California County Health Permit Fees for Restaurants: $319 in Los Angeles to $2,087 in San Diego, FY 2026-27
California County Health Permit Fees for Restaurants: $319 in Los Angeles to $2,087 in San Diego, FY 2026-27
Your restaurant's health permit comes from a county, not the state. Restaurant and food permits are issued by the county environmental health or public health agency, or by a city health department where one exists. Long Beach is the best-known example. California sets no single fee for restaurant permits, so the amount you pay depends on where the business operates and how the county classifies it.
This guide compares what three large counties charge for a retail food permit in fiscal year 2026 to 2027: Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange. Across these schedules, restaurant permits run from $319 in Los Angeles County (a small restaurant in the low risk category) to $2,087 in San Diego County (a restaurant with 101 or more employees). Those are the lowest and highest figures in these three tables. They are not a typical fee or a statewide range.
Informational content only: This guide is not legal or tax advice. Fee schedules change, so confirm current amounts with the county before you budget or sign a lease. For entity, tax and liability questions, consult a qualified California attorney or CPA.
Why there is no single California figure
California has no general statewide business license. The Secretary of State issues none, and the seller's permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is not a business license. Restaurant health permits follow the same local pattern. Each county sets its own schedule, and the three counties in this guide measure a restaurant in three different ways:
- San Diego County prices a restaurant by employee count.
- Orange County prices by seat count and by how much food preparation the operation does (minimal, limited or complex).
- Los Angeles County prices by seat count and by risk level (low, moderate or high).
Because the schedules ask different questions, the same restaurant can land in a different category in each county, and two restaurants in the same county can pay different amounts. The category that applies depends on your menu, your food handling and your staffing, and the county makes the final call.
Los Angeles County: seat count and risk level
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health sets the restaurant annual permit by seat count and risk level. Find your seat range in the left column, then read across to the risk level that matches your operation.
| Seats | Low risk | Moderate risk | High risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 30 | $319 | $719 | $1,206 |
| 31 to 60 | $344 | $762 | $1,309 |
| 61 to 150 | $370 | $838 | $1,375 |
| 151 or more | $400 | $932 | $1,438 |
The county assigns the risk level based on your operation, so ask which level applies before you budget at the low figure. A 45-seat restaurant pays $344 at low risk, $762 at moderate risk and $1,309 at high risk. That spread is why the category matters as much as the seat count.
The same schedule also lists these items:
- Mobile food facility: $325, $598 and $761 across the low, moderate and high risk levels.
- Compact mobile food operation: $126, $299 and $592 across the same three levels.
- MEHKO application: $597. Annual MEHKO permit: $347.
- Plan check for a restaurant of 0 to 500 square feet: $1,044. Larger sizes cost more, so check the county schedule for your square footage.
San Diego County: employee count
The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality prices a restaurant annual permit by the number of employees, not seats. Count everyone who works at the location, then ask the county how it treats part-time staff.
| Employees | Annual permit |
|---|---|
| 1 to 10 | $842 |
| 11 to 25 | $987 |
| 26 to 100 | $1,170 |
| 101 or more | $2,087 |
Other San Diego items:
- Each food preparation area above three at the same location: $649
- Unpackaged mobile food or food preparation commissary: $481
- Packaged lunch truck: $253
- Prepackaged food, ice cream, produce or tamale carts: $228
- Limited food preparation vehicle or cart: $516
- Mobile food facility with full food preparation: $760
- Cottage Food Operation Class A: $231 initial, $92 renewal
- Cottage Food Operation Class B: $526 initial, $361 renewal
- Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation: $673 initial, $335 renewal
Orange County: seats and preparation level
The Orange County Health Care Agency sorts a restaurant by preparation level first, then by seats. A restaurant with complex preparation pays more than one with minimal preparation at the same seat count, as the figures below show.
| Preparation level | Seats | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal | 60 or fewer | $482 |
| Minimal | 61 to 100 | $600 |
| Minimal | Over 100 | $633 |
| Limited | 30 or fewer | $792 |
| Limited | Over 200 | $1,305 |
| Complex | 30 or fewer | $1,238 |
| Complex | Over 200 | $2,043 |
The limited and complex schedules have intermediate steps between these ends. Limited restaurants pay $918, $998, $1,097 or $1,241 at the middle steps, and complex restaurants pay $1,436, $1,560, $1,717 or $1,944. Check with the Orange County Health Care Agency for the seat range each step covers.
Other Orange County items:
- Caterer with complex preparation: $1,148 under 2,000 square feet, $1,391 for 2,000 to 5,999 square feet, $1,455 for 6,000 square feet or more
- Retail food market: $278 under 2,000 square feet, $382 at 2,000 square feet or more
- Seasonal food facility: $404
- Each additional food preparation area: $512
Counties not listed, and Long Beach
This guide does not cover every county. Riverside, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Alameda, Fresno, Kern and the rest set their own schedules, and the figures here do not apply to them. Check with the environmental health office in your county for its current fee schedule.
Long Beach runs its own health department. A Long Beach restaurant deals with the city, not Los Angeles County, so ask the city for its schedule rather than using the Los Angeles County table.
Costs that sit outside the health permit
The health permit is one line in your startup budget. These are separate steps with separate fees, and this guide does not give their amounts:
- Plan check for your kitchen layout and build-out
- Zoning approval from your city or county
- Fire clearance
- An alcohol license from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, if you plan to serve alcohol
- A city local business tax or registration certificate. 445 of California's 483 cities report revenue from one, but there is no common formula, so confirm the rule with your city.
Your business entity is a separate step. Register it with the Secretary of State. If you make taxable sales, register with the CDTFA for a seller's permit, which is free. If you have employees, register with the Employment Development Department (EDD). The state sales tax is 7.25% statewide, and district taxes raise city rates to between 7.25% and 11.75%.
Home kitchen programs
If you plan to cook from home, cottage food operations and the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) have their own rules. This guide does not explain them in depth. Read the cottage food law guide covering Class A, Class B and the 2026 sales caps and the MEHKO guide on permit limits and participating counties before you compare costs.
Checklist before you budget
- Find the county. Confirm which county, or which city health department, covers your address. Long Beach is handled separately.
- Ask for the current fee schedule. Request the fiscal year 2026 to 2027 schedule from the county environmental health or public health agency, in writing if possible.
- Ask which category applies. Give the county your seat count and risk level, employee count, or preparation level, and get the category confirmed before you sign a lease.
- Budget for plan check and renewals every year. Plan check comes before you build out, and the annual permit renews every year.
For help with startup budgeting and steps, the California Small Business Development Center network offers business advisory services at californiasbdc.org.
This guide is informational, not legal or tax advice. For complex situations, consult a qualified California attorney or CPA.