Local permits & fees

Denver County, CO — Commercial Kitchen Permits

Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) - Public Health Investigations; retail food licenses issued by Dept of Excise & Licenses · department site →

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

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Retail Food Establishment License (Excise & Licenses)

$150 application fee + license fee of $25 per food-handling activity performed (e.g. cooking raw animal products, cooling, reheating, specialized processes, etc.) - activity-based total (official denvergov new-application page)

Colorado SB 25-285 increased state retail food establishment fees ~25% in 2026. Denver operators pay a stacked set of fees (health license + fire + zoning).

Plan review — required

Reported ~$150-$155 plan review application fee (secondary sources - NOT verified on a denvergov.org fee page; treat as unverified) - null pending official confirmation

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Retail Food Establishment License (mobile food vendor)

Mobile retail food license issued via Excise & Licenses; base fees reported ~$100-$350/yr plus $150 application (mix of official app fee + secondary estimates). Exact mobile license fee not confirmed on official fee page - partial/unverified

HB25-1295 reciprocity effective Jan 2026 lets state-licensed (CDPHE) trucks operate statewide outside Denver, but Denver still requires its own stacked local licensing.

How to apply

Apply / county portal →Forms & applications

Watch out for

License fee is activity-based ($25 per food-handling activity) rather than a flat amount - total scales with what the kitchen does.
Two agencies involved: DDPHE does plan review/inspection, then Excise & Licenses issues the license; DDPHE sign-off is required first.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

Category	Annual fee	Notes
caterer	$481 / $538 / $581	Restaurants & Caterers by seating capacity (0-100 / 101-200 / over 200), 2026 Denver fee schedule under CO SB25-285
market/grocery with deli	$469 (<15,001 sqft) / $894 (>15,000 sqft)	Grocery Store with Deli; grocery without deli $244 / $441
pushcart/limited operation	$338-$481	Mobile Full Service $481, Prepackaged $338; Limited Food Service Establishment $338
food processing/wholesale	—	Not a Denver retail-food category

Colorado 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: denvergov.org · denvergov.org · www.denvergov.org · observed 2026-08-06