Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Cumberland County food-facility health permits run about $205–$300 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Maine DHHS, Maine CDC - Health Inspection Program (Division of Environmental & Community Health) 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 Maine DHHS, Maine CDC - Health Inspection Program (Division of Environmental & Community Health) issues the health permit.
About 973 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 310,230. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
State-administered by the Maine CDC Health Inspection Program (fee schedule revised 02-02-2026); Cumberland County (Portland) has no county health department; Note: municipalities delegated by the state (Table 2) license eating places at a flat $100 regardless of size
Maine CDC Health Inspection Program inspects to the Maine Food Code; critical/non-critical violations shown in online reports, no letter grade.
Per the HIP fee schedule (rev 02-02-2026); A mobile base kitchen (commissary) is licensed separately at $100. Delegated municipalities charge a flat $100 for a mobile eating place
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | $270/yr (Catering); Eating & Catering combination $300/yr | Per the Maine CDC HIP fee schedule (rev 02-02-2026); Delegated municipalities charge a flat $100 |
| Commissary / central preparation kitchen | $300/yr (Eating Place; Commissary); $100/yr (Eating Place; Mobile Base Kitchen) | Maine breaks out both a full commissary ($300) and a mobile base kitchen ($100) |
| Bakery / food processing | not a distinct Maine CDC eating-place category; a retail bakery is licensed as an eating place (by seats/takeout), while wholesale food manufacturing is regulated by the Maine Dept of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry; Confirm applicable license | Maine CDC HIP does eating/lodging; food manufacturing is a separate DACF program |
| Bar / limited food service | $205/yr (Eating Place; Limited Menu) | A bar with limited food is licensed as a Limited Menu eating place; a full-menu bar uses the seating tiers ($220/$265/$300) |
| Grocery / market with deli | retail food stores (grocery/market) in Maine are licensed by the Dept of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry, not the Maine CDC HIP; an in-store deli/prep area may trigger a Maine CDC eating-place license; Confirm store license with DACF | Grocery/retail food = DACF jurisdiction in Maine |
| Temporary / seasonal event | $130 (Eating Place; Temporary, 1-4 days); $205 (5-14 days) | Non-profits need no license if fewer than 12 events/year |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | $270/yr (Eating Place; Mobile / Mobile Stick Built); $100/yr (Mobile Base Kitchen) | Delegated municipalities charge a flat $100 for a mobile eating place |
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.
Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Cumberland County with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →