Local permits & fees

Westchester County, NY Food Facility Permits & Fees

Q: How much is a food permit in Westchester County?

Eating Place A: <20 seats $800, 20-100 $825, 101-200 $1,185, 201+ $1,560; Eating Place B: <20 $600, 20-100 $625, 101-200 $925, 201+ $1,175; Eating Place C: <20 $500, 20-100 $525, 101-200 $685, 201+ $910 (annual, eff; May 1, 2026) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.

Q: Is plan review required in Westchester County?

Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: Plan Review Food Service Establishment by seating capacity: 0-100 seats $310; 101-200 $410; 201+ $525. Each subsequent review of plans $105

Q: Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Westchester County?

In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Permit to Operate a Mobile Food Unit, $400/yr per the WCDOH fee schedule effective May 1, 2026. Plans/specs must be submitted for review before construction or major renovation of the unit; Temporary Food Service Permit (operated <15 days) is $105

Q: Who issues food permits in Westchester County?

Food permits here are issued by Westchester County Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Protection / Environmental Health. See the department site for current details.

Q: 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.

Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.

Westchester County Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Protection / Environmental Health · department site →

Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Westchester County food-facility health permits run about $500–$1,560 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $105–$525. Confirm the exact amount with Westchester County Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Protection / 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 Westchester County Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Protection / Environmental Health issues the health permit.

About 2,574 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 990,817. (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

Permit to Operate a Food Service Establishment (Eating Place, tiered by risk class A/B/C and seating capacity)

Eating Place A:

<
20 seats $800, 20-100 $825, 101-200 $1,185, 201+ $1,560
Eating Place B: <
20 $600, 20-100 $625, 101-200 $925, 201+ $1,175
Eating Place C: <
20 $500, 20-100 $525, 101-200 $685, 201+ $910 (annual, eff
May 1, 2026)

Annual Permit to Operate a Food Service Establishment (Eating Place), tiered by risk class A/B/C and seating band; Amounts from the WCDOH Environmental Health Fees schedule effective May 1, 2026. School Eating Place categories are separate (Eating Place School A $675-$950 by seats, etc.)

Plan review — required

Plan Review Food Service Establishment by seating capacity:

0-100 seats $310
101-200 $410
201+ $525. Each subsequent review of plans $105

Turnaround: At inspection all major construction must be complete, equipment installed/operational, hot water provided, and refrigeration holding temperature; Plans must be submitted and approved before construction/major renovation

Plan-review details & forms →

Reach the department

Phone(914) 813-5000

Office145 Huguenot Street, 7th Floor, New Rochelle, NY 10801

Websitehealth.westchestercountyny.gov →

Plan reviewhealth.westchestercountyny.gov →

Inspection grading

Routine inspection — no public letter grade

State/local health departments inspect to the NYS Sanitary Code; violations listed in the statewide online database, no letter grade (NYSDOH does not support grading).

Inspection scores & grading

Grading system: pass-fail. Westchester County Dept of Health (Sanitarians) inspects all food service establishments county-wide under the Westchester County Sanitary Code; unannounced routine inspections. Violations are recorded and reports posted online, but no letter grade or placard system (unlike NYC's A/B/C). County DOH covers all cities incl. Yonkers, White Plains, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon.

Look up Westchester County restaurant inspection scores →

Food truck / mobile permit

Permit to Operate a Mobile Food Unit

$400 (annual, eff
May 1, 2026)

Permit to Operate a Mobile Food Unit, $400/yr per the WCDOH fee schedule effective May 1, 2026. Plans/specs must be submitted for review before construction or major renovation of the unit; Temporary Food Service Permit (operated <15 days) is $105

How to apply

Westchester County fees & payment information →Forms & applications →

Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.

How Westchester County’s permit cost compares

At about $500/year, Westchester County’s restaurant health permit is above the New York median ($150) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 98% of U.S. counties.

Ranked 31st-lowest of 31 New York 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 2,574 food & drinking establishments serve ~990,817 residents in Westchester County — one per ~385 residents, denser than the New York average (one per ~445).

U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).

Budget the permit stack

Start with ~$500 annual health permit + $105 plan review.

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 Westchester County needs more than the health permit — these approvals are handled by separate offices. Confirm current requirements with each.

