Local permits & fees

Montgomery County, OH — Commercial Kitchen Permits

Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County (PHDMC), Office of Environmental Health · 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
Commercial <25,000 sq ft by risk level (total local+state): L1 $272.66; L2 $304.48; L3 $562.80; L4 $707.86. Commercial >25,000 sq ft: L1 $384.64; L2 $403.74; L3 $1,377.20; L4 $1,458.64

Fees from PHDMC 2026 Fee Schedule (as of 12/1/2025). Late/penalty fee ~25% added if renewed late. Non-commercial (non-profit) fees roughly half. Vending FSO $31.86; temporary commercial $60/event.

Plan review — required

New construction FSO/RFE: micro market $150; <1,000 sq ft $500; 1,000-2,499 sq ft $600; >=2,500 sq ft $750; consultation/remodeling $100/hr

Turnaround: OAC 3701-21-03 requires action within 30 days; typically 10-15 business days

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Service Operation License (health); City of Dayton adds a Mobile Food Vendor Permit
Mobile FSO/RFE High risk $275.00; Low risk $151.50 (total local+state)

Mobile plan review handled via separate application; PHDMC contacts applicant with plan-review fee before review. City of Dayton requires its own Mobile Food Vendor Permit in addition to the county license.

Watch out for

  • Risk-based fee model: L4 (complex prep / highly susceptible populations) costs the most.
  • Online plan-review submission forms for both fixed FSO/RFE and mobile operations.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
market/grocery with deli (RFE)risk-level based (Level 1-4, under/over 25,000 sq ft)Retail Food Establishments licensed under the same commercial/non-commercial FSO & RFE risk-level schedule as restaurants; totals are local+state (CPI-adjusted) per the 2026 Schedule of General Fees. Exact per-level totals not cleanly machine-readable from the PDF.
temporary/special-event$275.00 / $151.50Temporary FSO/FE per event: commercial $247 local + $28 state = $275.00; non-commercial $123.50 + $28 = $151.50.
vending'Vending FSO' is a listed line on the 2026 Schedule of General Fees; exact dollar amount not cleanly extractable from the PDF.
catererNo separate caterer license; classified within FSO/RFE risk levels.
bakeryNo separate bakery license; folded into FSO/RFE risk levels.
commissary/central kitchenNo separate commissary line; licensed as FSO/RFE.
food processing/wholesaleState-regulated by Ohio Dept of Agriculture, not the county.
Sources: www.phdmc.org · www.phdmc.org · www.phdmc.org · observed 2026-08-07