foodservicenerd
Local permits & fees

San Diego County, CA — Commercial Kitchen Permits

County of San Diego Dept. of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ), Food, Water & Housing Division · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Food Facility Health Permit (annual) - Restaurant
By employee count (fee schedule effective 7/10/2026): 1-10 $842; 11-25 $987; 26-100 $1,170; 101 or more $2,087. Low Risk Food Facility / Restricted Food Service Facility $587. Each restaurant-type prep area in excess of 3 adds $649.

Tier is driven by number of employees, not square footage; revised annually by ordinance. Verified against the DEHQ Food Fee Schedule (Rev. 7/29/2026, effective July 10, 2026).

Plan review — required

Food plan check by size (eff. 7/10/2026): 0-1,999 sq ft $1,534; 2,000-5,999 $1,931; 6,000-9,999 $3,153; 10,000+ (one prep area only) $3,407. Food plan revision $670; food minor remodel (restrooms, equipment) $545; plan resubmittal $408. Environmental Health Specialist plan-check hourly rate $197.

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Facility (MFF) Permit
Annual (eff. 7/10/2026): MFF with full food prep $760; limited food prep (cart & one auxiliary) $624; limited food prep vehicle $757; packaged lunch truck $253; prepackaged (ice cream/produce) $258; mobile support unit $814. Plus a Mobile Food Plan Check ($186-$578 by type: mobile food support unit $186, prepackaged truck $293, open food prep truck $302, limited food prep truck $545, unpackaged CMFO $518, prepackaged CMFO $578).

Requires a Mobile Food Plan Check before permitting; an approved commissary/mobile support unit is required.

How to apply

Apply / county portal →Forms & applications

Watch out for

  • Plan-check approval required BEFORE construction/remodel and before a mobile permit; submitted online, [email protected].
  • MFFs must operate out of an approved commissary/mobile support unit; prep areas over 3 add a per-area surcharge.
  • Fee schedule effective July 10, 2026 (approved by the Board June 10, 2026); DEHQ revises food facility fees annually by ordinance.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
Caterer$715Full-Service Catering / Direct Sales Catering $715 (6FA28); Host Facility (Direct Sales Catering) $208 (6FA07). Eff. 7/10/2026.
Commissary$481Commissary: Vending Machine or Prepackaged Food $481 (6FB12). Multiple Kitchen Complex Operation $356 (6FAMULTKIT). Eff. 7/10/2026.
Bakery—No standalone bakery permit; permitted as a Retail Food Processing Facility ($763, 6FA08) or restaurant.
Bar / tavern—No standalone bar/tavern permit; permitted as a restaurant by employee count.
Market / grocery with deli$946Retail Market with Deli 1-10 employees $946, 11 or more employees $1,267 (6FA55, includes up to 3 prep areas; each prep area over 3 adds $562); Prepackaged Retail Market $255 (6FA50). Eff. 7/10/2026.
Temporary / special event$360Temp Event Prepackaged Foods 1-4 days $360 / annual $251; Temp Event Unpackaged Foods 1-4 days $685 / annual $479; Temp Event Organizer 1-4 days $664; Certified Farmers Market without temp food facilities $792. Eff. 7/10/2026.
Low risk / restricted / limited$587Low Risk Food Facility / Restricted Food Service Facility $587 (6FA05); Satellite Food Service Operation $150 (6FASAT). Eff. 7/10/2026.
Food processing / wholesale$763Retail Food Processing Facility $763 (6FA08); Wholesale Food Warehouse 1-19,999 sq ft $612, 20,000+ sq ft $763 (6FA10). Eff. 7/10/2026.
California 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: www.sandiegocounty.gov · www.sandiegocounty.gov · www.sandiegocounty.gov · observed 2026-08-10