San Bernardino County, CA Food Facility Permits & Fees
Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
San Bernardino County Public Health - Environmental Health Services (EHS) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
San Bernardino County food-facility health permits run about $267–$841 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $122.50–$1,845. Confirm the exact amount with San Bernardino County Public Health - Environmental Health Services (EHS) 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 San Bernardino County Public Health - Environmental Health Services (EHS) issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in San Bernardino County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
3,955
food & drink establishments
71,714
industry jobs
$1,798M
annual payroll
$25,077
avg wage / worker
1,245 full-service restaurants
1,879 limited-service & fast food
96 bars & drinking places
577 snack & coffee bars
38 mobile food & trucks
▲ 2.1% change in establishments since 2022 (3,872 → 3,955).
The average foodservice wage here is $3,825 below the California average ($28,902); California has about 88,778 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 Eating Place (Retail Food) Permit
Annual (EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026), seat-based:
Seat/risk-based recurring fee set by Board of Supervisors; Ghost kitchens, shared-kitchen providers and commissaries each require a separate additional permit; Re-score grade inspection billed at $245/hr (0.5 hr min $122.50)
Plan review — required
Retail Food Plan Check (Public Eating Place / School prep, new):
0-1,499 sqft $1,534
1,500-5,999 sqft $1,739
6,000+ sqft $1,845. Major remodel 0-1,499 $1,358 / minor $1,144 / plan change $885 (higher tiers scale up)
Hourly billable plan check $245/hr (0.5 hr min $122.50)
5% e-plan submittal discount
Turnaround: Not published in the fee schedule; plan check required before construction/remodel
San Bernardino posts A/B/C letter-grade cards (100-point scale) plus a green/yellow/red pass placard; both required in the window.
Inspection scores & grading
Grading system: 100-point score + letter grade with color placard (green Pass / yellow Conditional Pass / red Closed). San Bernardino County DEHS starts each facility at 100 points and deducts per violation; a score, letter grade and colored placard are posted at the public entrance (also published on Yelp). Facilities inspected at least twice/yr.
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 $671.50–$3,614 for San Bernardino County:
$267–$841 — food-facility permit
$122.50–$1,845 — plan review
$282–$928 — 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.
How San Bernardino County’s permit cost compares
At about $267/year, San Bernardino County’s restaurant health permit is below the California median ($491) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 91% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 10th-lowest of 40 California 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 3,872 food & drinking establishments serve ~2,195,611 residents in San Bernardino County — one per ~567 residents, sparser than the California average (one per ~491).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$267 annual health permit + $122 plan review.
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 San Bernardino County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
Under UPC, food establishments here must control fats, oils & grease (FOG) with a grease interceptor or trap, and typically register with the local sewer/wastewater authority. A grease interceptor sized to the California Plumbing Code is required, with a municipal sewer-authority FOG discharge permit.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with San Bernardino County Public Health - Environmental Health Services (EHS) (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
Hood fire suppression (IFC): commercial cooking under a Type I hood needs a wet-chemical suppression system to NFPA 96, permitted and inspected by the local fire marshal. Type I hood fire suppression must meet NFPA 96 and the California Fire Code enforced by the local fire authority. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: An approved backflow preventer with a certified annual test is required by the local water purveyor. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.
Watch out for
Fee schedule carries a 'data date' of 6/30/2026 (very current); fees set by the Board of Supervisors
Ghost kitchen, shared-kitchen provider, and commissary each require a separate additional permit (listed with $0 base but permit required)
Equipment your San Bernardino 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.
How much is a food permit in San Bernardino County?
Annual (EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026), seat-based: Public Eating Pl 0-24 seats $622; 25-99 seats $731; 100+ seats $841. Seasonal versions $311 / $366 / $421. School full-service prep $628; snack bar food prep $267; camp public eating place $592 These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in San Bernardino County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: Retail Food Plan Check (Public Eating Place / School prep, new): 0-1,499 sqft $1,534; 1,500-5,999 sqft $1,739; 6,000+ sqft $1,845. Major remodel 0-1,499 $1,358 / minor $1,144 / plan change $885 (higher tiers scale up); Hourly billable plan check $245/hr (0.5 hr min $122.50); 5% e-plan submittal discount
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in San Bernardino County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Risk-tiered; Compact Mobile Food Operations follow CCDEH CMFO guidelines; Some carts/CMFO may be permit-exempt ($0)
Who issues food permits in San Bernardino County?
Food permits here are issued by San Bernardino County Public Health - Environmental Health Services (EHS). 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.