Tarrant County Public Health - Environmental Health · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Tarrant County food-facility health permits run about $258–$700 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Tarrant County Public Health - 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 Tarrant County Public Health - Environmental Health issues the health permit.
Cities with their own health department: Fort Worth, Arlington, Euless, North Richland Hills. Food businesses inside these cities apply to the city health department (with its own fees and rules), not Tarrant County. Confirm which authority covers your exact address.
About 4,310 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 2,182,947. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 Establishment Permit (annual)
Tiered by gross annual food sales:
$0-$49,999.99 = $258
$50,000-$149,999.99 = $515
$150,000 or more = $700
Amendment fee $258 (requested additional permit same location $125); Required reinspection $200. Food establishment/mobile late fee $100. Verified from Tarrant County Environmental Health Fee Schedule (DSHS Local Ordinance Registry); County permits unincorporated areas plus contracting cities; some cities set own fees
Plan review — required
Fee not published online.
Turnaround: Plans must be submitted and approved before construction/remodel of a new or converted food establishment
Tarrant County Public Health / Fort Worth use a TFER demerit system (0 demerits is perfect; over 30 demerits fails); scores posted online.
Inspection scores & grading
Grading system: 0-100 demerit score (starts at 100, demerits subtracted; ~70 = poor). Tarrant County Public Health inspects all restaurants EXCEPT those in cities that run their own program.
County schedule lists Mobile Unit (food preparation) $258
Mobile Unit (prepackaged) $150
MFU amendment $75
NOTE: Effective 2026-07-01 Texas moved mobile food unit permitting to the STATE (Texas DSHS); DSHS now issues statewide MFU permits (reported tier-based annual fees ~$258-$773); Local MFU fees above may be legacy/pre-transition; verify current authority with DSHS and Tarrant County before relying on them
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Tarrant County’s permit cost compares
At about $258/year, Tarrant County’s restaurant health permit is about the Texas median ($258) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 91% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 212th-lowest of 247 Texas 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 4,310 food & drinking establishments serve ~2,182,947 residents in Tarrant County — one per ~506 residents, denser than the Texas average (one per ~566).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$258 annual health permit.
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 Tarrant County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
Establishments typically inspected twice a year (unannounced); low-risk may drop to once, high-risk/repeat violators more often
County working toward uniform fees across contracting cities; walk-in EH office moved to 2500 Circle Dr, Fort Worth (after Oct 1, 2025)
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
market/grocery
$100
Farmers Market permit
temporary/seasonal/special-event
$35 (1-5 days) / $60 (6-14 days)
Temporary Food Establishment; 1-5 days $35, 6-14 days $60
Equipment your Tarrant 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.
Tiered by gross annual food sales: $0-$49,999.99 = $258; $50,000-$149,999.99 = $515; $150,000 or more = $700 These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Tarrant County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility.
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Tarrant County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. NOTE: Effective 2026-07-01 Texas moved mobile food unit permitting to the STATE (Texas DSHS); DSHS now issues statewide MFU permits (reported tier-based annual fees ~$258-$773); Local MFU fees above may be legacy/pre-transition; verify current authority with DSHS and Tarrant County before relying on them
Who issues food permits in Tarrant County?
Food permits here are issued by Tarrant County Public Health - Environmental Health. 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