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Santa Cruz County

County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental Health

In short

County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental Health issues 7 permits we publish for Santa Cruz County, last verified 2026-10-24. 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
Food Facility Plan Review / Food Facility Evaluationonly if it applies to youCounty of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental HealthFood Plan Review-New/Modified 1500 SQ FT or less (Hourly after 8 hours) $2,087; Food Plan Review-New/Modified over 1500 SQ FT (Hourly after 10 hours) $2,610; Food Facility Equipment Replacement (Hourly after 5 hours) $1,304; Food Minor Plan Review $261 per hour; Food Facility Evaluation $322 per project.per project (one-time)2026-10-24
Mobile Food Facility Health Permit and Plan ReviewCounty of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental HealthAnnual permit: MFF - Packaged, Produce, Mobile Support $359; MFF - Compact Mobile Food Operation RC 1 $433; MFF - Compact Mobile Food Operation RC 2 $939; MFF - Food Preparation $1,137; MFF - Packaged Push Cart $359. Plan review: Mobile Food Plan Review (Hourly after 3 hours) $783 per project; Compact Mobile Food Plan Review (Hourly after 2 hours) $522 per project.calendar year2026-10-24
Community Event Organizer and Temporary Food Facility Permitsonly if it applies to youCounty of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental HealthTemporary Food Facility (TFF) Event Organizer Single Event Permit $440 per event; TFF Event Organizer Annual Permit $571; TFF Preparation Booth $261 per booth per event, or $683 annual permit; TFF Packaged / Sampling Booth $111 per booth per event, or $342 annual.per event (single-event permits) or annual (year-round permits)2026-10-24
Public Swimming Pool / Spa Health Permit and Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youCounty of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental HealthAnnual permit: Year Round Pool $1,158; Year Round Spa $868; Seasonal Pool $442; Seasonal Spa $393. Plan review: Plan Review - New/modified Pool (Hourly after 8 hours) $2,087; Plan Review - New/modified Spa (Hourly after 8 hours) $2,087; Pool/Spa Facility Evaluation $322 per project.annual2026-10-24
Body Art Facility Permit and Practitioner Registrationonly if it applies to youCounty of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental HealthBody Art/Piercing Facility $588 annual; Body Art/Piercing Practitioner Registration $236 annual; Body Art Facility Plan Review (Hourly after 3 hours) $783 per project; Body Art Facility Evaluation $322 per project.annual2026-10-24
Medical Waste Generator Permitonly if it applies to youCounty of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental HealthSmall Quantity Generator - Onsite Treatment $489; LQG Treating Waste On-Site $939; LQG Specialty clinics (surgical, dialysis, rehab) $1,299. Environmental Health assigns the generator category from the application and the Medical Waste Management Plan.annual2026-10-24
Retail Food Facility Health PermitCounty of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental HealthFood Service — Restaurant by seats and risk level (Risk 1 / Risk 2 / Risk 3): 0-25 seats $961 / $1,248 / $1,669; 26-50 seats $983 / $1,317 / $1,710; 51-75 seats $1,019 / $1,357 / $1,779; 76-100 seats $1,052 / $1,466 / $1,873; 101 or more seats $1,078 / $1,489 / $1,959. Bakery Risk 1 $959; Risk 2 $1,325; Risk 3 $1,779. Food Vending — Market <2,000 sf Risk 1 $924; Market <2,000 sf + Ltd Food Prep Risk 1 $1,048; Market 2,000-6,000 sf Risk 1 $1,087; Market >6,000 sf Risk 1 $1,124; markets with food preparation are priced by size, number of food-prep areas and risk up to $2,596 (Market >6,000 sf +3 Food Prep Risk 3); Tavern/Cocktail Lounge/Bar $877; Concession/Snack Bar $877; Limited Food Sales / Seasonal Prepack Vending $286; Vending Machine $111.annual2026-10-24

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

Food Facility Plan Review / Food Facility Evaluation

Environmental Health's Fixed Food Facilities Plan Review page states that 'A food facility evaluation (if only changing ownership of an existing food business and continueing the same menu)or a plan review is required before you are eligible for an operational Food Facility Health Permit.' The page lists plan review as required when the facility has never had a health permit from Santa Cruz County Environmental Health, when its health permit has lapsed for over six months, or when a facility evaluation on a purchase finds plan review is needed, and it says 'Operating permits for fixed food facilities are not transferable.' It adds that 'In most cases, the Building Department will require verification of Consumer Protection Program plan approval before issuing a Building Permit.' Amounts are as published in the County's Unified Fee Schedule and are charged in addition to the annual retail food facility permit.

