Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Hillsborough County food-facility health permits run about $225–$875 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with New Hampshire DHHS, Division of Public Health Services - Food Protection Section 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 New Hampshire DHHS, Division of Public Health Services - Food Protection Section issues the health permit.
About 891 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 427,354. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
State-administered by the NH Food Protection Section for most of the state, including Hillsborough County; IMPORTANT: the cities of Manchester and Nashua self-license and self-inspect; establishments there apply to the city health department, not the state, and city fees differ
State Food Protection Section inspects to the FDA Food Code; Priority/Priority Foundation/Core violations shown in the online portal, no letter grade.
Per the NH Food Protection Section fee schedule; Class assignment depends on whether the unit cooks/handles potentially hazardous food; In Manchester/Nashua the respective city health department licenses mobile units
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.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | $350/yr (Class C; caterers serving food off site) | Off-site catering is Class C on the NH Food Protection Section schedule; Manchester/Nashua self-license |
| Commissary / central preparation kitchen | not a distinct NH license class; a commissary is licensed under the class matching its food-prep activity and volume; Confirm with the Food Protection Section | No stand-alone commissary class on the NH schedule |
| Bakery / food processing | $225 (Class D; bakeries with 0-24 seats); $150 (Class F; bakeries not serving PHF with 0 seats); $350 (Class C; commercially process <100,000 units/yr); $875 (Class A; process 100,000+ units/yr) | Class depends on seating, whether potentially-hazardous food is served, and processing volume |
| Bar / limited food service | $350 (Class C; bar/lounge serving alcohol WITH a food-prep area); $100 (Class G; bar/lounge serving alcohol, no food-prep area) | Presence of a food-prep area drives the class |
| Grocery / market with deli | $450 (Class B; retail food store with more than 2 prep areas); $350 (Class C; 1-2 prep areas); $150 (Class F; no prep area) | Retail food store class is driven by number of food-prep areas |
| Temporary / seasonal event | NH issues temporary event food licenses, but a temporary fee is not listed on the annual class fee schedule; Confirm with the Food Protection Section (603-271-4589) | Temporary/event licensing is handled separately from the annual class schedule |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | $175 (Class E; mobile units which cook food); $150 (Class F; mobile units serving pre-packaged / non-PHF unwrapped foods) | Manchester and Nashua license mobile units through their own city health departments |
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 →