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Imperial County

Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division

In short

Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division issues 7 permits we publish for Imperial County, last verified 2026-10-27. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Specialty Food Health Permits (MEHKO, micro-market, caterer, commissary, cottage food, host kitchen, vending)only if it applies to youImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionMicro-enterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) annual health permit $370.00; Micro-Market annual health permit $478.00; Caterer annual health permit $347.00; Commissary annual health permit $233.00; Cottage Food Operation Class A annual registration $233.00; Cottage Food Operation Class B annual health permit $320.00; Host Kitchen annual health permit $390.00; Vending Machines (potentially hazardous foods only) annual health permit $94.00 each.annual; renewal fees are due on or before December 1 of each year (County Code §8.02.080)2026-10-27
Retail Food Facility Annual Health Permit (markets, retail food, restaurants)Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionAnnual health permit by risk category and floor area (≤1,500 sf / 1,501-5,000 sf / 5,001-10,000 sf / ≥10,000 sf): Low risk $558.00 / $584.00 / $720.00 / $913.00; Moderate risk $666.00 / $739.00 / $939.00 / $1,242.00; High risk $777.00 / $898.00 / $1,159.00 / $1,572.00. Re-score inspection $157.00; re-inspection $163.00; enforcement activity $163.00/hr.annual; renewal fees are due on or before December 1 of each year (County Code §8.02.080)2026-10-27
Mobile Food Facility Annual Health PermitImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionMobile Food Facility annual health permit: Processing $459.00; Limited Food Preparation $375.00; Non-Processing $330.00; Support Unit $345.00 — each '(not prorated)'. Commissary annual health permit $233.00 is a separate permit.annual; renewal fees are due on or before December 1 of each year (County Code §8.02.080)2026-10-27
Temporary Food Facility (TFF) Health Permit and Community Event Organizer Permitonly if it applies to youImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionTFF health permit, for-profit / non-profit: 1-3 days $50.00 / $50.00; 4-15 days $283.00 / $141.00; 16-25 days $320.00 / $160.00; 6-month commercially prepackaged foods and/or whole produce $164.00 / $82.00; 6-month unpackaged foods and/or food processing $235.00 / $117.00; 12-month commercially prepackaged foods and/or whole produce $204.00 / $102.00; 12-month unpackaged foods and/or food processing $297.00 / $148.00. Community Event Organizer Permit $25.00 per food vendor. Late Submittal Expedited Processing Fee $75.00 plus the permit fee.per event or permit period (1-3 days, 4-15 days, 16-25 days, 6 months or 12 months)2026-10-27
Public Pool / Spa Annual Health Permitonly if it applies to youImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionPrimary pool/spa/wading pool/spray ground annual health permit $399.00; Secondary pool/spa/wading pool/spray ground $168.00; Dormant pool/spa/wading pool/spray ground $128.00. Re-inspection $163.00; enforcement activity $163.00/hr.annual; renewal fees are due on or before December 1 of each year (County Code §8.02.080)2026-10-27
Body Art Facility Permit and Practitioner Registrationonly if it applies to youImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionTattoo and Body Art Facility annual health permit $267.00; Tattoo and Body Art Practitioner Registration $150.00 (each permitted location); Mobile Operation annual health permit $243.00; Event Organizer health permit $407.00; Temporary booth health permit $237.00; Event Late Submittal Expedited Processing Fee $75.00 plus the permit fee. Re-inspection $163.00; enforcement activity $163.00/hr.annual (facility permit, practitioner registration, mobile operation); per event (organizer and temporary booth)2026-10-27
Environmental Health Plan Review (facility plans and building plan review)only if it applies to youImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionFacility plan review and construction inspections, billed at time and materials (T/M) against a deposit: projects costing less than $5,000 — $500 deposit; $5,001-$30,000 — $1,000.00 deposit; more than $30,000 — $1,500.00 deposit. EH Building Plan Review: base fee $153.00 at submittal; then minor impact review $213.00, moderate impact review $328.00 or major impact review $525.00. EH Water Potability Review $234.00.one-time per project2026-10-27

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

Specialty Food Health Permits (MEHKO, micro-market, caterer, commissary, cottage food, host kitchen, vending)

Environmental Health's fee table lists separate annual permits for food operations that are not conventional markets or restaurants. A caterer, a commissary, a micro-market, a home cook running a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO), a cottage food producer (Class A registration or Class B permit), a host kitchen, or a vending machine holding potentially hazardous food each needs its own permit at the amounts listed. Fees are as published on the Environmental Health Fees page, effective January 1, 2024; the page's ordinance text says 'Fees can be adjusted annually utilizing Consumer Price Index (CPI)'. County Code §8.02.040, printed on the same page, requires a health permit and payment of the listed fee before any listed activity begins, and §8.02.080 makes annual renewal fees due on or before December 1, with a 25% penalty (maximum $7,500.00) if unpaid 30 days after the due date.

Retail Food Facility Annual Health Permit (markets, retail food, restaurants)

The Environmental Health Fees page prints County Code §8.02.040: no person or business 'shall operate, perform, carry on, conduct or engage in any of the activities delineated in this Section without obtaining a health permit and paying the fee listed in this section', and permits are not transferable. The county's Food Establishments page says food establishments 'are routinely inspected by the Imperial County Environmental Health Division (EHD) to monitor compliance with state and local laws.' The fee page defines Low risk as establishments selling or serving only pre-packaged foods (1 inspection per year), Moderate risk as same-day preparation of potentially hazardous foods, with examples including convenience stores, delis and ice cream stores (2 per year), and High risk as full-service restaurants and meat markets with complex or multi-day preparation (3 per year). Fees are as published on the Environmental Health Fees page, effective January 1, 2024; the page's ordinance text says 'Fees can be adjusted annually utilizing Consumer Price Index (CPI)'. Under §8.02.080, renewal fees are due on or before December 1, and failure to pay within 30 days brings a 25% penalty (maximum $7,500.00) and revocation. Under §8.02.050 a new owner must obtain a new permit, with a 25% penalty for operating before doing so, and annual food facility fees are prorated by inspection frequency for a mid-year application.

Mobile Food Facility Annual Health Permit

Environmental Health's Mobile Food Units page states that 'Mobile food permits are required for all mobile food units operating in Imperial County, before operations are begin to sell or provide foods or beverages to the consumers', and that 'no permit may be issued until the facility demonstrates compliance with the required standards.' The annual fee depends on the type of unit: $459.00 for a processing unit, $375.00 for limited food preparation, $330.00 for a non-processing unit and $345.00 for a support unit, each marked '(not prorated)'. Fees are as published on the Environmental Health Fees page, effective January 1, 2024; the page's ordinance text says 'Fees can be adjusted annually utilizing Consumer Price Index (CPI)'. Plan review applies to mobile food facilities and support units (see the Environmental Health plan review record). Under County Code §8.02.100, a mobile food facility posts its letter grade or inspection score card next to the pass-out window.

Temporary Food Facility (TFF) Health Permit and Community Event Organizer Permit

Environmental Health's Temporary Food Facilities page states that 'All food vendors, including existing restaurants, are required to apply for a Temporary Food Facility Permit when participating in a temporary event.' The vendor's fee depends on the length of the permit, whether the vendor is for-profit or non-profit, and, for 6-month and 12-month permits, whether the food is commercially prepackaged or unpackaged. The event organizer pays a separate Community Event Organizer Permit of $25.00 per food vendor, and a late submittal adds a $75.00 expedited processing fee on top of the permit fee. Fees are as published on the Environmental Health Fees page, effective January 1, 2024; the page's ordinance text says 'Fees can be adjusted annually utilizing Consumer Price Index (CPI)'. A restaurant or food truck that already holds an annual permit still needs this permit to sell at a temporary event.

Public Pool / Spa Annual Health Permit

Environmental Health's Pools page says the Recreational Health Program 'is responsible for the inspection of public swimming pools, spa pools and special purpose pools in Imperial County', and that plans must be submitted to Environmental Health for review and approval before constructing or remodeling a public pool or spa; 'If the pool or spa is located in an incorporated city, plans must be submitted to the incorporated city and Environmental Health & Consumer Protection for plan checking.' A fitness studio with a pool or spa open to members holds this permit for each pool: $399.00 for the primary pool, $168.00 for each secondary pool and $128.00 for a dormant pool. Fees are as published on the Environmental Health Fees page, effective January 1, 2024; the page's ordinance text says 'Fees can be adjusted annually utilizing Consumer Price Index (CPI)'. Annual pool fees are prorated by inspection frequency for a mid-year application (County Code §8.02.050(D)). A studio without a pool or spa has no pool permit.

Body Art Facility Permit and Practitioner Registration

Environmental Health's Body Art page says the Body Art Program 'is responsible for regulating the operation of tattoo, permanent cosmetics, body piercing and branding facilities and practitioners in Imperial County.' A salon offering tattooing, piercing or permanent cosmetics needs the $267.00 annual facility permit, and each practitioner registers at $150.00 for each permitted location where they work. Mobile body art operations, event organizers and temporary booths have their own permits. Fees are as published on the Environmental Health Fees page, effective January 1, 2024; the page's ordinance text says 'Fees can be adjusted annually utilizing Consumer Price Index (CPI)', and its implementation note says annual Body Art Operations fees take effect on the first day of July following enactment. A salon that offers only hair, nail or skin services, without body art, has no body art permit.

Environmental Health Plan Review (facility plans and building plan review)

The Environmental Health Fees page says plan review fees apply to permanent food facilities, mobile food facilities, mobile food support units, public pools, spas and spray grounds, body art facilities and mobile body art operations, among others. Facility plan review is billed at time and materials against a deposit set by project cost; when review is complete, any amount deposited above the T/M cost is refunded, and any amount above the deposit must be paid before plan approval. Separately, every applicant for an Environmental Health building plan review pays the $153.00 base fee when the application is submitted, and a review classed as minor, moderate or major impact then carries the $213.00, $328.00 or $525.00 fee; the page gives simple commercial remodels as moderate impact and new construction, additions over 500 square feet and changes of occupancy or use as major impact. Fees are as published on the Environmental Health Fees page, effective January 1, 2024; the page's ordinance text says 'Fees can be adjusted annually utilizing Consumer Price Index (CPI)'.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Imperial County
Phone
(442) 265-1888

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Body ArtImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  2. Environmental Health FeesImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  3. Food EstablishmentsImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  4. Mobile Food UnitsImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  5. PoolsImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  6. Temporary Food FacilitiesImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27

Other offices serving Imperial County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

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