Local permits & fees

Licking County, OH — Commercial Kitchen Permits

Licking County Health Department (LCHD), Environmental Health / Food Safety Program. Issues Ohio FSO and RFE licenses at Risk Levels I-IV. 675 Price Rd, Newark, OH 43055; (740) 349-6475. · department site →

Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Food Service Operation (FSO) / Retail Food Establishment (RFE) license (risk-based, annual)

null - LCHD's annual FSO/RFE risk-level (I-IV) license fees are set yearly under the Ohio cost-methodology but are not posted on the LCHD website; the department directs applicants to call (740) 349-6475 for the current fee. No dollar figure published online as of 2026-08-07.

LCHD confirms it licenses/inspects all FSOs (restaurants, school cafeterias) and RFEs (convenience stores, carryout, supermarkets) in the county at risk levels I-IV, but publishes only application forms, not a consolidated fee schedule.

Plan review — required

null - the Plan Review Fee is entered per application (the 'Plan Review Fee: $______' field on LCHD's Risk Food Plan Review Application is left blank/calculated); no fixed schedule is published online.

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Service Operation / Mobile Retail Food Establishment license (incl. Ohio low-risk MRFE)

null - not published online; Ohio's low-risk mobile RFE license is stated to be half the cost of the high-risk mobile license, but LCHD does not post the dollar amounts.

A 2024 Ohio law created a new 'low risk' mobile food vendor (MRFE) license. LCHD uses a Mobile Food License Layout form and Mobile Plan Review Form.

How to apply

Forms & applications

Watch out for

Temporary Food License (per event): $30 for tax-exempt non-profit [501(c)(3)] facilities; $60 for all other facilities - the only food license dollar figures LCHD publishes online (Temporary Food Application Packet).
Person In Charge (PIC) certification course is free; ServSafe Manager course $200, proctored ServSafe exam-only $50.
Inspection records public portal: inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/lchd.
Annual restaurant, plan-review, and mobile fees must be obtained by contacting LCHD directly - they are not on the website.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

Category	Annual fee	Notes
Grocery / market with deli	null - licensed as a Retail Food Establishment (RFE) at risk level I-IV; LCHD does not publish the RFE fee amounts online (call 740-349-6475).	LCHD inspects convenience stores, carryout, and supermarkets as RFEs.
Temporary / seasonal event	$30.00 per event for tax-exempt non-profit [501(c)(3)] facilities; $60.00 per event for all other facilities	Only food license dollar figures LCHD publishes online (Temporary Food Application Packet).
Pushcart / mobile vending	null - Mobile FSO and the new Ohio low-risk mobile RFE (MRFE) licenses are not priced online; the low-risk license is stated to be half the high-risk cost but no dollar amounts are posted.	LCHD uses Mobile Food License Layout and Mobile Plan Review forms.

Ohio 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: lickingcohealth.org · lickingcohealth.org · lickingcohealth.org · u.osu.edu · observed 2026-08-07