Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Honolulu County food-facility health permits run about $100–$400 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $200–$300. Confirm the exact amount with Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) - Food Safety Branch (state-administered; the City & County of Honolulu / Honolulu County has no separate county food program - DOH permits all food establishments statewide under HAR Title 11 Chapter 50) 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 Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) - Food Safety Branch (state-administered; the City & County of Honolulu / Honolulu County has no separate county food program - DOH permits all food establishments statewide under HAR Title 11 Chapter 50) issues the health permit.
About 2,504 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 989,408. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
State-administered by the DOH Food Safety Branch under HAR 11-50-7 (fees are statewide, not set by Honolulu County); Risk category is based on the number of food operations performed: Category 1 = 6-8 operations (highest risk), Category 2 = 3-5, Category 3 = 0-2 (lowest)
Hawaii DOH posts green (Pass), yellow (Conditional Pass), or red (Closed) placards statewide; reports also online.
Statewide HAR 11-50-7 mobile fee; A support (commissary) kitchen is generally required and is separately permitted on the same risk-category tiers
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 Honolulu County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
| Building / plans | Honolulu Dept of Planning and Permitting (DPP) - Building Permit Center · 808-768-8220 |
| Fire marshal | Honolulu Fire Department - Fire Prevention Bureau (fire code review) · 808-723-7161 |
| Zoning / planning | Honolulu DPP - Land Use Permits / Zoning Code review · 808-768-8246 |
| Sewer / grease | Honolulu Dept of Environmental Services (ENV) - Grease Removal Device/Interceptor & Industrial Waste (Regulatory Control Branch) · 808-768-3262 |
| Business license | State of Hawaii Dept of Taxation - General Excise Tax (GET) License via BB-1 (no city business license) |
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | Risk Category 1 $400 / Category 2 $300 / Category 3 $200 (annual) | Distinct 'Catering' category on the HAR 11-50-7 statewide fee schedule |
| Commissary / central preparation kitchen | Support Kitchen: Risk Category 1 $300 / Category 2 $200 / Category 3 $100 (annual) | Commissary/central prep is priced as a 'Support Kitchen' under HAR 11-50-7 |
| Bakery / food processing | Food Manufacturer small (<=1,000 sq ft): Cat 1 $300 / Cat 2 $200 / Cat 3 $100. Large (>1,000 sq ft): Cat 1 $400 / Cat 2 $300 / Cat 3 $200 | Bakeries/processors are permitted as 'Food Manufacturer' by size and risk category |
| Bar / limited food service | Service Areas: limited food prep $100; no food prep $50 (annual) | HAR 11-50-7 'Service Areas' tier covers limited/no food-prep operations such as a bar service area |
| Grocery / market with deli | Market small (<=1,000 sq ft): Cat 1 $300 / Cat 2 $200 / Cat 3 $100. Large (>1,000 sq ft): Cat 1 $400 / Cat 2 $300 / Cat 3 $200 | Grocery/market permitted as 'Market' by size and risk category; a deli/food-prep area raises the risk category |
| Temporary / seasonal event | Special event: 1-5 days $50; 6-10 days $75; 11-20 days $100; 21-31 days $100 + $5/day over 20. Value-added farm products $25; charitable organizations $0 | Special Event Food Establishment permit tiers under HAR 11-50-7 |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | Mobile Food Establishment: Risk Category 1 $300 / Category 2 $200 / Category 3 $100 (annual) | Mobile/pushcart permitted as a Mobile Food Establishment; a Support Kitchen (same tiers) is generally required |
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.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →