Tippecanoe County, IN Food Facility Permits & Fees
Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Tippecanoe County Health Department (Foods & Environmental Division) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Tippecanoe County food-facility health permits run about $100–$525 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with Tippecanoe County Health Department (Foods & Environmental Division) 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 Tippecanoe County Health Department (Foods & Environmental Division) issues the health permit.
About 421 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 188,792. (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amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date?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 Establishment annual permit
Annual fee by employee count:
1-5 employees $225.00
6-9 employees $275.00
10-40 employees $400.00
41+ employees $525.00
Bed and Breakfast $100.00
Non-profit exempt (Rev
1/2025)
Two part-time employees = one full-time; New establishment or change-of-ownership adds a $75.00 processing fee; Late fee = 125% of renewal fee
Plan review — required
Plan review is required for new establishments (a plan review fee is referenced on the New Food Establishments page) but the dollar amount is not published online
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Tippecanoe County’s permit cost compares
At about $100/year, Tippecanoe County’s restaurant health permit is about the Indiana median ($100) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 45% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 30th-lowest of 63 Indiana 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 421 food & drinking establishments serve ~188,792 residents in Tippecanoe County — one per ~448 residents, denser than the Indiana average (one per ~577).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$100 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.
Watch out for
Rare employee-count fee tier structure rather than risk-based or square-footage
Non-profit food establishments are fully exempt from the annual fee
Governed by Tippecanoe County Ordinance 2007-19-CM; state food code 410 IAC 7-26
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Temporary / seasonal event
Temporary Food Establishment permit fee is not published online (permit term not to exceed 14 consecutive days per Ordinance 2007-19-CM)
Separate application/permit required for each stand, booth, or cart; apply/pay >=72 hours before the event
Commissary / central preparation kitchen
a Commissary/Shared Kitchen Agreement is required for mobile operators but no separate commissary fee is published; the operator's own establishment fee follows the employee-count schedule
Commissary/Shared Kitchen Agreement form exists in the applications library
Equipment your Tippecanoe 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.
Annual fee by employee count: 1-5 employees $225.00; 6-9 employees $275.00; 10-40 employees $400.00; 41+ employees $525.00; Bed and Breakfast $100.00; Non-profit exempt (Rev; 1/2025) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Tippecanoe County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: Plan review is required for new establishments (a plan review fee is referenced on the New Food Establishments page) but the dollar amount is not published online; contact the Tippecanoe County Health Department
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Tippecanoe County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Separate Mobile Food Service Establishment application
Who issues food permits in Tippecanoe County?
Food permits here are issued by Tippecanoe County Health Department (Foods & Environmental Division). 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