Arapahoe County

Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health

In short

Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health issues 5 permits we publish for Arapahoe County, last verified 2026-10-10. 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
Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Body Art Establishment License (conditional: tattooing, piercing and other body art)only if it applies to you	Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health	Annual license fee and pre-opening inspection fee set by ACPH under Body Art Establishment Regulations section 10-1002, no greater than ACPH's actual costs; annual inspections are included in the license fee. The amount is not published in the Regulations; contact ACPH Environmental Health.	calendar year (January 1 through December 31), renewable annually; not transferable	2026-10-10
Mobile Food Unit Retail Food License (annual; food trucks, trailers and push carts)	Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health	Per ACPH's Retail Establishment License Fee Schedule: mobile unit, full service $481 and mobile unit, prepackaged food $338 effective 9/1/2025; $567 and $394 effective 1/1/2027; $682 and $475 effective 1/1/2028. Amounts match C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) as enacted by SB25-285.	annual; the statute sets the fee for each calendar year	2026-10-10
Child Care Facility Plan Review and ACPH Approval (before state licensing)only if it applies to you	Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health	ACPH invoices a plan review application fee once plans are received, and the invoice must be paid before the review is conducted (Child Care Plan Review Packet). Contact ACPH (PHchildcare@arapahoegov.com) for the current amount.	one-time, before construction or remodelling and before the facility opens	2026-10-10
Retail Food Establishment License (annual; restaurants, limited food service, grocery)	Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health	Per ACPH's Retail Establishment License Fee Schedule, effective 9/1/2025: restaurant 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, over 200 seats $581; limited retail food service $338; grocery store without deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $244, over 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $469, over 15,000 sq. ft. $894. Effective 1/1/2027: $567, $634, $687; $394; $282, $519; $552, $1,062. Effective 1/1/2028: $682, $763, $826; $475; $340, $624; $664, $1,276. Amounts match C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) as enacted by SB25-285.	annual; the statute sets the fee for each calendar year	2026-10-10
Special Event (Temporary) Retail Food Licenseonly if it applies to you	Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health	Set by Arapahoe County Public Health as the county public health agency under C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(b)(II). The amount is not published in SB25-285 or in ACPH's June 17, 2026 retail food overview; contact ACPH Environmental Health for the current special event license fee.	per special event license	2026-10-10

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

Body Art Establishment License (conditional: tattooing, piercing and other body art)

A salon that offers tattooing, piercing or other body art needs a Body Art Establishment License from Arapahoe County Public Health; a salon without body art services has no body art license. The Body Art Establishment Regulations, promulgated by the Board of Health of Arapahoe County under C.R.S. 25-4-2101 et seq. and effective January 1, 2023, state in section 3-301 that all body art establishments within ACPH's jurisdiction shall hold a valid license before performing body art procedures, and define that jurisdiction as "the county of Arapahoe, Colorado, including all municipalities contained therein." Section 10-1001 requires a separate license for each establishment, makes the license valid for the calendar year in which it is issued (January 1 through December 31) and renewable annually, makes it non-transferable (a change of majority ownership counts as a transfer), and requires it to be posted where clients can see it. Under section 10-1003 the applicant pays the license fee and the pre-opening inspection fee with the application, the license fee is not prorated, and the license is issued after a passing pre-opening inspection. Section 10-1002 has ACPH set the annual license fee and inspection fees at no more than its actual costs, with annual inspections included in the license fee.

Mobile Food Unit Retail Food License (annual; food trucks, trailers and push carts)

A food truck, trailer or push cart licensed in Arapahoe County holds an annual mobile food unit retail food license from Arapahoe County Public Health; ACPH's June 17, 2026 Retail Food Inspection and Enforcement Overview to the Board of Health reports about 300 mobile food units licensed by ACPH in 2025. ACPH's fee schedule lists two mobile categories: Mobile Unit, Full Service at $481 and Mobile Unit, Prepackaged Food at $338 effective 9/1/2025, rising to $567 and $394 on 1/1/2027 and to $682 and $475 on 1/1/2028. The figures are from Arapahoe County Public Health's "Retail Establishment License Fee Schedule" (PDF on the county's file host, files.arapahoeco.gov, file dated 2025-08-28), which states that Senate Bill 25-285 "included graduated increases in retail food establishment license fees over the next three years" and lists revised fees effective 9/1/2025, 1/1/2027 and 1/1/2028. The same amounts are set by C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) as enacted by SB25-285. Under 25-4-1607(1.1)(d)(II) the statutory fee is the only annual license fee a local inspection authority may charge and covers all inspections required during the annual license period.

