St. Tammany Parish, LA Food Facility Permits & Fees
Restaurants and food trucks.
Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Bureau of Sanitarian Services - Food & Drug Unit (state-administered via the local parish health unit sanitarian) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
St. Tammany 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), Bureau of Sanitarian Services - Food & Drug Unit (state-administered via the local parish health unit sanitarian) 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), Bureau of Sanitarian Services - Food & Drug Unit (state-administered via the local parish health unit sanitarian) issues the health permit.
About 633 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 275,583. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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
Retail Food Establishment Permit
$150 first permit
$112.50 each for the second through fifth permits
$75 each permit after the fifth (per La
R.S
40:31.37)
State-administered under a single statewide fee statute; fees are the same in every parish; Louisiana permitting is per-establishment/per-permit rather than by sales volume for restaurants
Plan review — required
$100 standard (10 or fewer business days) / $1,000 expedited (5 or fewer business days), effective July 1, 2025
Turnaround: 10 business days (standard); 5 business days (expedited)
Louisiana Dept. of Health inspects on a risk schedule and cites critical/non-critical violations — no grade or score; reports on the LDH online dashboard.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile Food Establishment Permit
$150 (first permit
per La
R.S
40:31.37 general permit schedule)
Mobile and itinerant food establishments use the same general permit fee schedule as fixed establishments
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How St. Tammany Parish’s permit cost compares
At about $75/year, St. Tammany Parish’s restaurant health permit is about the Louisiana median ($75) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 29% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 51st-lowest of 63 Louisiana 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 633 food & drinking establishments serve ~275,583 residents in St. Tammany Parish — one per ~435 residents, denser than the Louisiana average (one per ~740).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$75 annual health permit + $100 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.
Watch out for
STATE-administered: the Louisiana Department of Health regulates and permits retail food establishments statewide through parish health units; there is no separate parish fee
New plan-review fee ($100 standard / $1,000 expedited) took effect July 1, 2025
New retail food stores/markets receive an initial temporary permit for $112.50
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Grocery / market with deli
Retail food store/market annual fee $75-$750 based on gross revenue (per La; R.S; 40:31.37)
New stores receive an initial temporary permit for $112.50
Bakery / food processing
$150 first permit (retail food manufacturer; general permit schedule per La; R.S; 40:31.37)
Uses the general per-permit fee schedule
Temporary / seasonal event
Temporary food establishment $25 for the entire event; seasonal $15 per month of operation (per La; R.S; 40:31.37)
State-administered via parish health unit
Pushcart / mobile vending
$150 first permit (mobile/itinerant food establishment; general schedule per La; R.S; 40:31.37)
Same fee schedule as fixed establishments
Equipment your St. Tammany Parish 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.
$150 first permit; $112.50 each for the second through fifth permits; $75 each permit after the fifth (per La; R.S; 40:31.37) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in St. Tammany Parish?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: $100 standard (10 or fewer business days) / $1,000 expedited (5 or fewer business days), effective July 1, 2025
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in St. Tammany Parish?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Mobile and itinerant food establishments use the same general permit fee schedule as fixed establishments
Who issues food permits in St. Tammany Parish?
Food permits here are issued by Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Bureau of Sanitarian Services - Food & Drug Unit (state-administered via the local parish health unit sanitarian). 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