Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Hennepin County Public Health — Epidemiology & Environmental Health (479 Prairie Center Dr, Eden Prairie) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Hennepin County food-facility health permits run about $100–$1,040 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $74–$175. Confirm the exact amount with Hennepin County Public Health — Epidemiology & Environmental Health (479 Prairie Center Dr, Eden Prairie) 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 Hennepin County Public Health — Epidemiology & Environmental Health (479 Prairie Center Dr, Eden Prairie) issues the health permit.
Cities with their own health department: Minneapolis, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Minnetonka, Wayzata, Brooklyn Park. Food businesses inside these cities apply to the city health department (with its own fees and rules), not Hennepin County. Confirm which authority covers your exact address.
About 2,810 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 1,258,713. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 →
500 meals): Primary $1,040, Additional $518. Lower tiers: Low Limited $100, Low $215, Medium Limited $405, Medium Small $612 (primary)
Fees are per-facility, set by category (food type, handling, risk, size) assigned by a plan reviewer; 'Additional' = extra facilities at the same address; Verified from Hennepin County 2026 Food, Beverage & Lodging License Fees PDF
Plan review — required
$100 (plan review)
on-site consult $175
office consult $74
Turnaround: Up to 30 calendar days from a complete application
No letter grade. Minneapolis posts routine/follow-up inspection reports on its Health Inspection Lookup Dashboard; rest of Hennepin County (MDH/delegated cities) available on request.
Inspection scores & grading
Grading system: violation-based (priority / priority foundation / core). Hennepin County Environmental Health inspects most cities, but seven cities run their own food programs (Minneapolis, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Minnetonka, Wayzata, Brooklyn Park). Reports cite priority/priority-foundation/core violations (MN Food Code); no letter grade. Minneapolis publishes an online lookup dashboard.
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Hennepin County’s permit cost compares
At about $100/year, Hennepin County’s restaurant health permit is above the Minnesota median ($50) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 45% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 64th-lowest of 81 Minnesota 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 2,810 food & drinking establishments serve ~1,258,713 residents in Hennepin County — one per ~448 residents, denser than the Minnesota average (one per ~519).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$100 annual health permit + $74 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 Hennepin County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
Hennepin County grants reciprocity licenses ($223) to mobile units already licensed by MDH or by six named cities incl; Minneapolis; a truck operating across multiple Hennepin cities can otherwise stack several city licenses
License categories (and thus fees) are assigned by a county plan reviewer, not self-selected; the same address can carry multiple licensed 'facilities.'
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
caterer
$807 (High Small Facility) / $1,040 (High Large Facility)
Primary-facility annual fee; 'Caterer' listed in High Small (<175 seats/<500 meals) and High Large tiers
commissary/central kitchen
$807 / $1,040
'Commissary kitchen' listed in High Small and High Large facility tiers
Small grocery $405; large grocery $612; Deli / Combo deli-meat market $807 (High Small) / $1,040 (High Large)
bar/tavern
$612
'Bar' listed under Medium Small Facility (open food)
temporary/seasonal/special-event
$51-$204 (event) / $405 (seasonal stand)
Special Event Food Stands (<=10 days): low-risk $51/high-risk $102 first day (+$11/day), sold-on-site $102-$204; Seasonal Temporary Food Stand $405 first stand
pushcart/limited operation
$51-$612
Low Limited Facility (portable bar/no prep) $100; delivery/transport carts $51 non-PHF / $106 PHF; Catering food vehicle $612; Mobile Food Unit $612 first unit
food processing/wholesale
—
Wholesale food manufacturing regulated by MN Dept of Agriculture, not Hennepin County
Equipment your Hennepin 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.
Full-menu restaurant (High Small Facility, <175 seats/<500 meals): Primary $807, Additional $404. Full-menu (High Large Facility, >175 seats/>500 meals): Primary $1,040, Additional $518. Lower tiers: Low Limited $100, Low $215, Medium Limited $405, Medium Small $612 (primary) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Hennepin County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: $100 (plan review); on-site consult $175; office consult $74
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Hennepin County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Seasonal Temporary Food Stand $405 first/$202 add'l; Special Event high-risk $102 first day / $11 each add'l day
Who issues food permits in Hennepin County?
Food permits here are issued by Hennepin County Public Health — Epidemiology & Environmental Health (479 Prairie Center Dr, Eden Prairie). 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