Restaurants and food trucks.
New Haven County food-facility health permits run about $75–$550 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $150. Confirm the exact amount with City of New Haven Health Department, Environmental Health Division (New Haven County has no county government; health regulation is by municipal/district health departments - the New Haven Health Dept covers the City of New Haven) 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 City of New Haven Health Department, Environmental Health Division (New Haven County has no county government; health regulation is by municipal/district health departments - the New Haven Health Dept covers the City of New Haven) issues the health permit.
Per the New Haven Health Department Environmental Health Fees schedule (as of July 1, 2025); Fees are the City of New Haven's; other towns in the former New Haven County set their own via their local/district health departments
Turnaround: Not published; Submit menu, equipment list, layout, and commissary agreement with the application
State adopted the 2022 FDA Food Code (eff. 2023); inspections categorize violations as Priority/Priority Foundation/Core with no letter grade or numeric score; reports public via local health departments.
Per the New Haven Environmental Health Fees schedule (July 1, 2025); Applicants must upload a current city vending permit (or receipt) from the Office of Building Inspection & Enforcement with the health application; CT requires food trucks to operate from a licensed commissary for prep, water fill, ware-washing, and wastewater disposal
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.
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 | $550.00 license (annual) | 'Catering Food Service Establishments' license fee $550; plus $100 application fee; City of New Haven Health Dept schedule (CT has no county health govt; served by city/district depts) |
| pushcart/limited operation | $75.00 license (first year) | 'Micro Food Service Establishment' (shared-kitchen operations under $250,000 annual sales); reduced renewal fees by season thereafter ($50 May-Aug, $25 Sep-Dec, $100 Jan-Apr); plus $150 application fee |
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | $80.00 (1 day) / $200.00 (2-14 consecutive days) | Temporary Food Service Establishment license, single location; Covers festivals, carnivals, farmer's markets |
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 New Haven 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 →