Building / plans	Local municipal building department (NY home rule - no county building permit; each city/town/village issues its own)
Fire marshal	Local municipal fire department / code enforcement (NYS Uniform Fire Prevention & Building Code, enforced locally)
Zoning / planning	Municipal planning/zoning board (home rule); Westchester County Dept of Planning provides regional referral review
Sewer / grease	Municipal sewer / Westchester County Dept of Environmental Facilities (county sanitary sewer districts); grease traps per local plumbing code
Business license	Westchester County DOH - Permit to Operate a Food Service Establishment (NY has no general business license) · 914-813-5000

Watch out for

1) The May 1, 2026 fee schedule introduced new seating sub-categories (Less Than 20 seats; Seats 20
100) for Eating Places A/B/C
2) Plan review is mandatory for new construction and major renovation for both fixed establishments and mobile units

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

Category	Annual fee	Notes
caterer	$650.00	Caterer permit (annual, eff; May 1, 2026)
commissary/central kitchen	$525.00	Commissary permit (annual, eff; May 1, 2026)
bakery	$525.00	Bakery permit (annual, eff; May 1, 2026)
market/grocery with deli	Delicatessen: A $675.00 / B $600.00 / C $525.00	'Delicatessen' program graded A/B/C by risk/complexity (annual, eff; May 1, 2026)
food processing/wholesale	Ice Manufacturer $200.00; Frozen Dessert Manufacturer $30.00; Frozen Dessert $25.00	Manufacturer permits (annual, eff; May 1, 2026); no general wholesale food-processor category
vending	$60.00	Vending Machine permit (annual, eff; May 1, 2026)
temporary/seasonal/special-event	$105.00	Temporary Food Service Permit, operated less than 15 days (eff; May 1, 2026)

Equipment your Westchester 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.

Compartment sinks

3-bay wash / rinse / sanitize — sized to your menu

Hand sinks

required in prep, cook & warewashing areas

Grease traps / interceptors

sized by drainage fixture units

Reach-in refrigeration

cold-holding at 41°F or below

Work tables & surfaces

NSF-listed, non-absorbent

Hoods & ventilation

over cooking equipment; make-up air

Dishwashers

high-temp or chemical sanitizing

Nearby counties

Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Westchester County with its neighbors.

Fairfield County, CT

Restaurant permit: $575

Bergen County, NJ

Restaurant permit: See page

Bronx County, NY

Restaurant permit: $280

Nassau County, NY

Restaurant permit: See page

Putnam County, NY

Restaurant permit: See page

Rockland County, NY

Restaurant permit: $250

How to open: typical permitting sequence

This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.

Confirm whether Westchester County or another local jurisdiction (city/district) handles your exact address.
Confirm zoning and permitted use.
Prepare your menu and scaled plans.
Include an equipment schedule with ANSI/NSF spec sheets.
Submit water-heater and hood documentation.
Pay plan-review fees.
Respond to plan-check corrections.
Obtain Environmental Health plan approval.
Obtain building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals.
Schedule rough-plumbing, pre-final and final health inspections.
Pay the operating-permit / application fees.
Receive approval before storing or preparing food.

Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →

Frequently asked questions

How much is a food permit in Westchester County?

Eating Place A: <20 seats $800, 20-100 $825, 101-200 $1,185, 201+ $1,560; Eating Place B: <20 $600, 20-100 $625, 101-200 $925, 201+ $1,175; Eating Place C: <20 $500, 20-100 $525, 101-200 $685, 201+ $910 (annual, eff; May 1, 2026) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.

Is plan review required in Westchester County?

Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: Plan Review Food Service Establishment by seating capacity: 0-100 seats $310; 101-200 $410; 201+ $525. Each subsequent review of plans $105

Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Westchester County?

In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Permit to Operate a Mobile Food Unit, $400/yr per the WCDOH fee schedule effective May 1, 2026. Plans/specs must be submitted for review before construction or major renovation of the unit; Temporary Food Service Permit (operated <15 days) is $105

Who issues food permits in Westchester County?

Food permits here are issued by Westchester County Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Protection / 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.

New York statewide rules

Who licenses you, reciprocity, and the state regime.

What equipment you need

Build a tailored equipment checklist for your concept.

Permits & plan review, explained

The stack of approvals before you open.

Sources: health.westchestercountyny.gov · health.westchestercountyny.gov · health.westchestercountyny.gov · observed 2026-08-10