Local permits & fees

Cook County, IL — Commercial Kitchen Permits

Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) Food Protection Program; business license issued by Dept. of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection (BACP) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Retail Food Establishment license (City of Chicago)
Square-footage based, 2-year term: $660 (0-1,000 sq ft), scaling up to $1,650 (over 10,000 sq ft)

Issued via BACP; CDPH sets the health/inspection requirements. Fee tiers by sq ft; renewed on a 2-year cycle. Exact per-tier breakout between the $660 and $1,650 endpoints not published on a single machine-readable page.

Plan review — required

Fee not published online.

Turnaround: Submit digital plans to CDPH before build; health inspection after build-out to approved plan

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Preparer (MFP) / Mobile Food Dispenser (MFD) license
MFP (cooks on board) $1,000 / 2 years; MFD (no on-board cooking) $700 / 2 years

Vehicle plan review by CDPH required before licensing. Chicago's two license types depend on whether food is cooked/prepared on the vehicle.

Watch out for

  • Chicago requires the correct MFP-vs-MFD choice based solely on whether cooking happens on the truck; MFP is for true cook-on-board food trucks.
  • CCDPH only licenses UNINCORPORATED suburban Cook County — most suburbs (incorporated municipalities) have their own local health department, so jurisdiction must be verified by address.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
food processing/wholesale$1,320 (2-yr)Wholesale Food Establishment license, issued by City of Chicago BACP
commissary/central kitchen$330 (2-yr operator); user $75 short-term / $330 long-termLicensed as 'Shared Kitchen' — Operator license, plus Shared Kitchen User (short-term $75) and Supplemental $330
bakery$660-$1,650 (2-yr, by sq ft)No separate bakery license; covered under Retail Food Establishment license (0-1,000 sqft $660 up to over-10,000 sqft $1,650)
market/grocery with deli$660-$1,650 (2-yr, by sq ft)Grocery/market licensed as Retail Food Establishment, fee by square footage
catererNo standalone caterer license; catering operates under a Retail Food Establishment or Shared Kitchen User license
Sources: www.chicago.gov · www.chicago.gov · cookcountypublichealth.org · observed 2026-08-06