Restaurants and food trucks.
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 Restaurants: Florida DBPR - Division of Hotels & Restaurants; Groceries/markets: FDACS - Division of Food Safety (both state-administered) issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 5.9% change in establishments since 2022 (422 → 447).
The average foodservice wage here is $1,786 below the Florida average ($25,544); Florida has about 44,608 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.
Restaurants are licensed by the state (DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants), not Martin County; Fee is based on seating capacity provided by the operator; Half-year fees apply if licensing 6 months or less before renewal
State DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants inspects; outcome is met-standards / warning / emergency closure with violations listed, no letter grade; searchable statewide online database.
Licensed by DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants; Plan review (DBPR HR-7006) is required for newly built, converted, or remodeled units
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
The government permit & plan-review fees below total roughly $85–$759.10 for Martin County:
That’s the paperwork only. Add buildout, equipment, deposits and licenses with the cost-to-open calculator. Fees change — confirm current amounts with the department.
Check the health-inspection history and violation scores for any food establishment in Martin County and Florida. Florida DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants runs a statewide restaurant inspection report search.
Florida inspection lookup →U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Under Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th Edition (2023), food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. Grease interceptors are required under the Florida Building Code Plumbing, with FOG permits from the local utility/sewer authority.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with Restaurants: Florida DBPR - Division of Hotels & Restaurants; Groceries/markets: FDACS - Division of Food Safety (both state-administered) (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition (NFPA 1 & NFPA 101, 2021)): commercial cooking under a Type I hood needs a wet-chemical suppression system to NFPA 96, permitted and inspected by the local fire marshal. Kitchen hood suppression follows NFPA 96 under the Florida Fire Prevention Code, enforced by the local fire marshal. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: Annual RPZ backflow testing is required by the local 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.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery / market with deli | grocery/market food permits are issued by FDACS (Division of Food Safety) per Rule 5K-4.020, F.A.C.; Apply via the FDACS Food Permit Center (foodpermit.fdacs.gov) | Groceries, convenience stores, and markets are permitted by FDACS, not DBPR and not Martin County; Fee varies by establishment type/activity under Rule 5K-4.020 |
| Caterer | $50.00 one-time application fee plus DBPR public food service establishment license fee (non-seating/seating schedule applies) | Caterers are licensed by DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants as public food service establishments |
| Temporary / seasonal event | DBPR temporary food service event vendors are licensed through the event/sponsor; no single published flat fee; Confirm with DBPR, 850-487-1395 | Temporary food service events are regulated by DBPR (Division of Hotels & Restaurants) |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | $347.00/year plus $50.00 one-time application fee | Hot dog carts and mobile food dispensing vehicles are licensed by DBPR at the MFDV rate |
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.
Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Martin County with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →