foodservicenerd
Local permits & fees

Hillsborough County, FL — Commercial Kitchen Permits

FL DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants (state); Hillsborough County Tax Collector (Business Tax); City of Tampa (municipal BTR) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

DBPR Public Food Service Establishment license (permanent food service)
Statewide DBPR schedule: nonseating $242; 1-49 $262; 50-149 $273; 150-249 $294; 250-349 $315; 350-499 $336; 500+ $357. Half-year rates: nonseating $126; 1-49 $136; 50-149 $141.50; 150-249 $152; 250-349 $162.50; 350-499 $173; 500+ $183.50. Plus $50 application fee; $10 HEP fee included.

State-issued; fees verified on the official DBPR Food Service Fees page 2026-08-10. Hillsborough County Business Tax Receipt (~$45/yr per third-party guides, county BTR schedule) and City of Tampa BTR also required.

Plan review — required

$0 (DBPR charges no plan review fee)

Turnaround: Prior to construction/opening; no fixed published turnaround

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

DBPR Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicle (MFDV) license
$347/yr ($178.50 half-year) + $50 application fee

State MFDV license tied to vehicle. Layered local requirements: county + city BTR, commissary paperwork, propane/fire checks, per-location vending/zoning approval (esp. Ybor City).

How to apply

Apply / county portal →Forms & applications

Watch out for

  • Hillsborough recognizes 'mobile vendor' as a distinct BTR business category; operator must secure property-owner permission for each vending site.
  • Both a Hillsborough County BTR and a separate City of Tampa BTR are required to operate within city limits.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
caterer$263/yrDBPR statewide caterer license; any licensed food service establishment may also cater without a separate license
theme-park/entertainment-complex food cart$262-$357/yrTiered by number of carts: 1-5 $262, 6-10 $273, 11-15 $294, 16-20 $315, 21-25 $336, 26+ $357
vending machine$21/yrPer machine dispensing prepared/potentially hazardous food
temporary/special-event food vendor1-3 day $91; 4-30 day $105; annual $456DBPR temporary event vendor license
Florida 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: www2.myfloridalicense.com · www.hillstaxfl.gov · www.hillstaxfl.gov · observed 2026-08-10