New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Food Program — rules set by the NM Environmental Improvement Board under 7.6.2 NMAC (Food Service and Food Processing), statutory authority Chapter 25 Art. 1 & 2 NMSA 1978. · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Harding County food-facility health permits run about $25–$200 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $300–$1,400. Confirm the exact amount with New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Food Program — rules set by the NM Environmental Improvement Board under 7.6.2 NMAC (Food Service and Food Processing), statutory authority Chapter 25 Art. 1 & 2 NMSA 1978. 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 New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Food Program — rules set by the NM Environmental Improvement Board under 7.6.2 NMAC (Food Service and Food Processing), statutory authority Chapter 25 Art. 1 & 2 NMSA 1978. issues the health permit. New Mexico sets food-establishment permit fees at the state level; New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Food Program — rules set by the NM Environmental Improvement Board under 7.6.2 NMAC (Food Service and Food Processing), statutory authority Chapter 25 Art. 1 & 2 NMSA 1978. is the licensing authority. If your city or county runs its own health department, local fees and rules may also apply — confirm for your exact address.
Population about 624. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Last verified: 2026-08-21 — 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 / license (state-set)
$200.00 flat annual permit fee for food establishments (restaurants), mobile food establishments, servicing areas, and food processing plants
Not tiered by size or seats
Temporary food establishment: $25.00 per single event/celebration
Permit fee waived for establishments that provide food at no charge
Set at the state level by New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Food Program; rules set by the NM Environmental Improvement Board under 7.6.2 NMAC (Food Service and Food Processing), statutory authority Chapter 25 Art; 1 & 2 NMSA 1978.; a single statewide fee schedule; Effective 2026-01-01 (amended 7.6.2 NMAC effective date; fee amounts effective 1/1/2026); Where a city or county runs its own health department it may set local fees instead
Plan review — check locally
Plan review application fee (one-time), Food Establishment:
$300.00 (0–1000 sq ft of kitchen/storage/warewashing), $600.00 (1001–2000 sq ft), $900.00 (2001+ sq ft)
Food Processing Plant: $400.00 / $900.00 / $1,400.00 by the same size tiers
How inspection results are scored/posted here is pending verification — ask the department.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile food establishment (state-set)
$200.00 annual (mobile food establishments are in the same flat permit-fee category as restaurants)
State-set mobile-food fee; confirm commissary and local requirements
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 $525–$1,800 for Harding County:
$25–$200 — food-facility permit
$300–$1,400 — plan review
$200 — 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.
How Harding County’s permit cost compares
At about $25/year, Harding County’s restaurant health permit is about the New Mexico median ($25) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 1% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 11th-lowest of 32 New Mexico counties by permit cost.
Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$25 annual health permit + $300 plan review.
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 UPC, 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 state 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 New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Food Program — rules set by the NM Environmental Improvement Board under 7.6.2 NMAC (Food Service and Food Processing), statutory authority Chapter 25 Art. 1 & 2 NMSA 1978. (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. Commercial hood suppression must meet NFPA 96 and the state fire code enforced by the New Mexico State Fire Marshal and local fire officials. 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 Harding 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.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Confirm whether Harding County or another local jurisdiction (city/district) handles your exact address.
Confirm zoning and permitted use.
Prepare your menu and scaled plans.
Include an equipment schedule with ANSI/NSF spec sheets.
Submit water-heater and hood documentation.
Pay plan-review fees.
Respond to plan-check corrections.
Obtain Environmental Health plan approval.
Obtain building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals.
Schedule rough-plumbing, pre-final and final health inspections.
Pay the operating-permit / application fees.
Receive approval before storing or preparing food.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a food permit in Harding County?
$200.00 flat annual permit fee for food establishments (restaurants), mobile food establishments, servicing areas, and food processing plants; Not tiered by size or seats; Temporary food establishment: $25.00 per single event/celebration; Permit fee waived for establishments that provide food at no charge These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Harding County?
Plan review may apply; check locally with the department. Typical fees: Plan review application fee (one-time), Food Establishment: $300.00 (0–1000 sq ft of kitchen/storage/warewashing), $600.00 (1001–2000 sq ft), $900.00 (2001+ sq ft); Food Processing Plant: $400.00 / $900.00 / $1,400.00 by the same size tiers
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Harding County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. State-set mobile-food fee; confirm commissary and local requirements
Who issues food permits in Harding County?
Food permits here are issued by New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Food Program — rules set by the NM Environmental Improvement Board under 7.6.2 NMAC (Food Service and Food Processing), statutory authority Chapter 25 Art. 1 & 2 NMSA 1978.. 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.