Restaurants and food trucks.
Ingham County food-facility health permits run about $500–$1,180 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $640–$2,500. Confirm the exact amount with Ingham County Health Department (ICHD) - Environmental Health Division 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 Ingham County Health Department (ICHD) - Environmental Health Division issues the health permit.
About 585 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 284,637. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Locally administered by the Ingham County Health Department (Lansing) under contract with the State of Michigan; Food service categories are determined by the area inspector based on operations; Fees include the State of Michigan fee of $30.00 for Fixed/Seasonal/Mobile licenses; Grocery/retail food and food processing are MDARD (state) jurisdiction, not the county
Michigan local health departments inspect under the Michigan Food Law/FDA Food Code (priority/core violations); no letter grade or score. Reports on MDARD's online Food Inspection Postings (MiSafe).
Michigan distinguishes Special Transitory Food Units (STFU; capable of traveling around the state) from Mobile units that must report to a commissary daily; A commissary/servicing base is required
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 | $835 (Catering Operations fall in Category 2; Full Service without Alcohol) | Catering Operations are explicitly named as a Category 2 fixed food service license ($835 License/Renewal) |
| Bakery / food processing | $500 (retail Coffee Shop / Donuts / Ice Cream fall in Category 1); Wholesale food processing/manufacturing is licensed by the Michigan Dept of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD), not the county | Retail bakery/serving operations are Category 1 ($500); wholesale = MDARD state jurisdiction |
| Bar / limited food service | $500 ('Bar With Limited or No Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHF)' falls in Category 1) | A bar with limited/no PHF is a Category 1 fixed license ($500); a full bar with a larger menu and alcohol moves to Category 2/3 |
| Grocery / market with deli | grocery/retail food markets are licensed by the Michigan Dept of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD), not Ingham County Health Department; An in-store deli/food-prep area may require a county food service license; confirm with EH (517-887-4311) | Retail food (grocery) = MDARD jurisdiction in Michigan |
| Temporary / seasonal event | $100 (Temporary Food License, single location, max 14 consecutive days); $250 (Temporary Late; received <5 days before event); Seasonal License (facility operating 9 months or less) $355 | Ingham breaks out both a Temporary license and a Seasonal license (fixed facility <=9 months/year) |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | $152 (Special Transitory Food Unit / STFU License) + $90 per inspection (two per year); $465 (Mobile License; unit reporting to a commissary daily); Full plan review $640 | Michigan splits STFU (travels statewide) from Mobile units that report to a commissary daily; a commissary is 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.
Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Ingham 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 →