Restaurants and food trucks.
Hillsborough County food-facility health permits run about $126–$357 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with FL DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants (state); Hillsborough County Tax Collector (Business Tax); City of Tampa (municipal BTR) 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 FL DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants (state); Hillsborough County Tax Collector (Business Tax); City of Tampa (municipal BTR) issues the health permit.
About 2,728 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 1,535,564. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
State-issued; fees verified on the official DBPR Food Service Fees page 2026-08-10. Hillsborough County Business Tax Receipt and City of Tampa BTR also required
Turnaround: Prior to construction/opening; no fixed published turnaround
State DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants inspects; outcome is met-standards / warning / emergency closure with violations listed, no letter grade; searchable statewide online database.
State MFDV license tied to vehicle; Layered local requirements: county + city BTR, commissary paperwork, propane/fire checks, per-location vending/zoning approval (esp; Ybor City)
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.
A code-compliant kitchen in Hillsborough County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
| Building / plans | City of Tampa – Construction Services Division · 813-274-3100 |
| Fire marshal | Tampa Fire Rescue – Fire Prevention Division · 813-274-7011 |
| Zoning / planning | City of Tampa – Zoning (Development & Growth Management) · 813-274-3100 |
| Sewer / grease | City of Tampa Wastewater Department – Grease Ordinance / FOG Program · 813-898-1420 |
| Business license | City of Tampa – Business Tax Receipt (city) + Hillsborough County Tax Collector (county BTR) · 813-274-8751 |
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| caterer | $263/yr | DBPR statewide caterer license; any licensed food service establishment may also cater without a separate license |
| theme-park/entertainment-complex food cart | $262-$357/yr | Tiered by number of carts: 1-5 $262, 6-10 $273, 11-15 $294, 16-20 $315, 21-25 $336, 26+ $357 |
| vending machine | $21/yr | Per machine dispensing prepared/potentially hazardous food |
| temporary/special-event food vendor | 1-3 day $91; 4-30 day $105; annual $456 | DBPR temporary event vendor license |
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 Hillsborough 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 →