Restaurants and food trucks.
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 City of Lubbock Environmental Health Department issues the health permit.
About 686 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 320,940. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Annual permit fee set per city fee schedule/SB 1008 (DSHS ceiling $773); flat dollar amount not clearly published online; Per 2025 changes, a facility with multiple retail food permits is consolidated into one permit at the highest food-risk level; City covers Lubbock city limits; unincorporated county falls under DSHS
Texas (TFER) demerit-based inspection: score = 100 minus demerits, fail above 30 demerits; City of Lubbock health authority, reports public.
Texas moved mobile-food permitting to state DSHS eff; 2026-07-01 (HB 2844); MFU inspections offered at Civic Center parking lot Tuesdays 10:30am-12:30pm
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plan review (food establishment) | $150 | Required prior to permit application (City of Lubbock Code sec; 8.16.032) |
| Temporary Food Permit | $52 | Revised to $52 per SB 1008 |
| Food Processing Establishment | — | Recognized as a distinct permit type in the city ordinance (sec; 8.16.032(b)(5), noting whether subject to federal/state daily inspection); a separate fee amount is not published on accessible pages |
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 Lubbock 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 →