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El Paso County

El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division

In short

El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division issues 7 permits we publish for El Paso 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
Special Event Retail Food PermitEl Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division$248–$425 Limited menu $248 for one event or $340 for multiple events; full menu $298 for one event or $425 for multiple events (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2024)per event, or for multiple events under the multiple-event permit2026-10-10
Child Care Facility Health InspectionsEl Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health DivisionPer visit: child care center routine inspection $366; school-age routine $256; pre-school routine $291; group home routine $269; pre-operational inspection $185; plan review and pre-op $135 plus $53 an hour; follow-up inspection $203 (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2024).routine inspections every two years for existing facilities, each billed per visit2026-10-10
Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile)El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health DivisionThe county Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule prices the license 'Per Section 25-4-1607 C.R.S.'; the C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) amounts as enacted by SB25-285, 2026 amount (amount from January 1, 2027 in brackets): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481 ($567); 101-200 seats $538 ($634); over 200 seats $581 ($687); limited food service $338 ($394); mobile food establishment full service $481 ($567); mobile prepackaged food $338 ($394); grocery under 15,001 sq ft $244 ($282); grocery over 15,000 sq ft $441 ($519); grocery with deli under 15,001 sq ft $469 ($552); grocery with deli over 15,000 sq ft $894 ($1,062). Plan review is charged separately.annual2026-10-10
Commercial Pool and Spa Plan Review and Inspectiononly if it applies to youEl Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health DivisionPlan review $205 (plus $70 for each additional body of water); inspection, year-round or seasonal, $131 (plus $63 for each additional body of water); follow-up inspection $115 (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2024).per review or inspection visit2026-10-10
Body Art Establishment Licenseonly if it applies to youEl Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division$475 a year, January 1 to December 31, not prorated; plan review $170 plus $53 an hour; competency exam $90 per body artist (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule)calendar year, January 1 through December 312026-10-10
Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youEl Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division$961 per new OWTS permit, including one reinspection; modification or major repair permit $891; minor repair permit $554 (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule)per permit2026-10-10
Construction Activity Permit (fugitive dust)only if it applies to youEl Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division$165 per project, for a permit valid up to six monthsup to six months; a new application and fee may be submitted for an additional six months2026-10-10

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

Special Event Retail Food Permit

EPCPH's Retail Food Establishments page states that all special event food vendors who wish to operate in El Paso County must have a valid El Paso County Public Health Special Event License, that a Special Event Permit is needed for food retailers operating in a temporary setup such as a tent, kiosk or temporary structure, and that applications are due at least 10 days before the event. Its FAQ adds that the county does not honor special event permits from other Colorado counties and that a brick-and-mortar licensee also needs a Special Event Permit to operate at an event. C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(b)(II), as enacted by SB25-285, directs the county or district public health agency to set special-event license fees. The fees are $248 for one event or $340 for multiple events with a limited menu, and $298 for one event or $425 for multiple events with a full menu. The figure is from the El Paso County Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule (Regulations Chapter 3, approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024), which is the schedule currently posted on the EPCPH Regulations page; no successor schedule is posted.

Child Care Facility Health Inspections

El Paso County Public Health inspects child care facilities for compliance with the Colorado Regulations Governing Health and Sanitation of Child Care Facilities; its Child Care page links the state child care license to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. The county's fees are charged per visit: $366 for a child care center routine inspection, $256 for a school-age program, $291 for a pre-school, $269 for a group home, $185 for a pre-operational inspection, $135 plus $53 an hour for plan review and pre-op, and $203 for a follow-up inspection. The schedule states that existing facilities receive routine inspections every two years and that all fees are on a per-visit basis. The figure is from the El Paso County Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule (Regulations Chapter 3, approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024), which is the schedule currently posted on the EPCPH Regulations page; no successor schedule is posted.

Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile)

El Paso County Public Health's Retail Food Establishments page states that retail food establishments must be licensed in accordance with C.R.S. 25-4-1610(1)(b), that licenses are tied to the current ownership, location and Colorado Sales Tax License, and that EPCPH licenses facilities including restaurants, mobile food trucks, coffee kiosks, cafeterias, convenience stores, grocery stores and bars. The Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule (Regulations Chapter 3, approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024, still the schedule posted on the EPCPH Regulations page with no successor posted) prices the Retail Food Establishment License 'Per Section 25-4-1607 C.R.S.', so the county charges the amounts in that statute. Under C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) as enacted by Senate Bill 25-285 (signed May 30, 2025), the 2026 annual fee is $481 for a restaurant or caterer with 0-100 seats, $538 for 101-200 seats, $581 for over 200 seats, $338 for limited food service, $481 for a full-service mobile food establishment, $338 for a prepackaged-food mobile unit, $244 or $441 for a grocery store under 15,001 or over 15,000 square feet, and $469 or $894 for a grocery with a deli. These amounts rise on January 1, 2027 to $567, $634, $687, $394, $567, $394, $282, $519, $552 and $1,062 respectively. The statute makes these the only annual license fees charged by the state or a local inspection authority, covering all inspections, and allows a county board of health to set lower fees; the county schedule publishes no lower amount. EPCPH requires plan review before new construction or an extensive remodel of a fixed location, and for every new mobile unit not previously licensed in El Paso County; the plan review fee is charged separately, and the current amount is available from EPCPH Environmental Health at (719) 578-3199 option 3.

Commercial Pool and Spa Plan Review and Inspection

El Paso County Public Health reviews plans for and inspects commercial pools and spas; a fitness studio without a pool or spa has no pool permit. Under the Recreational Water (Commercial Pools/Spas) section of the fee schedule, plan review is $205 plus $70 for each additional body of water, a year-round or seasonal inspection is $131 plus $63 for each additional body of water, and a follow-up inspection is $115. The figure is from the El Paso County Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule (Regulations Chapter 3, approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024), which is the schedule currently posted on the EPCPH Regulations page; no successor schedule is posted.

Body Art Establishment License

EPCPH's Body Art page states that body art establishments are required to be licensed in El Paso County in accordance with the El Paso County Board of Health Body Art Regulations, and that 'Body art licenses are valid from January 1st thru December 31st of each year. We cannot prorate fees.' A salon that offers tattooing, piercing or permanent cosmetics needs this license; a salon without body art services has no body art license. The Body Art Establishment License is $475.00 a year, plan review is $170.00 plus $53.00 an hour, and each body artist takes a $90.00 competency exam. The figure is from the El Paso County Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule (Regulations Chapter 3, approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024), which is the schedule currently posted on the EPCPH Regulations page; no successor schedule is posted.

Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permit

El Paso County Public Health issues permits for onsite wastewater treatment systems (septic systems). A business premises served by a septic system needs an OWTS permit to install, modify or repair it. The new OWTS permit is $961.00 and includes one reinspection; a modification or major repair permit is $891.00 and a minor repair permit is $554.00. The figure is from the El Paso County Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule (Regulations Chapter 3, approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024), which is the schedule currently posted on the EPCPH Regulations page; no successor schedule is posted.

Construction Activity Permit (fugitive dust)

EPCPH's Construction Activity Permit page states that section 5.6 of the El Paso County Board of Health Regulations requires a Construction Activity Permit whenever construction may result in a disturbed area of one or more acres, that a fee of $165.00 per project must be included with the application, and that each permit is valid for a maximum of six months, with a new application and fee for an additional six-month period. The Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2024, still the posted schedule with no successor posted) lists the same amount as $165.00 per six months.

Contact

Jurisdiction
El Paso County
Phone
(719) 578-3199 option 3

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. Board of Health RegulationsEl Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  2. Body ArtEl Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  3. Child CareEl Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  4. Construction Activity PermitEl Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  5. El Paso County Board of Health, Chapter 3 — Fee Schedule and Civil Penalties (approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024)El Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
  6. OWTS PermitsEl Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  7. Public Pools and SpasEl Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  8. Retail Food EstablishmentsEl Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  9. SB25-285 bill pageColorado General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  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 El Paso County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Colorado jurisdictions

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