Mobile Food Facility Health Permit and Plan Review

A food truck, cart or mobile support unit needs a mobile food facility health permit from County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health. The division's Mobile Food Facility Plan Review page says 'Compact mobile food operations and mobile food preparation units require plan review prior to eligibility for permitting', while prepackaged food carts and mobile food units are reviewed and inspected when applying for the health permit. It states that 'Operating permits for mobile food facilities and mobile support units are issued for the calendar year' and that an inspection is conducted before issuing or renewing an operating permit. Permit and plan review amounts are as published in the County's Unified Fee Schedule; the plan review lines are charged in addition to the annual permit.

Community Event Organizer and Temporary Food Facility Permits

Environmental Health's Community Events page says that, in accordance with California Health and Safety Code §114381.1 and §114381.2, the individual or organization holding an event 'must apply for a one-time or year-round event organizer permit', and individual food or beverage vendors 'must apply for a one-time or year-round temporary food facility permit.' Forms and fees 'must be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the event'; the page says late applications are subject to a 25% late fee and applications submitted less than three days before an event will not be accepted. A vendor with a current Santa Cruz County mobile food facility permit serving from that vehicle needs no separate temporary food facility permit, per the same page. Amounts are as published in the County's Unified Fee Schedule.

Public Swimming Pool / Spa Health Permit and Plan Review

This record applies to a gym or fitness studio only as a scope consequence: a studio that operates a pool or spa for members or the public needs it, and a studio without a pool or spa has no pool permit. Environmental Health's Swimming Pools & Spas page states: 'An annual Environmental Health permit is required to operate a public or commercial bathing facility.' It also says that before constructing or altering a pool or spa 'plan approval must be obtained from the Environmental Health', and that a new owner needs a Pool Facility Evaluation because health permits are non-transferable. Amounts are as published in the County's Unified Fee Schedule.

Body Art Facility Permit and Practitioner Registration

This record applies to a salon only as a scope consequence: Environmental Health's Body Art page covers 'tattooing, piercing, branding, and permanent cosmetics', so a salon or studio offering any of those services needs a body art facility health permit, and a salon offering only hair, nail or skin services without body art has no body art permit. The page says the facility becomes eligible for an operational health permit after its structural and equipment review, and that 'Individual artists practicing body art in the facility must be registered in Santa Cruz County to serve in this County.' A body art facility must also keep a written Infection Prevention and Control Plan. Amounts are as published in the County's Unified Fee Schedule.

Medical Waste Generator Permit

The County's Medical Waste Registration/Permit Application (form EHS-490, MWS-21-1, updated 11.22.2021) lists among its generator categories 'Specialty Clinic (skilled nursing, surgery ctr., veterinary hospital, chemotherapy, etc.)', which is how this record applies to a veterinary practice. Environmental Health's Medical Waste page states: 'All medical small quantity generators with onsite treatment and medical large quantity generators, are required to be permitted by Environmental Health. Permitting is not required for small quantity generators who do not treat their medical waste onsite.' Applicants submit the application with a Medical Waste Management Plan; the page says 'you will be contacted with information on applicable fees and payment instructions.' The amounts shown are as published in the County's Unified Fee Schedule.

Retail Food Facility Health Permit

A restaurant, coffee shop, market or other retail food facility needs an annual health permit from County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health. The division's Food page says 'Retail food facilities include restaurants, markets, schools, food trucks and carts, food booths at special events, vending machines, catering operations, and more.' The fee depends on the facility type: restaurants are priced by seat count and risk level, bakeries by risk level, and markets by floor area, number of food-preparation areas and risk level. All amounts are as published in the County's Unified Fee Schedule (Food Service, Bakery and Food Vending sections), which the Environmental Health Food and General Information pages link as 'Unified Fee Schedule'. Contact Environmental Health, (831) 454-2022, for the risk category that applies to a given menu.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Santa Cruz County
Phone
(831) 454-2022

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 ArtCounty of Santa Cruz Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  2. Community EventsCounty of Santa Cruz Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  3. Environmental Health — General InformationCounty of Santa Cruz Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  4. Fixed Food Facilities Plan Review & Change of OwnershipCounty of Santa Cruz Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  5. FoodCounty of Santa Cruz Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  6. Medical WasteCounty of Santa Cruz Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  7. Medical Waste Registration/Permit Application (EHS-490, MWS-21-1, Updated 11.22.2021)County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  8. Mobile Food Facility Plan ReviewCounty of Santa Cruz Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  9. Swimming Pools & SpasCounty of Santa Cruz Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  10. Unified Fee ScheduleCounty of Santa Cruz · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24

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