Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
DuPage County food-facility health permits run about $305–$1,092 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $273–$1,092. Confirm the exact amount with DuPage County Health Department 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 DuPage County Health Department issues the health permit.
Cities with their own health department: Naperville, Wheaton, Aurora, Elmhurst, Downers Grove, Lombard, Carol Stream, Bolingbrook. Food businesses inside these cities apply to the city health department (with its own fees and rules), not DuPage County. Confirm which authority covers your exact address.
About 2,176 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 921,213. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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
Annual Food Service Sanitation Permit (Food Establishment)
Risk Type 1:
$1,092
Risk Type 2: $684
Risk Type 3: $305
Seasonal (<
=6 mo): $305
Risk type set by menu/food-handling complexity; Fees effective Dec 1, 2025, adjusted annually by CPI; Cottage food registration $50; follow-up inspection $69
Plan review — required
Type I:
$273
Type II: $684
Type III: $1,092
Conditional Food Permit: $287
Mobile Vendor Plan Review: $273
Priority (expedited): $1,092
3rd+ resubmittal: $344
Turnaround: Up to 20 business days for initial plan review; up to 10 business days for revision review
Illinois Food Code risk-based inspection; result recorded as Pass, Pass with Conditions, or Fail (no score/letter grade). County health dept posts inspection reports online.
Inspection scores & grading
Grading system: violation-based (priority / priority foundation / core). DuPage County Health Department permits and inspects 4,000+ food service facilities countywide under the Illinois Food Code (FDA-aligned). Inspection reports are searchable/viewable online without a FOIA request; reports cite priority, priority-foundation and core violations. No letter grade or numeric score.
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How DuPage County’s permit cost compares
At about $305/year, DuPage County’s restaurant health permit is above the Illinois median ($125) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 93% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 58th-lowest of 62 Illinois 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 2,176 food & drinking establishments serve ~921,213 residents in DuPage County — one per ~423 residents, denser than the Illinois average (one per ~483).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$305 annual health permit + $273 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 DuPage County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
Plan submittals older than 60 days missing required documents/fees are deemed abandoned
New Food Service Construction & Design Manual (Oct 2025 edition) governs plan review requirements
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Seasonal Food Service (six months or less)
$305
Annual permit for operations running 6 months or less
Temporary Food Permit
$268 high risk / $165 medium / $82 low
Per event, risk-tiered (Type 1T/2T/3T); valid up to 14 dates, max two permits/28 dates per year
Multi-Location Temporary Food Permit
$1,195 high risk / $684 medium / $376 low
For vendors operating at multiple sites
School Food Service
$1,092 Category I / $684 Category II
Annual school food permit
Equipment your DuPage 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.
Risk Type 1: $1,092; Risk Type 2: $684; Risk Type 3: $305; Seasonal (<=6 mo): $305 These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in DuPage County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: Type I: $273; Type II: $684; Type III: $1,092; Conditional Food Permit: $287; Mobile Vendor Plan Review: $273; Priority (expedited): $1,092; 3rd+ resubmittal: $344
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in DuPage County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Mobile vendor plan review ($273) required; Temporary food permits (per event) $82-$268 by risk
Who issues food permits in DuPage County?
Food permits here are issued by DuPage County Health Department. 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