Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) - Environmental Health Services, Food Protection (formerly Washoe County Health District, renamed Aug 31, 2023) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Washoe County food-facility health permits run about $327–$1,291 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $554–$1,319. Confirm the exact amount with Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) - Environmental Health Services, Food Protection (formerly Washoe County Health District, renamed Aug 31, 2023) 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 Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) - Environmental Health Services, Food Protection (formerly Washoe County Health District, renamed Aug 31, 2023) issues the health permit.
The restaurant market in Washoe County
What the local foodservice landscape looks like — useful whether you’re opening here or sizing up the competition.
1,160
food & drink establishments
19,151
industry jobs
$485M
annual payroll
$25,315
avg wage / worker
376 full-service restaurants
426 limited-service & fast food
130 bars & drinking places
140 snack & coffee bars
24 mobile food & trucks
▲ 4.9% change in establishments since 2022 (1,106 → 1,160).
The average foodservice wage here is $2,031 below the Nevada average ($27,346); Nevada has about 7,337 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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
Food Establishment Health Permit (annual, risk-based)
Annual permit by risk level (NNPH EHS Fee Schedule, current column effective 7/1/2025): Risk Level 1
Food Establishment $327
Risk Level 2 $454
Risk Level 3 $1,291. School Kitchen Inspection (Risk 2) $908. First-year/new operators also pay a one-time Food Service Establishment Application / Change of Service Area / Change of Ownership fee of $683
NNPH restructured food establishment permits into three risk levels (Risk Level 1 lowest through Risk Level 3 highest, based on food-handling complexity); a full-service restaurant is typically Risk Level 3. The prior FY22/23 named-permit categories (restaurant, bakery, bar, delicatessen, grocery store, snack bar) are superseded by this risk-level model; Verified from the NNPH EHS Fee Schedule PDF (two columns effective 7/1/2024 and 7/1/2025; the 7/1/2025 column is current)
Plan review — required
FOOD PLAN REVIEW (NNPH EHS Fee Schedule, current column effective 7/1/2025): new Food Service Establishment Construction plan review '
Base Fee'
$582 plus a project-size fee
Project under 1,000 sq ft $554
1,000-2,999 sq ft $936
3,000 sq ft or greater $1,319. Remodel plan review '
Base Fee'
$582 plus $809. (Amounts are the base fee plus the project-size fee as published
confirm the combined total with NNPH.)
Turnaround: specific turnaround not published on accessible pages
Northern Nevada Public Health issues a color-coded rating placard (voluntary posting); results at WashoeEats.com.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile / Portable Unit Food Establishment Permit
Mobile and portable food units are permitted as food establishments under the risk-level annual fees (NNPH EHS Fee Schedule, eff
7/1/2025): Risk Level 1 $327 / Risk Level 2 $454 / Risk Level 3 $1,291, plus the $683 application fee for new units
The current schedule no longer lists separate named mobile-unit fees (the FY22/23 '
Mobile Food Unit'
and '
Portable Unit'
line items are superseded)
the risk level assigned depends on the unit'
s food operations
confirm the tier with NNPH
Apply via the Mobile Food Supplemental Application through NNPH; A commissary/base of operation (servicing area) is required; A separate Temporary Food Establishment; Annual Itinerant permit covers vendors operating at 5+ special events per year (High Risk $1,492 / Low Risk $1,237, eff; 7/1/2025)
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 $1,208–$3,901 for Washoe County:
$327–$1,291 — food-facility permit
$554–$1,319 — plan review
$327–$1,291 — 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 Washoe County’s permit cost compares
At about $327/year, Washoe County’s restaurant health permit is above the Nevada median ($125) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 93% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 11th-lowest of 11 Nevada 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 1,106 food & drinking establishments serve ~498,022 residents in Washoe County — one per ~450 residents, sparser than the Nevada average (one per ~447).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$327 annual health permit + $582 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.
Grease trap & FOG requirements
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 locally adopted 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 Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) - Environmental Health Services, Food Protection (formerly Washoe County Health District, renamed Aug 31, 2023) (contact above).
Fire suppression & backflow
Hood fire suppression: 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 fire code adopted 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
Washoe County Health District rebranded to Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) on Aug 31, 2023; it is the health authority for Reno, Sparks, and unincorporated Washoe County
As of the FY26 (7/1/2025) EHS Fee Schedule, food establishment permits are priced by three risk levels rather than by named facility type; a $683 application fee applies to new facilities and changes of ownership
Temporary food event vendors and organizers pay tiered fees by duration/booth count; late applications incur 100-200% of the permit fee
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Caterer
—
No separate caterer permit line in the current (FY26) NNPH EHS Fee Schedule; a caterer is permitted as a food establishment by risk level (Risk Level 1 $327 / Risk Level 2 $454 / Risk Level 3 $1,291, eff; 7/1/2025), plus the $683 application fee for new facilities
Commissary / central kitchen
—
No separate commissary permit line in the current (FY26) NNPH EHS Fee Schedule; a commissary is permitted as a food establishment by risk level (see restaurant fees); Mobile/temporary units must operate from an approved commissary/servicing area per NNPH food regulations
Temporary / special event
$183-$1,074
TEMPORARY FOOD EVENT PERMITS (eff; 7/1/2025); Event Organizer Permit: $565 (1 day, 5 or fewer booths) / $820 (2-5 days or 6-20 booths) / $1,074 (5-7+ days or 20+ booths); Vendor Permit to Operate; High Risk: $183 (1-3 day) / $310 (4-7 day) / $565 (8-14 day); Low Risk: $218 (1-7 day) / $346 (8-14 day); Temporary Food Establishment; Annual Itinerant: High Risk $1,492 / Low Risk $1,237. Annual Producer/Sampling Permit $346. Special Event Permit to Operate (5,000+ attendees) Base Rate $1,619 plus $264/hr; Late fees 100-200% of the permit fee; Event organizers must apply at least 14 days prior, vendors at least 7 days prior; apply online
Cottage food / exemption from inspection
$325
Exemption from Inspection; Application (Exempt / Cottage Food / Farm to Fork) $325; Annual Certification $61 (eff; 7/1/2025); HACCP Plan initial review $1,340; Operational Plan initial review $702; Special Process Review hourly rate $264; Food Service Variance (permitted facility) $2,616
Equipment your Washoe 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 permit by risk level (NNPH EHS Fee Schedule, current column effective 7/1/2025): Risk Level 1; Food Establishment $327; Risk Level 2 $454; Risk Level 3 $1,291. School Kitchen Inspection (Risk 2) $908. First-year/new operators also pay a one-time Food Service Establishment Application / Change of Service Area / Change of Ownership fee of $683 These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Washoe County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: FOOD PLAN REVIEW (NNPH EHS Fee Schedule, current column effective 7/1/2025): new Food Service Establishment Construction plan review 'Base Fee' $582 plus a project-size fee; Project under 1,000 sq ft $554; 1,000-2,999 sq ft $936; 3,000 sq ft or greater $1,319. Remodel plan review 'Base Fee' $582 plus $809. (Amounts are the base fee plus the project-size fee as published; confirm the combined total with NNPH.)
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Washoe County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Apply via the Mobile Food Supplemental Application through NNPH; A commissary/base of operation (servicing area) is required; A separate Temporary Food Establishment; Annual Itinerant permit covers vendors operating at 5+ special events per year (High Risk $1,492 / Low Risk $1,237, eff; 7/1/2025)
Who issues food permits in Washoe County?
Food permits here are issued by Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) - Environmental Health Services, Food Protection (formerly Washoe County Health District, renamed Aug 31, 2023). 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.