Jefferson County Environmental Control - Food Permits (unincorporated areas and the cities of China, Groves, Nederland, Port Neches; the City of Beaumont runs its own Public Health Dept / Environmental Health Division) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department 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 Jefferson County Environmental Control - Food Permits (unincorporated areas and the cities of China, Groves, Nederland, Port Neches; the City of Beaumont runs its own Public Health Dept / Environmental Health Division) issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in Jefferson County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
495
food & drink establishments
10,053
industry jobs
$210M
annual payroll
$20,843
avg wage / worker
184 full-service restaurants
197 limited-service & fast food
19 bars & drinking places
62 snack & coffee bars
4 mobile food & trucks
▼ 0.2% change in establishments since 2022 (496 → 495).
The average foodservice wage here is $2,240 below the Texas average ($23,083); Texas has about 60,229 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: 2026-08-17 — 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 Permit - Restaurant (annual, by persons served)
Jefferson County does not publish dollar amounts online
the fee schedule lives in the county'
s Chapter 46 Food Establishment Regulations
The application breaks restaurants into 0-20, 21-50, 51-75 and 75+ persons
Confirm current amounts with Environmental Control at 409-719-5910
Locally administered by Jefferson County Environmental Control for unincorporated areas and the smaller cities; the City of Beaumont issues its own food permits (purchased at 3040 College St; after all inspections; City of Beaumont states 'costs vary depending on type of establishment, seating capacity'); Permit is valid one year from date of issue; all fees non-refundable
Plan review — required
a plan review is part of opening a new food establishment but no dollar figure is published
confirm with Jefferson County Environmental Control (409-719-5910)
Texas (TFER) demerit-based inspection: score = 100 minus demerits, fail above 30 demerits; Beaumont/local health authority, reports public.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile Vendor permit
amount not published online
the county application lists '
Mobile Vendor'
, '
Mobile Vendor (no food preparation)'
and '
Snow Cone Stand'
categories
Confirm with Environmental Control (409-719-5910)
IMPORTANT: Texas mobile food unit permitting moves to the state (TX DSHS) effective July 1, 2026, so mobile vendors will be permitted/paid at the state level rather than by the county from that date; A commissary/base of operations is required
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
Local food-service market
About 496 food & drinking establishments serve ~251,496 residents in Jefferson County — one per ~507 residents, denser than the Texas average (one per ~566).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Grease trap & FOG requirements
Under 2015 UPC and 2015 IPC (state-adopted minimum; municipality selects), food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. Restaurants must install an approved grease interceptor under the state-adopted plumbing code, with discharge governed by the local sewer authority's FOG program.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Jefferson County Environmental Control - Food Permits (unincorporated areas and the cities of China, Groves, Nederland, Port Neches; the City of Beaumont runs its own Public Health Dept / Environmental Health Division) (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 kitchen hood suppression must meet NFPA 96 and the locally adopted International Fire Code, enforced by the local fire marshal (no single mandatory statewide edition). See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Backflow prevention assemblies (typically an RPZ) require annual testing by a certified tester through the local water utility's cross-connection control program. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.
Watch out for
Locally administered by Jefferson County Environmental Control; fee dollar amounts are NOT published online; they are set in the county's Chapter 46 Food Establishment Regulations
The City of Beaumont operates a SEPARATE Public Health Dept / Environmental Health Division (3040 College St., 409-832-7463) that issues its own food permits for the city
Texas mobile food unit permitting transfers to the state (DSHS) on July 1, 2026; a significant change for food trucks
Permit valid one year from date of issue; all fees non-refundable
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Caterer
the county application has a 'Caterer' category but no dollar amount is published online; fees are set in the county's Chapter 46 Food Establishment Regulations; Confirm with Environmental Control (409-719-5910)
Caterer is a distinct checkbox on the Jefferson County food permit application
Bakery / food processing
'Bakery' is a distinct application category but no fee is published online; confirm with Environmental Control (409-719-5910)
Retail bakery is broken out separately on the county application
Grocery / market with deli
the application breaks out 'Grocery', 'Grocery (no food preparation)', 'Meat/Fish Market' and 'Meat/Fish Market (no food preparation)', but no fees are published online; Confirm with Environmental Control (409-719-5910)
Grocery/market with and without on-site prep are separate categories
Temporary / seasonal event
the application has a 'Temporary: ___ Days' category; Confirm with Environmental Control (409-719-5910)
Temporary permits are issued by the number of days of operation
Pushcart / mobile vending
the application breaks out 'Mobile Vendor', 'Mobile Vendor (no food preparation)' and 'Snow Cone Stand' but no fee is published online; NOTE: Texas mobile food unit permitting moves to the state (DSHS) on July 1, 2026. Confirm with Environmental Control (409-719-5910)
Mobile vending (incl; snow cone stands) is a distinct category; state takes over mobile permitting 7/1/2026
Equipment your Jefferson 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.
Jefferson County does not publish dollar amounts online; the fee schedule lives in the county's Chapter 46 Food Establishment Regulations; The application breaks restaurants into 0-20, 21-50, 51-75 and 75+ persons; Confirm current amounts with Environmental Control at 409-719-5910 These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Jefferson County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: a plan review is part of opening a new food establishment but no dollar figure is published; confirm with Jefferson County Environmental Control (409-719-5910)
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Jefferson County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. IMPORTANT: Texas mobile food unit permitting moves to the state (TX DSHS) effective July 1, 2026, so mobile vendors will be permitted/paid at the state level rather than by the county from that date; A commissary/base of operations is required
Who issues food permits in Jefferson County?
Food permits here are issued by Jefferson County Environmental Control - Food Permits (unincorporated areas and the cities of China, Groves, Nederland, Port Neches; the City of Beaumont runs its own Public Health Dept / Environmental Health Division). 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.