Alabama Department of Public Health - Lee County Health Department (Environmental) · 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 Alabama Department of Public Health - Lee County Health Department (Environmental) issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in Lee County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
397
food & drink establishments
7,521
industry jobs
$144M
annual payroll
$19,181
avg wage / worker
132 full-service restaurants
178 limited-service & fast food
19 bars & drinking places
42 snack & coffee bars
3 mobile food & trucks
▲ 4.7% change in establishments since 2022 (379 → 397).
The average foodservice wage here is $1,244 below the Alabama average ($20,425); Alabama has about 8,980 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 Service Establishment Permit (ADPH permit to operate)
Alabama food establishment permits are issued by the county health department under ADPH Rules Chapter 420-3-22, which specify no permit fee
no Lee County food-service permit fee schedule is published online
Contact Lee County Health Department (334) 745-5765
A valid ADPH permit to operate is required for any establishment selling food; the state sanitation rules set permit requirements but do not establish a dollar fee; No county fee schedule is posted publicly
Plan review — required
plan review of new/remodeled establishments is handled by the county Environmental office under ADPH rules
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
Look up a restaurant’s inspection score
Check the health-inspection history and violation scores for any food establishment in Lee County and Alabama. The Alabama Department of Public Health posts numeric food establishment scores statewide (85-100 satisfactory; below 60 closes the establishment) through its Food Scores site.
About 379 food & drinking establishments serve ~183,215 residents in Lee County — one per ~483 residents, denser than the Alabama average (one per ~692).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Grease trap & FOG requirements
Under Alabama Plumbing Code (2021 IPC), 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 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 Alabama Department of Public Health - Lee County Health Department (Environmental) (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
Hood fire suppression (Alabama Fire Code (2021 IFC)): 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 state-adopted fire code, enforced by the State Fire Marshal and local fire officials. 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
Alabama delegates food-establishment sanitation and permitting to county health departments under ADPH (state agency), not a standalone county EH department
ADPH Rules Chapter 420-3-22 govern permits; the rules do not set a fee amount, and Lee County publishes no fee schedule online
Temporary food-booth permits are required for public events; no published Lee County fee (a $50 figure exists for Baldwin County guidance but does not apply to Lee)
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Temporary / seasonal event
a temporary food-booth permit is required for public events under ADPH Rules 420-3-22, but no Lee County fee amount is published online
Alabama delegates permitting to county health departments under ADPH; Lee County posts no fee schedule; Contact Lee County Health Department (334) 745-5765
Pushcart / mobile vending
mobile/pushcart food operations require an ADPH permit; no published Lee County fee amount
Governed by ADPH Rules Chapter 420-3-22; no county fee schedule published online
Equipment your Lee 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.
Alabama food establishment permits are issued by the county health department under ADPH Rules Chapter 420-3-22, which specify no permit fee; no Lee County food-service permit fee schedule is published online; Contact Lee County Health Department (334) 745-5765 These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Lee County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: plan review of new/remodeled establishments is handled by the county Environmental office under ADPH rules; no published fee amount for Lee County
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Lee County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Mobile and pushcart operations require an ADPH permit; no county dollar fee is published online
Who issues food permits in Lee County?
Food permits here are issued by Alabama Department of Public Health - Lee County Health Department (Environmental). 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.