Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), Environmental Health (food service establishments / restaurants, administered through county health departments); Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Consumer & Industry Services - Food & Dairy (retail food stores / grocery) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Carter County food-facility health permits run about $100–$360 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), Environmental Health (food service establishments / restaurants, administered through county health departments); Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Consumer & Industry Services - Food & Dairy (retail food stores / grocery) 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 Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), Environmental Health (food service establishments / restaurants, administered through county health departments); Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Consumer & Industry Services - Food & Dairy (retail food stores / grocery) issues the health permit. Tennessee sets food-establishment permit fees at the state level; Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), Environmental Health (food service establishments / restaurants, administered through county health departments); Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Consumer & Industry Services - Food & Dairy (retail food stores / grocery) is the licensing authority. If your city or county runs its own health department, local fees and rules may also apply — confirm for your exact address.
About 74 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 57,022. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Last verified: 2026-08-18 — 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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 permit / license (state-set)
Food service establishment annual permit:
0-50 seats $210.00
51 or more seats $360.00
auxiliary food service operation $100.00 (TDH Rule 1200-23-01)
Set at the state level by Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), Environmental Health (food service establishments / restaurants, administered through county health departments); Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Consumer & Industry Services; Food & Dairy (retail food stores / grocery); a single statewide fee schedule; Effective Rule 1200-23-01 (current); Where a city or county runs its own health department it may set local fees instead
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Carter County’s permit cost compares
At about $100/year, Carter County’s restaurant health permit is about the Tennessee median ($100) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 45% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 10th-lowest of 94 Tennessee 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 74 food & drinking establishments serve ~57,022 residents in Carter County — one per ~771 residents, sparser than the Tennessee average (one per ~706).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$100 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.
Equipment your Carter 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.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Confirm whether Carter County or another local jurisdiction (city/district) handles your exact address.
Confirm zoning and permitted use.
Prepare your menu and scaled plans.
Include an equipment schedule with ANSI/NSF spec sheets.
Submit water-heater and hood documentation.
Pay plan-review fees.
Respond to plan-check corrections.
Obtain Environmental Health plan approval.
Obtain building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals.
Schedule rough-plumbing, pre-final and final health inspections.
Pay the operating-permit / application fees.
Receive approval before storing or preparing food.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a food permit in Carter County?
Food service establishment annual permit: 0-50 seats $210.00; 51 or more seats $360.00; auxiliary food service operation $100.00 (TDH Rule 1200-23-01) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Who issues food permits in Carter County?
Food permits here are issued by Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), Environmental Health (food service establishments / restaurants, administered through county health departments); Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Consumer & Industry Services - Food & Dairy (retail food stores / grocery). 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