Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health, Bureau of Sanitarian Services (Retail Food Program). Retail food permitting in Louisiana is STATE-administered by parish/regional sanitarians, not by Caddo Parish government. · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Caddo Parish food-facility health permits run about $75–$150 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health, Bureau of Sanitarian Services (Retail Food Program). Retail food permitting in Louisiana is STATE-administered by parish/regional sanitarians, not by Caddo Parish government. 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 Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health, Bureau of Sanitarian Services (Retail Food Program). Retail food permitting in Louisiana is STATE-administered by parish/regional sanitarians, not by Caddo Parish government. issues the health permit.
About 473 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 226,386. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 Establishment Permit - general food establishment (RS 40:31.37)
Annual:
first permit $150.00
2nd-5th permits $112.50 each
each permit after the 5th $75.00 (statewide statutory schedule)
Government facilities, churches, and nonprofits are exempt
Statewide statutory fee applies in all parishes including Caddo; A restaurant with additional permitted operations (e.g., separate food prep areas) pays the tiered per-permit rates
Plan review — required
LDH reviews plans/specifications for new or extensively remodeled food establishments
no separate plan-review fee amount is published online
Louisiana Dept. of Health inspects on a risk schedule and cites critical/non-critical violations — no grade or score; reports on the LDH online dashboard.
Food truck / mobile permit
Itinerant food establishment permit (RS 40:31.37)
RS 40:31.37 does not price itinerant/mobile establishments separately
they fall under the general annual schedule (first permit $150.00)
The City of Shreveport / Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission also requires a separate mobile food truck & vendor license
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Caddo Parish’s permit cost compares
At about $75/year, Caddo Parish’s restaurant health permit is about the Louisiana median ($75) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 29% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 12th-lowest of 63 Louisiana 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 473 food & drinking establishments serve ~226,386 residents in Caddo Parish — one per ~479 residents, denser than the Louisiana average (one per ~740).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$75 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
Fees are set by state statute (La; R.S; 40:31.37), not by Caddo Parish
Retail food STORES/markets are priced by annual gross receipts (see category file), not a flat fee
Temporary/special events $25 for the entire event; seasonal establishments $15 per month of operation
Failure to complete the revenue-classification worksheet results in assessment of the maximum $750 fee
Stores with <60% food sales use a separate tiered schedule ($75-$750); New store initial temporary permit $112.50
Temporary / seasonal event
Temporary/special event (fairs, festivals) $25.00 for the entire event; seasonal establishments $15.00 per month of operation (RS 40:31.37)
Statewide statutory fees
Pushcart / mobile vending
itinerant/mobile establishments are not priced separately in RS 40:31.37; they fall under the general schedule (first permit $150.00)
City of Shreveport / Shreveport-Caddo MPC also requires a separate mobile food truck & vendor license
Equipment your Caddo Parish 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: first permit $150.00; 2nd-5th permits $112.50 each; each permit after the 5th $75.00 (statewide statutory schedule); Government facilities, churches, and nonprofits are exempt These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Caddo Parish?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: LDH reviews plans/specifications for new or extensively remodeled food establishments; no separate plan-review fee amount is published online
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Caddo Parish?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. The City of Shreveport / Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission also requires a separate mobile food truck & vendor license
Who issues food permits in Caddo Parish?
Food permits here are issued by Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health, Bureau of Sanitarian Services (Retail Food Program). Retail food permitting in Louisiana is STATE-administered by parish/regional sanitarians, not by Caddo Parish government.. 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