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Local permits & fees

Comanche County, OK Food Facility Permits & Fees

Restaurants and food trucks.

Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), Consumer Health Service (state-administered via the Comanche County Health Department, Lawton) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Comanche County food-facility health permits run about $335–$425 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), Consumer Health Service (state-administered via the Comanche County Health Department, Lawton) before you budget.

Confirm the authority for your exact address. Some cities run their own health division, and building, planning, fire, sewer/grease and business-license approvals are separate even when Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), Consumer Health Service (state-administered via the Comanche County Health Department, Lawton) issues the health permit.

The restaurant market in Comanche County

What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.

236
food & drink establishments
5,315
industry jobs
$91M
annual payroll
$17,048
avg wage / worker
  • 76 full-service restaurants
  • 92 limited-service & fast food
  • 20 bars & drinking places
  • 24 snack & coffee bars
  • 8 mobile food & trucks

▼ 0.4% change in establishments since 2022 (237 → 236).

The average foodservice wage here is $2,593 below the Oklahoma average ($19,641); Oklahoma has about 7,955 food & drink establishments statewide.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 722, food services & drinking places) — establishments with paid employees. Some small-county payroll figures are withheld by Census for confidentiality.

Last verified: 2026-08-17 — we re-confirmed the serving authority, its contact, and that the fees below match the current published schedule. Fee schedules may carry an earlier effective date (shown per fee); local ordinances & amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date? Report an update →

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Food Service Establishment License
$425 initial / $335 renewal / $375 late renewal

OSDH fees are set statewide; the license is issued through the Comanche County Health Department; Seasonal (180-day) food-service license is $250

Plan review — required

  • OSDH does not publish a separate plan-review fee
  • plan review is required for new and extensively remodeled establishments

Plan-review details & forms →

Reach the department

Office1010 South Sheridan, Lawton, OK 73501
Plan reviewoklahoma.gov →

Inspection grading

Routine inspection — no public letter grade

Oklahoma has no letter grade or score — violations are logged as priority/priority-foundation/core; inspection reports public in the OSDH online database.

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Establishment License
$425 initial / $335 renewal / $375 late renewal

Mobile food establishments use the same OSDH fee schedule as fixed food-service establishments; Under HB 1076 (Oklahoma Food Truck Freedom Act, effective Nov 1, 2025), an OSDH state license is valid statewide and local jurisdictions must recognize it

How to apply

Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.

What it costs in permit fees to open here

The government permit & plan-review fees below total roughly $670–$850 for Comanche County:

  • $335–$425 — food-facility permit
  • $335–$425 — food-truck permit

That’s the paperwork only. Add buildout, equipment, deposits and licenses with the cost-to-open calculator. Fees change — confirm current amounts with the department.

Look up a restaurant’s inspection score

Check the health-inspection history and violation scores for any food establishment in Comanche County and Oklahoma. The Oklahoma State Department of Health posts food service establishment inspections statewide, though Oklahoma City-County and Tulsa operate their own independent portals.

Oklahoma inspection lookup →

How Comanche County’s permit cost compares

At about $335/year, Comanche County’s restaurant health permit is above the Oklahoma median ($125) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 94% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 76th-lowest of 77 Oklahoma counties by permit cost.

Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.

Local food-service market

About 237 food & drinking establishments serve ~121,574 residents in Comanche County — one per ~513 residents, denser than the Oklahoma average (one per ~619).

U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).

Budget the permit stack

Start with ~$335 annual health permit.

Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.

Grease trap & FOG requirements

Under International Plumbing Code (2018, OUBCC), food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. Restaurants must install an approved grease interceptor under the state-adopted plumbing code, with discharge governed by the local sewer authority's FOG program.

Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), Consumer Health Service (state-administered via the Comanche County Health Department, Lawton) (contact above).

Fire suppression & backflow

Hood fire suppression (International Fire Code (2018, OUBCC)): commercial cooking under a Type I hood needs a wet-chemical suppression system to NFPA 96, permitted and inspected by the local fire marshal. Commercial kitchen hood suppression must meet NFPA 96 and the state-adopted International Fire Code, enforced by the State Fire Marshal and local fire officials. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.

Backflow prevention: Backflow prevention assemblies (typically an RPZ) require annual testing by a certified tester through the local water utility's cross-connection control program. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.

Watch out for

  • STATE-administered: OSDH licenses food establishments; the Comanche County Health Department (Lawton, (580) 248-5890) is the local OSDH office
  • HB 1076 (Food Truck Freedom Act) effective Nov 1, 2025 makes the state mobile license valid in any Oklahoma jurisdiction
  • Temporary food-service license: $100 for 3 days plus $40 per additional day

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
Bakery / food processingFood processor/manufacturer $350 initial / $250 renewal / $300 late renewalOSDH statewide fee
Grocery / market with deliRetail food store $425 initial / $335 renewal / $375 late renewalOSDH statewide fee
Temporary / seasonal eventTemporary food-service $100 for 3 days plus $40 per additional day; seasonal (180-day) $250OSDH statewide fee
Pushcart / mobile vendingMobile food establishment $425 initial / $335 renewal / $375 late renewalState license valid statewide under HB 1076 (effective Nov 1, 2025)

Equipment your Comanche County plan review will check

Health-department plan review looks for specific, code-compliant fixtures. Compare spec-filtered options, then confirm counts and sizes with your local requirements. See the full list in what equipment a commercial kitchen requires.

Nearby counties

Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Comanche County with its neighbors.

How to open: typical permitting sequence

This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.

  1. Confirm whether Comanche County or another local jurisdiction (city/district) handles your exact address.
  2. Confirm zoning and permitted use.
  3. Prepare your menu and scaled plans.
  4. Include an equipment schedule with ANSI/NSF spec sheets.
  5. Submit water-heater and hood documentation.
  6. Pay plan-review fees.
  7. Respond to plan-check corrections.
  8. Obtain Environmental Health plan approval.
  9. Obtain building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals.
  10. Schedule rough-plumbing, pre-final and final health inspections.
  11. Pay the operating-permit / application fees.
  12. Receive approval before storing or preparing food.

Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →

Frequently asked questions

How much is a food permit in Comanche County?

$425 initial / $335 renewal / $375 late renewal These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.

Is plan review required in Comanche County?

Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: OSDH does not publish a separate plan-review fee; plan review is required for new and extensively remodeled establishments

Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Comanche County?

In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Mobile food establishments use the same OSDH fee schedule as fixed food-service establishments; Under HB 1076 (Oklahoma Food Truck Freedom Act, effective Nov 1, 2025), an OSDH state license is valid statewide and local jurisdictions must recognize it

Who issues food permits in Comanche County?

Food permits here are issued by Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), Consumer Health Service (state-administered via the Comanche County Health Department, Lawton). See the department site for current details.

Are city building and fire approvals separate?

Yes — building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals are always separate from the health permit and are often handled by different offices.
Sources: oklahoma.gov · extension.okstate.edu · oklahoma.gov · observed 2026-08-07