Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Virginia Beach city food-facility health permits run about $40 annually. Plan review runs about $40. Confirm the exact amount with Virginia Department of Health (VDH) - Virginia Beach Health District, Office of Environmental Health Services (state-administered food program) 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 Virginia Department of Health (VDH) - Virginia Beach Health District, Office of Environmental Health Services (state-administered food program) issues the health permit.
About 1,201 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 453,649. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Virginia food establishment permitting is STATE-administered by VDH through local health districts (Virginia Beach is an independent city served by the VDH Virginia Beach Health District); The $40 permit fee is the statewide VDH schedule and applies in Virginia Beach; it is not set by the city; Note: VDH regulates restaurants/food service, while retail food stores (grocery) and food manufacturing/wholesale bakeries are regulated separately by the Virginia Dept of Agriculture & Consumer Services (VDACS)
Turnaround: Submit Foodservice Permit Application at least 30 days prior to opening; plan review precedes permit
VDH inspects to the Virginia Food Regulations; critical/non-critical violations listed in the statewide online portal, no letter grade.
Same statewide VDH fee as fixed establishments; A mobile unit that already holds a VDH health-department permit from ANY Virginia jurisdiction is recognized statewide and does not need an additional VDH permit; Commissary generally required
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 | $40/yr (+ $40 plan review) | A caterer operates as a VDH food establishment; no separate caterer fee category; the flat statewide $40 permit + $40 plan review applies |
| commissary / central preparation kitchen | $40/yr (+ $40 plan review) | Permitted as a VDH food establishment at the flat statewide $40 fee; not a separately priced category |
| bakery / food processing | jurisdiction split: a retail bakery/food service falls under VDH ($40 permit), but wholesale/manufacturing bakeries and food processors are regulated by the Virginia Dept of Agriculture & Consumer Services (VDACS), not VDH; Confirm applicable VDACS fee | Virginia divides oversight: VDH = restaurants/food service; VDACS = food manufacturing and retail food stores |
| bar / limited food service | $40/yr (+ $40 plan review) | A bar serving food is a VDH food establishment at the flat $40 permit; not separately priced |
| grocery / market with deli | retail food stores (grocery/market) in Virginia are licensed by VDACS, not VDH; a deli/food-prep area inside may trigger a VDH foodservice permit ($40); Confirm store fee with VDACS | Grocery/retail food = VDACS jurisdiction in Virginia |
| temporary / seasonal event | VDH issues a Temporary Food Establishment (TFE) permit; Confirm with Virginia Beach Health District | TFE permits are separate from annual foodservice permits |
| pushcart / mobile vending | $40/yr (+ $40 plan review) | Mobile food unit permitted by VDH at the flat statewide fee; a VDH permit from any VA jurisdiction is recognized statewide |
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 Virginia Beach city with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →