foodservicenerd
Local permits & fees

Sullivan County, TN — Commercial Kitchen Permits

Tennessee Department of Health - Division of General Environmental Health (state-administered; Sullivan County Regional Health Department) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Food Service Establishment Permit
$210.00/year (0-50 seats); $360.00/year (51 or more seats)

State permit fee set by TCA 68-14-713. Sullivan County is state-administered (not one of TN's local/metro health departments), so the statewide fee schedule applies. Auxiliary food service operations pay $100.00.

Plan review — required

null - Tennessee requires plan submission/review for new and remodeled food service establishments; no separate state plan-review fee is charged beyond the permit fee.

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Service Establishment Permit
$210.00/year (mobile units are permitted as food service establishments and fall in the 0-50 seat tier under the state schedule)

TCA 68-14-713 sets fees by seating; a mobile unit (0 seats) falls in the 0-50 seat tier at $210.00. Some cities levy a separate business/vendor fee (e.g., Bristol, TN charges a $400/year city mobile food vendor license, which is separate from the state health permit).

How to apply

Forms & applications

Watch out for

  • Environmental health / food service in Sullivan County is administered by the Tennessee Department of Health, not a county-run program; state fee schedule applies.
  • Statutory fee schedule (TCA 68-14-713): food service establishment 0-50 seats $210, 51+ seats $360; auxiliary food service operations $100; temporary food service $30; child care/congregate-meal food service 0-50 seats $50, 51+ seats $80; school food service $80.
  • Delinquent permit fees (>30 days) incur a penalty of one-half the permit fee.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
Caterer$100.00/yearCatering/off-premises support falls under 'auxiliary food service operations' in TCA 68-14-713, permit fee $100.
Temporary / seasonal event$30.00Temporary food service establishment permit fee (TCA 68-14-713).
Bar / limited food service$210.00/year (0-50 seats); $360.00/year (51 or more seats)Permitted as a food service establishment; seating-based fee under the statewide schedule.
Tennessee 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: law.justia.com · www.tn.gov · sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com · observed 2026-08-07