Montgomery County, OH Food Facility Permits & Fees
Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County (PHDMC), Office of Environmental Health · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Montgomery County food-facility health permits run about $272.66–$1,458.64 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $100–$750. Confirm the exact amount with Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County (PHDMC), Office of Environmental Health 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 Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County (PHDMC), Office of Environmental Health issues the health permit.
About 1,059 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 533,796. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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
Food Service Operation (FSO) / Retail Food Establishment (RFE) License
Commercial <25,000 sq ft by risk level (total local+state):
L1 $272.66
L2 $304.48
L3 $562.80
L4 $707.86. Commercial >
25,000 sq ft: L1 $384.64
L2 $403.74
L3 $1,377.20
L4 $1,458.64
Fees from PHDMC 2026 Fee Schedule (as of 12/1/2025); Late/penalty fee ~25% added if renewed late; Non-commercial (non-profit) fees roughly half; Vending FSO $31.86; temporary commercial $60/event
Plan review — required
New construction FSO/RFE:
micro market $150
<
1,000 sq ft $500
1,000-2,499 sq ft $600
>
=2,500 sq ft $750
consultation/remodeling $100/hr
Turnaround: OAC 3701-21-03 requires action within 30 days; typically 10-15 business days
Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County inspects under the Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code; no letter grade, reports posted online.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile Food Service Operation License (health); City of Dayton adds a Mobile Food Vendor Permit
Mobile FSO/RFE High risk $275.00
Low risk $151.50 (total local+state)
Mobile plan review handled via separate application; PHDMC contacts applicant with plan-review fee before review; City of Dayton requires its own Mobile Food Vendor Permit in addition to the county license
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Montgomery County’s permit cost compares
At about $273/year, Montgomery County’s restaurant health permit is above the Ohio median ($28) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 91% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 51st-lowest of 54 Ohio 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 1,059 food & drinking establishments serve ~533,796 residents in Montgomery County — one per ~504 residents, denser than the Ohio average (one per ~574).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$273 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
Risk-based fee model: L4 (complex prep / highly susceptible populations) costs the most
Online plan-review submission forms for both fixed FSO/RFE and mobile operations
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
market/grocery with deli (RFE)
risk-level based (Level 1-4, under/over 25,000 sq ft)
Retail Food Establishments licensed under the same commercial/non-commercial FSO & RFE risk-level schedule as restaurants; totals are local+state (CPI-adjusted) per the 2026 Schedule of General Fees
temporary/special-event
$275.00 / $151.50
Temporary FSO/FE per event: commercial $247 local + $28 state = $275.00; non-commercial $123.50 + $28 = $151.50
vending
—
'Vending FSO' is a listed line on the 2026 Schedule of General Fees; exact dollar amount not cleanly extractable from the PDF
caterer
—
No separate caterer license; classified within FSO/RFE risk levels
bakery
—
No separate bakery license; folded into FSO/RFE risk levels
commissary/central kitchen
—
No separate commissary line; licensed as FSO/RFE
food processing/wholesale
—
State-regulated by Ohio Dept of Agriculture, not the county
Equipment your Montgomery County 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.
Commercial <25,000 sq ft by risk level (total local+state): L1 $272.66; L2 $304.48; L3 $562.80; L4 $707.86. Commercial >25,000 sq ft: L1 $384.64; L2 $403.74; L3 $1,377.20; L4 $1,458.64 These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Montgomery County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: New construction FSO/RFE: micro market $150; <1,000 sq ft $500; 1,000-2,499 sq ft $600; >=2,500 sq ft $750; consultation/remodeling $100/hr
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Montgomery County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Mobile plan review handled via separate application; PHDMC contacts applicant with plan-review fee before review; City of Dayton requires its own Mobile Food Vendor Permit in addition to the county license
Who issues food permits in Montgomery County?
Food permits here are issued by Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County (PHDMC), Office of Environmental Health. 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