Child Care Facility Plan Review and ACPH Approval (before state licensing)

ACPH's Child Care Plan Review Packet states that any new or remodelled child care facility or early childhood education program "will need to submit plans to Arapahoe County Public Health (ACPH) for review and approval prior to construction and/or opening," and that "ACPH's approval is required for the facility to be licensed" by the state (the packet names the Colorado Department of Human Services). Plans are submitted electronically to PHchildcare@arapahoegov.com; ACPH invoices a plan review application fee once plans are received, the invoice must be paid before the review, and ACPH notifies the applicant within 14-30 business days. The packet states that a lack of plan review may lead ACPH to withhold approval to open, that separate ACPH plan reviews are required for any retail food service area or public or semi-public pool, spa or spray pad in the facility, and that all facilities are required to test for radon, with new facilities testing within 6 months of occupancy. The packet is undated; contact ACPH for the current fee.

Retail Food Establishment License (annual; restaurants, limited food service, grocery)

A restaurant, coffee shop, grocery or other retail food establishment in Arapahoe County needs an annual retail food establishment license from Arapahoe County Public Health (ACPH). ACPH's June 17, 2026 Retail Food Inspection and Enforcement Overview to the Board of Health counts about 2,300 retail food establishments in the county. ACPH's fee schedule lists, effective 9/1/2025, $481 for a restaurant with 0-100 seats, $538 for 101-200 seats and $581 for over 200; $338 for limited retail food service; $244 or $441 for a grocery store without a deli (up to or over 15,000 sq. ft.); and $469 or $894 for a grocery store with a deli. The same schedule lists the next steps: effective 1/1/2027 $567, $634, $687, $394, $282, $519, $552 and $1,062, and effective 1/1/2028 $682, $763, $826, $475, $340, $624, $664 and $1,276, in the same order. The figures are from Arapahoe County Public Health's "Retail Establishment License Fee Schedule" (PDF on the county's file host, files.arapahoeco.gov, file dated 2025-08-28), which states that Senate Bill 25-285 "included graduated increases in retail food establishment license fees over the next three years" and lists revised fees effective 9/1/2025, 1/1/2027 and 1/1/2028. The same amounts are set by C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) as enacted by SB25-285. Under 25-4-1607(1.1)(b)(I) an establishment is subject to only one of the listed fees, and under (1.1)(d)(II) these fees are the only annual license fees a state, county, district, local or regional inspection authority may charge and cover all inspections required during the annual license period; a county board of health may set lower fees under (1.1)(d)(I)(B). SB25-285 also amended C.R.S. 25-4-1608(2) so that $55 of each fee goes to the state food protection cash fund.

Special Event (Temporary) Retail Food License

A restaurant, coffee shop, caterer or other vendor selling food at a special event in Arapahoe County licenses with Arapahoe County Public Health. ACPH's Retail Food Inspection and Enforcement Overview, presented to the Board of Health on June 17, 2026, reports that in 2025 ACPH issued 169 Temporary Food Vendor Licenses spanning 68 special events. Under C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(b)(II), as enacted by SB25-285, a county or district public health agency establishes the license fees for a retail food establishment at a special event, so this is a county fee rather than one of the state-set annual license fees. The current ACPH amount is not published in either document; contact ACPH Environmental Health for the fee and the application before the event.

Contact

Jurisdiction: Arapahoe County
Phone: Not verified — use the website
Website: files.arapahoeco.gov/Public%20Health/Health%20Protection_Response/Environmental%20Health/RFE%20Fee%20Change%20Schedule_With%20Effective%20Dates_FNL_ENG%2020250828_v2.pdf

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.

ACPH Retail Food Inspection and Enforcement Overview, Board of Health meeting, June 17, 2026Arapahoe County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
Body Art Establishment Regulations, promulgated by the Board of Health of Arapahoe County (effective January 1, 2023)Arapahoe County Board of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
Child Care Plan Review PacketArapahoe County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
Retail Establishment License Fee Schedule (revised fees effective 9/1/2025, 1/1/2027 and 1/1/2028)Arapahoe County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
Senate Bill 25-285, signed act (amending C.R.S. 25-4-1607 and 25-4-1608: retail food establishment fees)Colorado General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10

Other offices serving Arapahoe County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Business licenses in Arapahoe County

Industry permit lists that include this agency

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