Restaurant permits — California
The stack below is the state framework: the food permit, who issues it, whether plan review stands in front of your build-out, and the certificate layer for your team. Where California hands a number to your county, the page says so and names the office — that honesty is the product.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Food facility permit (health permit) | Issued at county level. Fee: Set by the issuing office — No state fee — fee set by your county environmental health office. For scale only, published county schedules run into the hundreds or over $1,000 depending on county and facility type (e.g., San Francisco and Contra Costa ranges cited by Toast); your county's schedule controls.. |
| Plan review | Required before build-out — drawings first, construction second. |
| Certificate of occupancy | Certificate of occupancy / certificate of use from the local building department is usually required before the food permit is issued; confirm zoning allows a restaurant use first. |
| Fire & signs | Fire inspection, fire-suppression (hood/Ansul) sign-off, and sign permits are separate and issued locally by the fire marshal and city/county — never part of the state food permit. |
| Grease / wastewater | Grease interceptor/trap sizing and approval is local (building/plumbing or wastewater); many cities also require a FOG (fats, oils, grease) permit and service records. |
County plan review and approval → build to the approved plans → apply for the county food facility permit → have the certified food manager and employee handler cards on file → pass the pre-opening inspection → permit issued
Food handler cards: mandated statewide — All food employees who work with unpackaged food, food equipment/utensils, or food-contact surfaces, within 30 days of starting, valid 3 years. Typical cost $8–$15.
Certified Food Protection Manager: required — One certified owner or employee per facility — California Health & Safety Code §113947.1. Accredited exam cost runs $36–$175. The certified person need not be present at all times, but certification must be on file for the facility.
Don't read the table — run your verdict. This stack, ordered for your format and space — plus the Cert Checker for your exact team.
California, every door: California hub · sell from home in California · California restaurant permits · California liquor license · what it costs · your Opening Map
Included in the $49 Opening Pack: the filled templates, trackers, calendars and worksheets for this door — built from the same dated datasets as the free checker above.
The fee is set by the issuing office in California — No state fee — fee set by your county environmental health office. For scale only, published county schedules run into the hundreds or over $1,000 depending on county and facility type (e.g., San Francisco and Contra Costa ranges cited by Toast); your county's schedule controls. Anyone quoting you a single statewide number is guessing.
At county level — the Food facility permit (health permit) comes from there, and that office runs your pre-opening inspection.
Sources: California Health & Safety Code §113947.1 / §113948 and CalCode permit §114381 via FoodHandlerGear and FenixFoodSafety. This row was verified against the primary source named below.. Dataset checked October 23, 2026. Where a fee or rule is set by a county or city, this page says so instead of guessing a number.