Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) - Office of Public Health, Retail Food Program (Bureau of Sanitarian Services) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Jefferson Parish food-facility health permits run about $50–$100 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $100–$200. Confirm the exact amount with Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) - Office of Public Health, Retail Food Program (Bureau of Sanitarian Services) 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 Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) - Office of Public Health, Retail Food Program (Bureau of Sanitarian Services) issues the health permit.
About 1,091 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 421,777. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 →
Restaurant / food-facility permit
Retail Food Establishment Permit - Class 7 (state-issued)
$100.00 (1st permit)
$75.00 (2nd-5th permit)
$50.00 (6th or more)
statewide LDH schedule (RS 40:31.37)
State-administered; Louisiana retail food permits are issued by LDH (not the parish); Class 7 covers 'Restaurants, Bars, Meat Markets, Seafood Markets, etc.' A separate Jefferson Parish occupational/business license is also required
Plan review — required
LDH plan review required for new construction/major renovation
a dollar amount is not stated in the LDH retail food fee schedule, confirm with the LDH regional office
Louisiana Dept. of Health inspects on a risk schedule and cites critical/non-critical violations — no grade or score; reports on the LDH online dashboard.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile Food Unit (Mobile Unit) permit (LDH)
$100.00 (Mobile Units billed '
same as Class 7 fee schedule'
)
If a mobile unit is permitted in one parish it does not need an additional-fee permit to operate in another parish, though the local parish/city may require its own permit-to-operate and occupational license
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Jefferson Parish’s permit cost compares
At about $50/year, Jefferson Parish’s restaurant health permit is below the Louisiana median ($75) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 19% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 2nd-lowest of 63 Louisiana 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 1,091 food & drinking establishments serve ~421,777 residents in Jefferson Parish — one per ~387 residents, denser than the Louisiana average (one per ~740).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$50 annual health permit + $100 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.
Watch out for
State-issued LDH permit PLUS a separate Jefferson Parish occupational license are both required
Mobile permits are reciprocal across parishes (no duplicate state fee)
Day care/residential facilities with food service: $25 (<15 licensed), $50 (16-50), $75 (51-100), $100 (101+)
Fair/festival and special-event/temporary permits are a flat $25 each
Class 7 covers 'Restaurants, Bars, Meat Markets, Seafood Markets, etc.' Statewide LDH schedule (RS 40:31.37) applied in Jefferson Parish
grocery/market with deli
Grocery Stores (Class 1-5, by gross revenue): $75.00 (<$500k); $125.00 ($500k-1M); $250.00 ($1M-2.5M); $400.00 ($2.5M-5M); $500.00 (>$5M); Meat/seafood markets billed under Class 7 ($100.00)
Grocery = 60%+ of gross revenue from retail food; non-grocery stores billed under Class 6 (same tiers, then $75 for 2nd-5th and $50 for 6th+)
temporary/special-event
Special Event/Temporary Permit flat $25.00; Fair or Festival flat $25.00
Fair/festival fee charged once to the event sponsor; each approved stand gets a permit at no additional fee
seasonal
$10.00/month, minimum $10.00 (1 mo $10; 2 mo $20; 3 mo $30; +$10 per additional month)
LDH Seasonal Permit schedule
pushcart/mobile vending
$100.00 (Mobile Units billed same as Class 7)
Reciprocal across parishes; local occupational license may still be required
caterer/commissary
not broken out as a separate class on the LDH fee schedule; generally permitted as a restaurant under Class 7 ($100); Confirm classification with LDH
Louisiana's schedule does not list a distinct caterer or commissary fee
Equipment your Jefferson Parish 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.
$100.00 (1st permit); $75.00 (2nd-5th permit); $50.00 (6th or more); statewide LDH schedule (RS 40:31.37) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Jefferson Parish?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: LDH plan review required for new construction/major renovation; a dollar amount is not stated in the LDH retail food fee schedule, confirm with the LDH regional office; Secondary guides cite ~$100-$200
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Jefferson Parish?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. If a mobile unit is permitted in one parish it does not need an additional-fee permit to operate in another parish, though the local parish/city may require its own permit-to-operate and occupational license
Who issues food permits in Jefferson Parish?
Food permits here are issued by Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) - Office of Public Health, Retail Food Program (Bureau of Sanitarian Services). 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