Local permits & fees

Denton County, TX — Commercial Kitchen Permits

No county food-permitting authority: unincorporated Denton County is under Texas DSHS (Retail Food) jurisdiction; incorporated cities (e.g., City of Denton Health & Food Safety) permit within their own limits. Denton County Public Health - Environmental Health Division handles on-site sewage (septic), not food establishments. · department site →

Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Retail Food Establishment Permit (issued by Texas DSHS in unincorporated areas)

DSHS statewide fee by gross annual volume of food sales: Low ($0-$49,999.99) $258; Medium ($50,000-$149,999.99) $515; High ($150,000+) $773 (per DSHS fee schedule).

State law requires DSHS to permit/inspect retail food facilities anywhere no local health authority regulates. Businesses inside a city with its own health program (e.g., City of Denton, 401 N Elm St, 940-349-8600) permit through that city instead. Contact Denton County Development Services 940-349-2990 to confirm authority for a given unincorporated address.

Plan review — required

null - DSHS does not publish a separate flat plan-review fee on its retail food fee page; new establishments must submit plans/menu for review before construction. Amendment fees (change to permitted operation) are Low $125 / Medium $250 / High $375. Not found as a standalone plan-review line item.

Turnaround: null - not published by DSHS

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Vendor (MFV) License - Texas DSHS (statewide, eff. July 1, 2026)

DSHS: Type I (no TCS foods) $309; Type II (prepackaged TCS, limited handling) $618 + $400 pre-licensing inspection; Type III (prepare/cook/hold/serve) $876 + $500 pre-licensing inspection. Both application and pre-licensing fees due at submission.

Effective July 1, 2026 Texas moved all mobile-food permitting to state DSHS under HB 2844; local jurisdictions no longer issue food-truck permits. DSHS applications opened early June 2026 via Online Licensing Services.

How to apply

Apply / county portal →Forms & applications

Watch out for

Denton County itself does not run a food-establishment permit program; jurisdiction splits between DSHS (unincorporated) and individual cities.
Denton County Environmental Health's food-related role is limited to on-site sewage/septic; food permits are handled by DSHS or the applicable city.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

Category	Annual fee	Notes
(none - county does not permit food establishments)	—	Denton County Environmental Health Division regulates ONLY on-site sewage facilities (OSSF/septic) in the unincorporated county; it does NOT issue retail food establishment permits and publishes no county food fee schedule. Retail food permitting is handled by municipal health departments (e.g., City of Denton Health & Food Safety Division) or by Texas DSHS for unincorporated areas.

Texas statewide rules

Who licenses you, reciprocity, and the state regime.

What equipment you need

Build a tailored equipment checklist for your concept.

Permits & plan review, explained

The stack of approvals before you open.

Sources: www.dentoncounty.gov · www.dshs.texas.gov · www.dshs.texas.gov · www.cityofdenton.com · observed 2026-08-07