Restaurants and food trucks.
Miami-Dade County food-facility health permits run about $242–$357 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with FL DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants (state, restaurants + MFDV); Miami-Dade County Regulatory & Economic Resources / municipality (Certificate of Use); Miami-Dade Tax Collector (Local Business Tax) 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 FL DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants (state, restaurants + MFDV); Miami-Dade County Regulatory & Economic Resources / municipality (Certificate of Use); Miami-Dade Tax Collector (Local Business Tax) issues the health permit.
About 5,839 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 2,686,867. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
State-issued, not county; Half-year rates apply after Dec 1. Locally also need Miami-Dade Certificate of Use ($75) and Local Business Tax Receipt; municipal receipt also required if inside a city
Turnaround: DBPR reviews plans prior to construction/opening; no published fixed turnaround
State DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants inspects; outcome is met-standards / warning / emergency closure with violations listed, no letter grade; searchable statewide online database.
License tied to a specific vehicle (second truck = second license); License year June 1-May 31. Fire Department approval required (786-331-4800) before Miami-Dade license issuance
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 Miami-Dade County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
| Building / plans | Miami-Dade County Dept. of Regulatory & Economic Resources (RER) - Building Division · 786-315-2000 |
| Fire marshal | Miami-Dade Fire Rescue - Fire Prevention Division |
| Zoning / planning | Miami-Dade RER - Zoning & Development Services (Certificate of Use) · 786-315-2660 |
| Sewer / grease | Miami-Dade RER - Division of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), FOG/GDO Program · 305-372-6789 |
| Business license | Miami-Dade County Tax Collector - Local Business Tax Receipt · 305-375-5448 |
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| caterer | $263/yr | DBPR statewide caterer license; any licensed food service establishment may also cater without a separate license |
| theme-park/entertainment-complex food cart | $262-$357/yr | Tiered by number of carts: 1-5 $262, 6-10 $273, 11-15 $294, 16-20 $315, 21-25 $336, 26+ $357 |
| vending machine | $21/yr | Per machine dispensing prepared/potentially hazardous food |
| temporary/special-event food vendor | 1-3 day $91; 4-30 day $105; annual $456 | DBPR temporary event vendor license |
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 Miami-Dade 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 →