foodservicenerd
Local permits & fees

Wayne County, MI — Commercial Kitchen Permits

Detroit Health Department — Food Safety Unit (100 Mack Ave., Ste. 311) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Restaurant / food-facility permit

Food Service Establishment License (Detroit)
Fee not published online — contact the department.

Detroit publishes a 2026-2027 Food Service License Fee Schedule (PDF) but detroitmi.gov blocks automated retrieval (HTTP 403 / bot wall) — could not machine-read exact restaurant license fee. NOT VERIFIED, fee left null. Fee schedule PDF: https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2026-02/2026-2027-Fee-Schedule_0.pdf

Plan review — required

Partial (unverified): shared-kitchen tenant plan review ~$575; additional follow-up inspection ~$55 (from fee-schedule search snippet, not directly confirmed)

Plan-review details & forms →

Food truck / mobile permit

Mobile Food Establishment License (Detroit)
Fee not published online — contact the department.

Mobile/temporary/fixed food facilities all must be licensed before operating; food trucks also need a Detroit business license plate from the Business License Center. Exact mobile license fee is in the blocked 2026-2027 fee schedule PDF — NOT VERIFIED, left null.

How to apply

Apply / county portal →Forms & applications

Watch out for

  • Detroit food-safety plan review is routed through the BSEED ePLANS portal (shared with building/BSEED permitting), not a standalone health portal.
  • Establishments outside Detroit city limits are licensed by Wayne County Environmental Health, not the Detroit Health Department — jurisdiction depends on whether the address is inside Detroit.

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

CategoryAnnual feeNotes
temporary/seasonal/special-event$250Temporary Food Establishment (fixed location, not to exceed 14 consecutive days); fee doubles if application received 4 or fewer days before event
commissary/central kitchen—Required for mobile food establishments (must return for servicing at least every 24 hours). Fee not separately published.
caterer—No separate catering license — a caterer is licensed as a Food Service (restaurant) and must meet restaurant requirements
market/grocery with deli—Grocery/retail food stores are licensed by the state (MDARD), not the Detroit Health Department
Michigan 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: detroitmi.gov · detroitmi.gov · detroitmi.gov · www.waynecountymi.gov · observed 2026-08-06