Restaurants and food trucks.
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 DC Health - Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services Division (business licensing via DLCP) issues the health permit.
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
▲ 2.5% change in establishments since 2022 (2,621 → 2,686).
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.
third-party/older guidance cites ~$280 (<3,000 sq ft) / ~$560 (larger), and Delicatessen tier ~$133 (0-10 seats)/$166 (11-50 seats); A Basic Business License (~$70) via DLCP is also required; Confirm current amounts with DC Health (202-442-5955)
DC Health conducts pass/fail inspections (no grade or score); Priority/Priority Foundation/Core violation counts and full reports posted online, searchable by name/zip.
DC Health mobile Health Certificate application $100 (+$75 HACCP review if required); pre-operational inspection reinspections $150 each; DLCP mobile-vending Basic Business License ~$550-$700 total (application ~$200 + vending endorsement ~$300); employee badges ~$50 each; Prime downtown locations allocated via the Mobile Roadway Vending (MRV) lottery (~$65/day, capped ~$450/month)
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
Check the health-inspection history and violation scores for any food establishment in Washington County and District of Columbia. DC Health's Division of Food publishes food establishment inspections in a district-wide online database.
District of Columbia inspection lookup →Under DC Plumbing Code 2017 (IPC 2015 base), 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 DC Plumbing Code, with FOG discharge permits administered by DC Water.
Size the interceptor with our grease-trap sizing calculator, compare units in the grease-trap catalog, and confirm the local FOG permit with DC Health - Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services Division (business licensing via DLCP) (contact above).
Hood fire suppression (DC Fire Code 2017 (IFC 2015 base)): 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 DC Fire Code, enforced by the DC Fire and EMS Department fire marshal. See do I need a hood? and the hood CFM calculator.
Backflow prevention: DC Water requires annual backflow/RPZ testing under its cross-connection control program. A certified backflow assembly (often an RPZ) on the water service, tested annually, is standard — confirm with your water utility.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| caterer | — | "Caterer" is a distinct DCRA/DLCP food-services BBL category (prepares/provides food for consumption off the premises where prepared); Food-services Basic Business License fee is $99 (2-year) / $198 (4-year) per DLCP; category-specific fee not separately published |
| bakery | $99 (2-yr) / $198 (4-yr) BBL | "Bakery" listed as a DLCP food-services license category; general food-services BBL fee applies |
| market/grocery with deli | $99 (2-yr) / $198 (4-yr) BBL | DLCP categories "Grocery Store" and "Delicatessen"; DC Health also inspects delicatessens and grocery/retail markets |
| food processing/wholesale | $99 (2-yr) / $198 (4-yr) BBL | DLCP category "Marine Food Product (Wholesale)"; DC Health inspects wholesale markets and candy/ice-cream manufacturers; Related category "Food Products" covers prepackaged food handling |
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.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →