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Local permits & fees

Greenlee County, AZ Food Facility Permits & Fees

Restaurants and food trucks.

Greenlee County Health Department - Community Environmental Health · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Greenlee County food-facility health permits run about $100 annually. Confirm the exact amount with Greenlee County Health Department - Community Environmental Health 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 Greenlee County Health Department - Community Environmental Health issues the health permit.

The restaurant market in Greenlee County

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

8
food & drink establishments
99
industry jobs
$2M
annual payroll
$22,889
avg wage / worker
  • 5 full-service restaurants

▼ 11.1% change in establishments since 2022 (9 → 8).

The average foodservice wage here is $2,323 below the Arizona average ($25,212); Arizona has about 13,666 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: 2026-08-18 — 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 Establishment Permit
$100 annually

Flat $100/year for restaurants; bars and retail food establishments also $100. Annual temporary food permit $50; single event permit $20. From Health Services Fee Schedule

Plan review — required

Fee not published online.

Reach the department

Office253 5th Street, Clifton, AZ 85533

Inspection grading

How inspection results are scored/posted here is pending verification — ask the department.

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Permit
Fee not published online — contact the department.

Not separately itemized on published fee schedule; likely permitted as a food establishment ($100); Confirm with dept

How to apply

See the department site above.

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 $100 for Greenlee County:

  • $100 — food-facility 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.

How Greenlee County’s permit cost compares

At about $100/year, Greenlee County’s restaurant health permit is below the Arizona median ($200) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 45% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 3rd-lowest of 9 Arizona 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 9 food & drinking establishments serve ~9,369 residents in Greenlee County — one per ~1,041 residents, sparser than the Arizona average (one per ~597).

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

Budget the permit stack

Start with ~$100 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

food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. A grease interceptor sized to the locally adopted plumbing code is required, with a municipal sewer-authority FOG discharge permit.

Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Greenlee County Health Department - Community Environmental Health (contact above).

Fire suppression & backflow

Hood fire suppression: commercial cooking under a Type I hood needs a wet-chemical suppression system to NFPA 96, permitted and inspected by the local fire marshal. Type I hood fire suppression must meet NFPA 96 and the fire code adopted by the local fire authority. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.

Backflow prevention: An approved backflow preventer with a certified annual test is required by the local water purveyor. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.

Equipment your Greenlee 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 Greenlee 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 Greenlee 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.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a food permit in Greenlee County?

$100 annually These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.

Is plan review required in Greenlee County?

Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility.

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

In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Not separately itemized on published fee schedule; likely permitted as a food establishment ($100); Confirm with dept

Who issues food permits in Greenlee County?

Food permits here are issued by Greenlee County Health Department - Community Environmental Health. 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: greenlee.az.gov · greenlee.az.gov · observed 2026-08-21