Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
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 Detroit Health Department — Food Safety Unit (100 Mack Ave., Ste. 311) issues the health permit.
Cities with their own health department: Detroit. Food businesses inside these cities apply to the city health department (with its own fees and rules), not Wayne County. Confirm which authority covers your exact address.
About 3,410 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 1,751,169. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Detroit publishes a 2026-2027 Food Service License Fee Schedule (PDF) but detroitmi.gov blocks automated retrieval (HTTP 403 / bot wall); Fee schedule PDF: https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2026-02/2026-2027-Fee-Schedule_0.pdf
Detroit/Wayne County health depts inspect under the Michigan Food Law/FDA Food Code; no letter grade, reports posted online (MiSafe).
Mobile/temporary/fixed food facilities all must be licensed before operating; food trucks also need a Detroit business license plate from the Business License Center; Exact mobile license fee is in the blocked 2026-2027 fee schedule PDF
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
A code-compliant kitchen in Wayne County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.
| Building / plans | City of Detroit BSEED - Permits & Plan Review (principal city) · 313-224-2372 |
| Fire marshal | Detroit Fire Department - Fire Marshal Division / Fire Prevention · 313-596-2961 |
| Zoning / planning | City of Detroit BSEED - Zoning Division / Board of Zoning Appeals · 313-224-2372 |
| Sewer / grease | Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept. (DWSD) - Industrial Waste Control / Fats, Oil & Grease (FOG) |
| Business license | City of Detroit BSEED - Business License Center · 313-224-3178 |
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| temporary/seasonal/special-event | $250 | Temporary Food Establishment (fixed location, not to exceed 14 consecutive days); fee doubles if application received 4 or fewer days before event |
| commissary/central kitchen | — | Required for mobile food establishments (must return for servicing at least every 24 hours); Fee not separately published |
| caterer | — | No separate catering license; a caterer is licensed as a Food Service (restaurant) and must meet restaurant requirements |
| market/grocery with deli | — | Grocery/retail food stores are licensed by the state (MDARD), not the Detroit Health Department |
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 Wayne 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 →