Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Stanislaus County food-facility health permits run about $647 annually. Plan review runs about $137–$822. Confirm the exact amount with Stanislaus County Department of Environmental Resources (DER) - Environmental Health 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 Stanislaus County Department of Environmental Resources (DER) - Environmental Health issues the health permit.
About 992 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 551,430. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Category 2 (moderate) by size/seating: 2A 0-2,000 sq ft/0-20 seats $647; 2B 2,001-6,000/21-50 $660; 2C 6,001-15,000/51-100 $720; 2D 15,000+/101+ $725 (drive-thru/take-out variants 2E $689 / 2F $696); Higher-risk Category 1: 1A $883 up to 1D $973. Category 3 (lowest risk) $471. Reduced Fee Incentive Program rates available (~25% lower)
No required public placard; facilities keep reports on-site, and Stanislaus posts inspection notices (last 3 years) online.
Mobile Food Vendor Category 1 $548; Cat 2 $411; Cat 3 $274; Cat 4 $69 (additional concurrent cart $35); Compact Mobile Food Operation re-inspections escalate ($100 / $200 / $500); County Fair concession stand/truck $93
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 |
|---|---|---|
| caterer | $471 | Food Facility Category 1 Caterer Using Rental Kitchen $471; Category 2 Caterer Using Rental Kitchen $412. Fees effective 08/26/25 |
| commissary/shared/central kitchen | $647 | Host Facility $647; Food Facility Category 1 Rental Kitchen $471. Compact Mobile Food Operation commissary/storage verification billed at Weighted Labor Rate ($137/hr, 1-hr min) |
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | $353 | Food Facility Category 3 Seasonal $353; County Fair Concession Stand/Truck $93; Temp Food Facilities (1-2) billed at WLR $137/hr (1-hr min), scaling with number of booths |
| pushcart/limited or low-risk operation | $112 | Food Facility Prepackage Non-Potentially Hazardous Food $112; Produce Stand $112; Satellite Food Distribution Facility (Kiosk) $225; Swap Meet Prepackaged Food Stand single site $56; Food Facility Category 3 (low-risk) $471 |
| market/grocery with deli | — | No market-specific line; retail markets permitted under general Food Facility Category tiers by sq ft/seats (Cat 1 high-risk, Cat 3 low-risk/prepackaged) |
| bakery | — | No distinct bakery category; permitted under Food Facility Category tiers |
| bar/tavern | — | No distinct bar line; bars fall under Food Facility Category tiers by seating |
| food processing/wholesale | — | No retail food processing/wholesale food permit (Food Processing By-Product handled under Solid Waste Program) |
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 Stanislaus 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 →