, schools and day care facilities, and septic systems. Other departmental grant programs include lead poisoning prevention, healthy neighborhoods, tobacco control, and rabies control.
Apply for your permit online
Schenectady County Citizen Engagement Portal
Certain permits are now available to apply for online with more to come. Please visit the Schenectady County Citizen Engagement portal for available permits.
- Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention
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The Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act (ATUPA) was passed to stop sales of tobacco products to individuals under age 21.
ATUPA is governed by NYS Public Health Law, Section 1399-cc: The sale of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, powdered tobacco, shisha, or other tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, electronic cigarettes, rolling papers or smoking paraphernalia to persons under 21 years of age is prohibited by law.
In Schenectady County, ATUPA is enforced by Schenectady County Public Health Services Environmental Unit.
- Body Art
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Application and Required Document List
- Children's Camps
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A day camp is a program operated between June 1 and September 15 for children under 16 years old for the purpose of indoor or outdoor organized group activities, involving two or more activities of which at least one is a non-passive recreational activity with significant risk of injury, with no provisions for overnight occupancy.
An overnight camp is a program for persons under 18 years old for the purpose of indoor or outdoor organized activities in which provisions are made for overnight occupancy.
Required documents for obtaining a children’s camp permit:
DOH 3915 Permit to Operate Application
DOH 367a Additional Staff Qualifications
DOH 2271 Director Certified Statement
- Drinking Water and Wastewater
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Private Well Sampling information
Private Well Sampling ProcedureRealty Subdivision
Application for Sanitary Facilities for Realty Subdivisions
Proposed Realty Subdivision Checklist
Septic application
Individual Application and cover
- Food Service Establishment (Restaurant)
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A food service establishment is a place where food is prepared and intended for individual portion service and includes the site at which the individual portions are provided, whether consumption occurs on or off the premises. This includes restaurants and take-out facilities.
Preventing foodborne illness outbreaks poster
- Mobile Food Vending (Food Truck/Trailer/Pushcart)
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A mobile food service is a self-contained food service operation located in a vehicle, movable stand or a pushcart that is used to store, prepare, display, or serve food intended for individual portion service.
DOH 3915 Permit to Operate Application
- Permits
- Temporary Food
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A temporary food service is an operation where food is prepared and served to the public at a fixed location in conjunction with a single event or a celebration of not more than 14 consecutive days.
- Rabies Information
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Rabies is a serious illness, which can result in human death. The Schenectady County Environmental Health Unit investigates 350 to 400 rabies exposures annually, both from domestic and wild animals, to protect County residents from rabies.
Bat rabies accounts for almost all cases of human rabies in this country. Although only 1% of the bats submitted for rabies testing are positive, any exposure to bats should be reported to the Schenectady County Environmental Health Unit. The bat should be saved for testing. Additionally, exposures from any wild animal, bites or scratches, should be reported to the Schenectady County Environmental Health Unit at (518) 386-2818 and the animal saved for testing as well.
Periodic rabies vaccination clinics for domestic animals are held in the County. Dates, times and locations for these clinics can be obtained by calling (518) 386-2818. You can also stop back here at the Schenectady County website to check for scheduled vaccination clinics.Rabies vaccinations are available for cats, dogs and ferrets BY APPOINTMENT ONLY at the drive-thru clinic.