Local permits & fees

Bell County, TX — Commercial Kitchen Permits

Bell County Public Health District - Retail Food Division · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Brick and Mortar Retail Establishment Permit (fee by number of employees)
2026 tiers: 1-6 emp $300; 7-12 $350; 13-20 $400; 21-30 $450; 31-50 $500; 51-100 $550; 101-200 $600; 201+ $650 (increases $50/tier annually through 2028).

Late fee $100/30 days; re-inspection $200; permit reinstatement after closure $300; amended permit $125; expedited review/inspection $100. School inspections $250 (2/yr).

Plan review — required

$150.00

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Unit Permit / Inspection
County MFU permit (good until 2026-07-01): full service $275, limited $175, additional units $175. Effective 2026-07-01: mobile inspection fee TBD by DSHS, reimbursed by DSHS, not to exceed $200.

Texas moved mobile-food permitting to state DSHS eff. 2026-07-01 pending a DSHS Collaborative Agreement.

How to apply

See the department site above.

Watch out for

  • Restaurant fee is scaled by employee count (uncommon in TX), with scheduled annual increases 2026-2028.
  • Temporary events: $150 (3 days or less); $250 if less than 3 days' notice before event.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
Fixed establishment (Brick & Mortar Retail) - priced by number of employees$300 (1-6 emp) / $350 (7-12) / $400 (13-20) / $450 (21-30) / $500 (31-50) / $550 (51-100) / $600 (101-200) / $650 (201+) [2026 rates]Not named categories; fee scales by employee count with a $50/yr increase scheduled through 2028.
Central Prep Facility / Commissary (not otherwise permitted)Same as Food Dealer permit scale ($300-$650 by employee count)Priced identically to brick-and-mortar establishment scale.
Temporary event (3 days or less)$150$250 if less than 3 days' notice before event.
School inspections$250Two inspections per year.
Child/Adult Daycare / Group Home Environmental Health Inspection$150 (A: 1-25) / $200 (B: 26-50) / $250 (C: 51-75) / $300 (D: 76-100) / $350 (E: 101+)Tiered by number of participants licensed by State Licensing.
Foster Home Environmental Health Inspection$100
Sources: www.dshs.texas.gov · observed 2026-08-07