No county food-permitting authority: unincorporated Denton County is under Texas DSHS (Retail Food) jurisdiction; incorporated cities (e.g., City of Denton Health & Food Safety) permit within their own limits. Denton County Public Health - Environmental Health Division handles on-site sewage (septic), not food establishments. · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Denton County food-facility health permits run about $258–$773 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $125–$375. Confirm the exact amount with No county food-permitting authority: unincorporated Denton County is under Texas DSHS (Retail Food) jurisdiction; incorporated cities (e.g., City of Denton Health & Food Safety) permit within their own limits. Denton County Public Health - Environmental Health Division handles on-site sewage (septic), not food establishments. 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 No county food-permitting authority: unincorporated Denton County is under Texas DSHS (Retail Food) jurisdiction; incorporated cities (e.g., City of Denton Health & Food Safety) permit within their own limits. Denton County Public Health - Environmental Health Division handles on-site sewage (septic), not food establishments. issues the health permit.
Cities with their own health department: Denton, Carrollton, Frisco, The Colony, Celina, Westlake. Food businesses inside these cities apply to the city health department (with its own fees and rules), not Denton County. Confirm which authority covers your exact address.
About 1,900 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 1,007,703. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 (issued by Texas DSHS in unincorporated areas)
DSHS statewide fee by gross annual volume of food sales:
Low ($0-$49,999.99) $258
Medium ($50,000-$149,999.99) $515
High ($150,000+) $773 (per DSHS fee schedule)
State law requires DSHS to permit/inspect retail food facilities anywhere no local health authority regulates; Businesses inside a city with its own health program (e.g., City of Denton, 401 N Elm St, 940-349-8600) permit through that city instead; Contact Denton County Development Services 940-349-2990 to confirm authority for a given unincorporated address
Plan review — required
DSHS does not publish a separate flat plan-review fee on its retail food fee page
new establishments must submit plans/menu for review before construction
Amendment fees (change to permitted operation) are Low $125 / Medium $250 / High $375. Not found as a standalone plan-review line item
Texas (TFER) demerit-based inspection: score = 100 minus demerits, fail above 30 demerits; administered by city/county health authorities, reports public.
Inspection scores & grading
Grading system: violation-based (priority / priority foundation / core; TX Food Establishment Rules). No county restaurant-inspection program — Denton County Public Health's Environmental Health Division handles on-site sewage (OSSF), not food. Cities with their own consumer/food-safety programs inspect within their limits; Texas DSHS (Public Health Region 2/3) inspects food establishments in cities without a program and in unincorporated areas. Violation-based (TX adoption of the FDA Food Code), no letter grade or numeric score.
Mobile Food Vendor (MFV) License - Texas DSHS (statewide, eff. July 1, 2026)
DSHS:
Type I (no TCS foods) $309
Type II (prepackaged TCS, limited handling) $618 + $400 pre-licensing inspection
Type III (prepare/cook/hold/serve) $876 + $500 pre-licensing inspection
Both application and pre-licensing fees due at submission
Effective July 1, 2026 Texas moved all mobile-food permitting to state DSHS under HB 2844; local jurisdictions no longer issue food-truck permits; DSHS applications opened early June 2026 via Online Licensing Services
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Denton County’s permit cost compares
At about $258/year, Denton County’s restaurant health permit is about the Texas median ($258) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 91% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 70th-lowest of 247 Texas 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 1,900 food & drinking establishments serve ~1,007,703 residents in Denton County — one per ~530 residents, denser than the Texas average (one per ~566).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$258 annual health permit + $125 plan review.
Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.
The full approval stack
A code-compliant kitchen in Denton County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
Denton County itself does not run a food-establishment permit program; jurisdiction splits between DSHS (unincorporated) and individual cities
Denton County Environmental Health's food-related role is limited to on-site sewage/septic; food permits are handled by DSHS or the applicable city
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
(none - county does not permit food establishments)
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Denton County Environmental Health Division regulates ONLY on-site sewage facilities (OSSF/septic) in the unincorporated county; it does NOT issue retail food establishment permits and publishes no county food fee schedule; Retail food permitting is handled by municipal health departments (e.g., City of Denton Health & Food Safety Division) or by Texas DSHS for unincorporated areas
Equipment your Denton 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.
DSHS statewide fee by gross annual volume of food sales: Low ($0-$49,999.99) $258; Medium ($50,000-$149,999.99) $515; High ($150,000+) $773 (per DSHS fee schedule) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Denton County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: DSHS does not publish a separate flat plan-review fee on its retail food fee page; new establishments must submit plans/menu for review before construction; Amendment fees (change to permitted operation) are Low $125 / Medium $250 / High $375. Not found as a standalone plan-review line item
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Denton County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Effective July 1, 2026 Texas moved all mobile-food permitting to state DSHS under HB 2844; local jurisdictions no longer issue food-truck permits; DSHS applications opened early June 2026 via Online Licensing Services
Who issues food permits in Denton County?
Food permits here are issued by No county food-permitting authority: unincorporated Denton County is under Texas DSHS (Retail Food) jurisdiction; incorporated cities (e.g., City of Denton Health & Food Safety) permit within their own limits. Denton County Public Health - Environmental Health Division handles on-site sewage (septic), not food establishments.. 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