Restaurants and food trucks.
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) - Bureau of Sanitarian Services, Retail Food Program (Baton Rouge district office) issues the health permit.
About 1,060 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 448,467. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Louisiana health permits are issued at the STATE level by LDH (not the parish); the parish separately requires a business license; LDH retail food permit fee schedule not captured in reviewed sources; not published in results, verify with LDH; Permit unit: (225) 342-7522
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.
Issued by LDH Baton Rouge district office; required before selling from a truck in EBR Parish; Higher end for raw proteins/ready-to-eat foods; Range is from secondary guide (StreetLegal), not an LDH fee table
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bar/tavern | $100.00 (1st permit); $75.00 (2nd-5th); $50.00 (6th+) | Class 7 covers "Restaurants, Bars, Meat Markets, Seafood Markets, etc." Statewide LDH schedule applied in East Baton Rouge Parish |
| market/grocery with deli | Grocery Stores (Class 1-5, by gross revenue): $75.00 / $125.00 / $250.00 / $400.00 / $500.00; Meat/Seafood Markets under Class 7 $100.00 | Grocery = 60%+ revenue from retail food; non-grocery stores billed under Class 6 |
| temporary/special-event | Special Event/Temporary Permit flat $25.00; Fair or Festival flat $25.00 | Fair/Festival fee charged once to the event sponsor; each approved stand gets a permit at no additional fee |
| seasonal | $10.00/month (minimum $10.00): 1 mo $10.00, 2 mo $20.00, 3 mo $30.00, +$10.00 per additional month | Seasonal Permits |
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 East Baton Rouge Parish with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →