Local permits & fees

Blount County, TN — Commercial Kitchen Permits

Tennessee Dept. of Health (state-administered county) - Blount County Health Department, Environmental Health · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Food Service Establishment Permit
$210/yr state permit fee (per TDH; Blount is state-administered so no local surcharge applies). School food service establishments $80/yr; farmers-market food units $300.

Seating count determines classification per Rule 1200-23-1. The $210 figure is the state fee documented on a TN county fee sheet ('STATE FEE: $210.00'); Tennessee's six home-rule metro counties add a local fee (e.g., Shelby +$150 = $360 total). Blount, as a state-administered county, is billed the state fee.

Plan review — required

null - TDH does not charge a separate plan-review fee in state-administered counties; plan review is part of the permitting process

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Unit permit (food service establishment)
null - permitted as a food service establishment at the state fee; no separate TN state mobile-unit dollar figure published in reviewed sources

Mobile food units must comply with Rule 1200-23-1-.02(12) and operate from an approved commissary.

Watch out for

  • State-administered county: the TN Dept. of Health directly permits and inspects food service establishments in Blount (not a county-run program).
  • Fee schedule is set by state Rule 1200-23-1; permit year runs July 1 - June 30.
  • Retail food stores (grocery) are separately regulated by the TN Dept. of Agriculture under the Retail Food Store Inspection Act (TCA Title 53, Ch. 8).

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
Grocery / market with delinull - retail food stores are permitted and inspected by the TN Dept. of Agriculture (Retail Food Store Inspection Act, TCA Title 53 Ch. 8), not TDH; fee not published hereDeli/food-service areas inside a store may require a separate TDH food service establishment permit.
Pushcart / mobile vendingnull - permitted as a food service establishment (state fee); no separate TN state mobile-unit dollar figure published in reviewed sourcesMobile food units regulated under Rule 1200-23-1-.02(12).
Temporary / seasonal eventnull - TN temporary food service establishment permit fee not separately published in reviewed sourcesTemporary food establishment defined at Rule 1200-23-1-.01.
Sources: sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com · www.shelbytnhealth.com · www.tn.gov · observed 2026-08-07