Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Orange County food-facility health permits run about $482–$2,043 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $576–$2,686. Confirm the exact amount with OC Health Care Agency (HCA), Environmental Health Division 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 OC Health Care Agency (HCA), Environmental Health Division issues the health permit.
About 8,300 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 3,135,755. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Set by risk category and seats; schedule steps up annually; confirm the current column
Turnaround: ~20 working days; must be approved before construction/opening
Orange County posts green (Pass) / yellow (Conditional Pass) / red (Closed) placards; results at ocfoodinfo.com.
Commissary/mobile support unit required; separate plan check before permit
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 Orange County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
| Building / plans | OC Development Services / OC Public Works (unincorporated; city building depts otherwise) |
| Fire marshal | Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) - serves 24 cities + unincorporated · 714-573-6100 |
| Zoning / planning | OC Planning (OC Public Works Development Services) for unincorporated; city planning otherwise |
| Sewer / grease | Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) - FOG (fats/oils/grease) discharge permit · 714-962-2411 |
| Business license | City-issued (most OC cities require a business license/tax certificate; no countywide business license) |
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caterer | $1,148 | Catering/Caterer (Complex Prep) less than 2,000 sq ft $1,148; 2,000-5,999 $1,391; 6,000+ $1,455. Fees shown are current effective through 6/30/2027 (4-tier proposed schedule) |
| Shared food facility | $352 | Shared Food Facility Application Review; current effective through 6/30/2027 |
| Commissary / food processing | $390 | Packaged Food Warehouse/Commissary <2,000 sq ft $390, 2,000-5,999 $495, 6,000-29,999 $512, 30,000+ $668; Unpackaged Food Processing/Commissary <2,000 $762, 2,000-5,999 $1,054, 6,000-29,999 $1,369, 30,000+ $1,665. Effective through 6/30/2027 |
| Wholesale bakery | $1,261 | Wholesale Bakery <2,000 sq ft $1,261; 2,000-5,999 $1,269; 6,000-29,999 $1,696; 30,000+ $1,862. Effective through 6/30/2027 |
| Bar / tavern | — | No standalone bar permit; bars permitted as Restaurant (Minimal Preparation), 60 seats or less $482 |
| Market / grocery with deli | $278 | Food Market Retail (prepackaged) <2,000 sq ft $278, 2,000+ $382; Retail w/ Limited Food Prep (grocery/supermarket) <2,000 $765 up to $1,512; Retail w/ 1 Food Prep Area (grocery complex/deli) <2,000 $1,424 up to $2,805. Effective through 6/30/2027 |
| Temporary / special event | $147 | Single Event TFF Cat 1 (prepackaged) $147, Cat 2 (unpackaged) $217; Site Specific TFF Cat 1 $179, Cat 2 $217; Annual TFF Cat 1 $333, Cat 2 $640; Community Event Organizer 1-25 vendors $359, 26-50 $739, 51+ $1,279; Certified Farmers Market (incl organizer) $475; Food Demonstrator/Sampler $192. Effective through 6/30/2027 |
| Seasonal food facility | $404 | Effective through 6/30/2027 |
| Satellite / other | $227 | Satellite Food Service all packaged $227, all unpackaged $455; Packing Shed $404; Bed & Breakfast $320. Effective through 6/30/2027 |
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 Orange 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 →