Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety (statewide retail food licensing for most of Berks County); the City of Reading and Muhlenberg Township employ their own food-safety inspectors · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Berks County food-facility health permits run about $82–$241 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety (statewide retail food licensing for most of Berks County); the City of Reading and Muhlenberg Township employ their own food-safety inspectors 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 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety (statewide retail food licensing for most of Berks County); the City of Reading and Muhlenberg Township employ their own food-safety inspectors issues the health permit.
About 728 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 432,821. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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
Retail Food Facility License (issued by PA Dept of Agriculture)
$241 new facility / $103 new &
owner-operated under 50 seats / $82 change of ownership / $82 annual renewal
AUTHORITY: Berks County has NO county health department; the PA Dept of Agriculture licenses and inspects most of the county under the Retail Food Facility Safety Act (3 Pa; C.S.A; 5701-5714); The City of Reading and Muhlenberg Township run their own food-safety inspection programs; A separate $35 annual registration under the PA Food Safety Act applies to certain food establishments (e.g., wholesale/manufacturing); Duplicate license $14
Plan review — required
$0
PA Dept of Agriculture charges NO fee for the plan review application process
plans/specifications for construction/remodeling must be submitted and approved before food operation (7 Pa
State Dept of Agriculture (or the county health dept for Allegheny/Philadelphia/Bucks/Delaware/Montgomery) inspects to the PA Food Code; risk-based reports online, no letter grade posted.
Food truck / mobile permit
Retail Food Facility License - Mobile Unit (issued by PA Dept of Agriculture)
Mobile units are licensed by PDA as retail food facilities on the same statewide schedule: $241 new / $82 renewal
PDA's fee schedule is type-agnostic (based on seats/size/ownership, not food category), so mobile units, commissaries, and bakeries all pay the retail food facility license fee
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Berks County’s permit cost compares
At about $82/year, Berks County’s restaurant health permit is about the Pennsylvania median ($82) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 31% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 5th-lowest of 65 Pennsylvania 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 728 food & drinking establishments serve ~432,821 residents in Berks County — one per ~595 residents, sparser than the Pennsylvania average (one per ~525).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$82 annual health permit.
Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.
Watch out for
KEY: no Berks County health department; the STATE (PA Dept of Agriculture) licenses/inspects most of the county; only the City of Reading and Muhlenberg Township have their own food-safety inspectors
PDA retail food fees are STATEWIDE and set by seats/ownership: $241 new / $103 owner-operated under 50 seats / $82 renewal or change of ownership
No plan-review fee; Courtesy/second follow-up inspection $150; third follow-up $300; duplicate license $14
Separate $35/yr registration under the PA Food Safety Act applies to certain (mainly wholesale/manufacturing) food establishments
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Commissary / central preparation kitchen
Licensed by PA Dept of Agriculture as a retail food facility: $241 new / $82 renewal; source https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/food/food-safety/retail-food/retail-food-facilities-and-restaurants
PDA's fee schedule is type-agnostic (by seats/size/ownership); most of Berks County is state-administered (no county health dept)
Pushcart / mobile vending
Mobile units licensed by PA Dept of Agriculture as retail food facilities: $241 new / $82 renewal; source https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/food/food-safety/retail-food/retail-food-facilities-and-restaurants
Same statewide schedule as fixed facilities; The City of Reading and Muhlenberg Township inspect their own establishments; the rest of Berks County is inspected by PDA
Equipment your Berks 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.
$241 new facility / $103 new & owner-operated under 50 seats / $82 change of ownership / $82 annual renewal; source https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/food/food-safety/retail-food/retail-food-facilities-and-restaurants These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Berks County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: $0; PA Dept of Agriculture charges NO fee for the plan review application process; plans/specifications for construction/remodeling must be submitted and approved before food operation (7 Pa; Code Ch; 46); source https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/food/food-safety/retail-food/retail-food-facilities-and-restaurants
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Berks County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. PDA's fee schedule is type-agnostic (based on seats/size/ownership, not food category), so mobile units, commissaries, and bakeries all pay the retail food facility license fee
Who issues food permits in Berks County?
Food permits here are issued by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety (statewide retail food licensing for most of Berks County); the City of Reading and Muhlenberg Township employ their own food-safety inspectors. 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.
Published by Resultex Media Group LLC · Independent & vendor-neutral · Educational only, not legal or engineering advice · Last verified September 2026