State-issued: Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels & Restaurants (restaurants & food trucks licensed by the STATE). Florida DOH-Orange handles only certain non-DBPR food operations; Orange County/City of Orlando also require a local Business Tax Receipt. · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Orange County food-facility health permits run about $242–$357 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $50. Confirm the exact amount with State-issued: Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels & Restaurants (restaurants & food trucks licensed by the STATE). Florida DOH-Orange handles only certain non-DBPR food operations; Orange County/City of Orlando also require a local Business Tax Receipt. 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 State-issued: Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels & Restaurants (restaurants & food trucks licensed by the STATE). Florida DOH-Orange handles only certain non-DBPR food operations; Orange County/City of Orlando also require a local Business Tax Receipt. issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in Orange County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
3,592
food & drink establishments
80,853
industry jobs
$2,170M
annual payroll
$26,841
avg wage / worker
1,365 full-service restaurants
1,351 limited-service & fast food
141 bars & drinking places
401 snack & coffee bars
92 mobile food & trucks
▲ 2.8% change in establishments since 2022 (3,493 → 3,592).
The average foodservice wage here is $1,297 above 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.
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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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
Public Food Service Establishment License (DBPR, statewide)
Annual license by seating (statewide DBPR fee schedule):
Nonseating $242
1-49 seats $262
50-149 $273
150-249 $294
250-349 $315
350-499 $336
500+ $357. Half-year rates roughly half
Plus $50 application fee for new/change of ownership
all fees include the $10 HEP surcharge
State-set fees, identical across all Florida counties (Orange included); Verified on official DBPR Food Service Fees page 2026-08-06
Plan review — required
$0
DBPR provides plan review at no charge (only the $50 application fee applies to a new license)
Turnaround: Plan review recommended before construction; state-run and free, so no county turnaround is published
State DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants inspects; outcome is met-standards / warning / emergency closure with violations listed, no letter grade; searchable statewide online database.
Inspection scores & grading
Grading system: pass-fail (met/not-met standards; High Priority / Intermediate / Basic violations; no numeric or letter grade). Florida restaurants are inspected by the STATE - DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants, not the county. Routine/complaint inspections; violation-classified reports, no grade or placard. Searchable public database (also InspectFL.org).
Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicle (MFDV) License (DBPR, statewide)
Mobile Food Vehicles / Hot Dog Carts:
$347 annual ($178.50 half-year), including $10 HEP surcharge, plus $50 application fee for new/change of ownership
MFDVs are state-licensed; under s; 509.102 F.S; local governments cannot require a separate local MFDV license or fee; A general Business Tax Receipt may still apply in Orange County / Orlando
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
What it costs in permit fees to open here
The government permit & plan-review fees below total roughly $20–$754 for Orange County:
$10–$357 — food-facility permit
$0–$50 — plan review
$10–$347 — food-truck permit
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.
Look up a restaurant’s inspection score
Check the health-inspection history and violation scores for any food establishment in Orange County and Florida. Florida DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants runs a statewide restaurant inspection report search.
At about $242/year, Orange County’s restaurant health permit is about the Florida median ($242) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 80% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 50th-lowest of 66 Florida counties by permit cost.
Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.
Local food-service market
About 3,493 food & drinking establishments serve ~1,471,416 residents in Orange County — one per ~421 residents, denser than the Florida average (one per ~701).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$242 annual health permit.
Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.
The full approval stack
A code-compliant kitchen in Orange County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
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 State-issued: Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels & Restaurants (restaurants & food trucks licensed by the STATE). Florida DOH-Orange handles only certain non-DBPR food operations; Orange County/City of Orlando also require a local Business Tax Receipt. (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
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.
Watch out for
Restaurant and food-truck licensing is state-run (DBPR); Orange County does not set its own restaurant permit fee
DBPR plan review is free; only a $50 application fee applies to a new license
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
caterer
$263/yr
DBPR statewide caterer license; any licensed food service establishment may also cater without a separate license
theme-park/entertainment-complex food cart
$262-$357/yr
Tiered by number of carts: 1-5 $262, 6-10 $273, 11-15 $294, 16-20 $315, 21-25 $336, 26+ $357; relevant category for Orange County (Disney/Universal theme parks)
vending machine
$21/yr
Per machine dispensing prepared/potentially hazardous food
temporary/special-event food vendor
1-3 day $91; 4-30 day $105; annual $456
DBPR temporary event vendor license
Equipment your Orange 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.
Annual license by seating (statewide DBPR fee schedule): Nonseating $242; 1-49 seats $262; 50-149 $273; 150-249 $294; 250-349 $315; 350-499 $336; 500+ $357. Half-year rates roughly half; Plus $50 application fee for new/change of ownership; all fees include the $10 HEP surcharge These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Orange County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: $0; DBPR provides plan review at no charge (only the $50 application fee applies to a new license)
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Orange County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. MFDVs are state-licensed; under s; 509.102 F.S; local governments cannot require a separate local MFDV license or fee; A general Business Tax Receipt may still apply in Orange County / Orlando
Who issues food permits in Orange County?
Food permits here are issued by State-issued: Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels & Restaurants (restaurants & food trucks licensed by the STATE). Florida DOH-Orange handles only certain non-DBPR food operations; Orange County/City of Orlando also require a local Business Tax Receipt.. 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.