Santa Clara County, CA Food Facility Permits & Fees
Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
County of Santa Clara Dept. of Environmental Health (DEH), Retail Food Program · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Santa Clara County food-facility health permits run about $664–$2,839 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $563–$4,365. Confirm the exact amount with County of Santa Clara Dept. of Environmental Health (DEH), Retail Food Program 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 County of Santa Clara Dept. of Environmental Health (DEH), Retail Food Program issues the health permit.
About 4,756 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 1,877,592. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 annual health permit
By employees x risk (FY2026):
0-5 emp $664/$1,377/$2,281 (RC1/2/3)
6-25 $848/$1,453/$2,478
26+ $909/$1,549/$2,839. Plus $423 facility-evaluation fee
Risk category (1-3) assigned by DEH; Small businesses (<=25 employees) may qualify for fee relief
Plan review — required
Fixed-facility plan check with food prep:
RC1 $2,394-$2,676, RC2-3 $3,661-$4,365 by sq ft
hood system $705
revision $563. Expedited surcharge applies
Turnaround: Up to 20 business days after payment; unpaid plans discarded after 10 days
Santa Clara posts green (Pass) / yellow (Conditional Pass) / red (Closure) placards plus a compliance score; results on SCCDineOut.
Inspection scores & grading
Grading system: placard: Green (Pass) / Yellow (Conditional Pass) / Red (Closure) + cumulative online score. Santa Clara County Dept. of Environmental Health placarding & scoring program (SCCDineOut app); covers all cities in the county.
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Santa Clara County’s permit cost compares
At about $664/year, Santa Clara County’s restaurant health permit is above the California median ($491) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 99% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 30th-lowest of 40 California 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 4,756 food & drinking establishments serve ~1,877,592 residents in Santa Clara County — one per ~395 residents, denser than the California average (one per ~491).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$664 annual health permit + $563 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.
The full approval stack
A code-compliant kitchen in Santa Clara County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
Every MFF must report DAILY to a permitted commissary (or approved mobile support unit); using an unapproved facility triggers immediate suspension
Each additional food operation in a facility (deli, coffee bar, kiosk) needs its own plan-check application + fee, so one build-out can incur multiple fees
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Caterer
$648
Caterer / Kitchen Rental Food Prep Op Risk Cat 1 $648 (FP18); Risk Cat 2 $930 (FP19); Catering Op at Host Facility: out-of-county $282 (FP53), in-county $0 (FP54)
Commissary / shared kitchen
$563
Commissary / Approved Facility $563 (FP30); Facilities Held in Common (shared) $566 (FP29)
Bakery
—
No standalone bakery permit; permitted as Food Prep/Food Service Operation by risk category, or No Food Prep
Bar / tavern
—
No standalone bar/tavern permit; permitted as Food Prep/Food Service Operation by risk category
Market / grocery (no food prep)
$735
No Food Prep <5,000 sq ft $735 (FP06); 5,000-20,000 $1,001 (FP07); >20,000 $1,104 (FP08)
Satellite Food Service no prep $282 (FP81), prep RC1 $372 (FP82), prep RC2 $616 (FP83); Food Bank $493 (FP32); Charitable Feeding Operation $423 (FP33)
Equipment your Santa Clara 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.
By employees x risk (FY2026): 0-5 emp $664/$1,377/$2,281 (RC1/2/3); 6-25 $848/$1,453/$2,478; 26+ $909/$1,549/$2,839. Plus $423 facility-evaluation fee These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Santa Clara County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: Fixed-facility plan check with food prep: RC1 $2,394-$2,676, RC2-3 $3,661-$4,365 by sq ft; hood system $705; revision $563. Expedited surcharge applies
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Santa Clara County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Non-transferable, annual renewal + inspection; new-to-CA MFF requires plan review first
Who issues food permits in Santa Clara County?
Food permits here are issued by County of Santa Clara Dept. of Environmental Health (DEH), Retail Food Program. 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