Restaurants and food trucks.
Orleans Parish food-facility health permits run about $75–$150 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $100–$1,000. Confirm the exact amount with Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health - Retail Food Program (state permit, statewide statutory fees under La. R.S. 40:31.37); City of New Orleans One Stop Shop / Safety & Permits (occupational license + mayoralty food-truck permit) 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 Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health - Retail Food Program (state permit, statewide statutory fees under La. R.S. 40:31.37); City of New Orleans One Stop Shop / Safety & Permits (occupational license + mayoralty food-truck permit) issues the health permit.
About 1,482 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 364,136. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Louisiana retail food permits are issued/inspected by LDH statewide; the fee schedule is statutory and uniform across all parishes (confirmed identical in sibling LA records refreshed 2026-08-07); A restaurant/food service establishment is permitted under the general retail food establishment category; City of New Orleans additionally requires an occupational license and a mayoralty/business permit
New Orleans/LDH inspects on a risk schedule and cites critical/non-critical violations — no grade or score; reports on the LDH online dashboard.
Truck limited to 26 ft x 8 ft; must carry $500,000 general liability; LDH state approvals + NOFD fire approval required before the city permit issues; LDH does not publish a distinct 'mobile' line item; mobile units are permitted under the general per-permit schedule and require a mobile-unit plan-review questionnaire and an approved commissary/base of operations
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.
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | $25 per event (temporary/special event); $15 per month of operation (seasonal) | La; R.S; 40:31.37 statutory fees, uniform statewide |
| market/grocery with deli | Retail food store (food sales >=60% of gross), by annual gross revenue (La; R.S; 40:31.37 Section C): <$100,000 $75.00; $100,000-$500,000 $112.50; $500,001-$1,000,000 $187.50; $1,000,001-$2,500,000 $375.00; $2,500,001-$5,000,000 $600.00; over $5,000,000 $750.00 | New retail store initial fee $112.50. Stores where food is <60% of gross use a separate per-permit tier (Section D) |
| food processing/wholesale | 'Retail Food Manufacturer' permit type; fee tiered by gross annual sales under La; R.S; 40:31.37; specific manufacturer tier not itemized here | Confirm classification/amount with the LDH regional sanitarian |
| pushcart/limited operation | $150 first permit (La; R.S; 40:31.37 Section A per-permit schedule) | 'Itinerant food establishment' and 'itinerant retail food store/market' permit types exist under the general per-permit schedule |
| caterer | $150 first permit (La; R.S; 40:31.37 Section A) | No standalone caterer permit; operates as a retail food establishment under the general per-permit schedule |
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 Orleans Parish with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →