foodservicenerd
Local permits & fees

Lee County, FL — Commercial Kitchen Permits

Florida Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR), Division of Hotels & Restaurants (statewide licensing); Florida Dept. of Health in Lee County handles local environmental health matters · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Public Food Service Establishment License (Fixed)
$262 (1-49 seats) / $273 (50-149) / $294 (150-249) / $315 (250-349) / $336 (350-499) / $357 (500+), annual

Statewide DBPR fee per FAC 61C-1.008(4)(b); identical in all FL counties. Renewed annually; expiration varies by district.

Plan review — required

Fee not published online.

Turnaround: Online apps process within a few business days; plan review approval required before opening inspection

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

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

Statewide DBPR license; plan review required unless buying an approved unit or owned similar business within 2 yrs.

How to apply

Apply / county portal →Forms & applications

Watch out for

  • FL restaurants/food trucks are DBPR state-licensed; no separate county restaurant permit exists in Lee County.
  • Local FL Dept of Health in Lee County covers wells/septic and complaint follow-up, not restaurant licensing.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
caterer$263/yrDBPR statewide (Div. of Hotels & Restaurants) full-year fee; $136.50 half-year; +$50 new-license application fee; +$10 HEP fee (not prorated). Any licensed public food service establishment may also cater without a separate license.
theme-park cart$262/yr (1-5 carts)DBPR Theme Park Food Cart license; $136 half-year for 1-5 carts, rising to $357/yr for 26+ carts. For carts operating within a theme park/entertainment complex.
vending (food) machine$21/yrDBPR license for vending machines dispensing prepared/potentially hazardous food; $15.50 half-year.
temporary/special-event vendor$91 (1-3 days) / $105 (4-30 days) / $456 annualDBPR Temporary Food Service Event vendor license; annual covers multiple events. Temporary licensees may not cater.
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.law.cornell.edu · observed 2026-08-07