Restaurants and food trucks.
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 St. Louis Department of Health, Food & Beverage Control Program issues the health permit.
About 979 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 281,754. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Annual permanent food permit fee not published on the city website; applicant pays fees by business/cashier's check or money order at application; City Food Code updated by Ordinance 71324, which introduced reduced permit-fee options plus free food-safety training funded by application fees; Contact Dept of Health, 1520 Market St, Suite 4051 (314-622-4800) for the current fee schedule
Mobile/temporary permits administered by Food & Beverage Control; temporary food permit is $50 per day per vendor (max 14 days/calendar year), plus a $10 late fee if applied for fewer than 2 business days before the event; Annual mobile fee not published online
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
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 St. Louis City with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.