Connecticut — statewide
Connecticut Department of Public Health, Food Protection Program
In short
Connecticut Department of Public Health, Food Protection Program issues 2 permits we publish for Connecticut — statewide, last verified 2026-09-04. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Food Operatoronly if it applies to you | Connecticut Department of Public Health, Food Protection Program | No fee | no fixed state renewal cycle — a replacement must be in place within 60 days of a vacancy | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Service Establishment License | Connecticut Department of Public Health, Food Protection Program | $200–$500 a year, set entirely by the local health department or district rather than the state | set locally | 2026-09-04 |
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
Qualified Food Operator
No state fee, because Connecticut certifies nobody itself — the exam is bought from a third-party provider such as Prometric, the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals or ServSafe, at that provider's own price. The requirement bites only at the two higher-risk tiers: every class III or class IV food service, itinerant vending or catering establishment must be owned, operated, or have on staff in a supervisory role, a qualified food operator who passed an accredited test. There is no fixed state renewal period, but the regulation is strict about continuity — if the qualified operator's position becomes vacant, a replacement must be in place within sixty days.
Food Service Establishment License
There is no state fee, because the health department delegates food service licensing entirely to local government and simply directs an applicant to contact the health department serving their own town, warning that requirements and procedures vary from town to town. Two verified local schedules show how differently: New Haven charges $200 to $500 a year by floor area plus a $100 first-year application fee and $150 for plan review, with a $550 catering license, current from 1 July 2025; the Central Connecticut Health District instead bands by risk class and by whether the operator is a nonprofit, from $110 up to $490. Check the specific local health department or district rather than assuming a statewide number, because none exists.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Connecticut — statewide
- Phone
- (860) 509-7297
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.
- Central Connecticut Health District — fee schedule effective 1 July 2025, adopted 19 June 2025, with food and salon license feesCentral Connecticut Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- City of New Haven Health Department — environmental health fees as of 1 July 2025, an example local food license scheduleCity of New Haven Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Department of Public Health — food service licensing, delegated entirely to local health departmentsConnecticut Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Connecticut Public Health Code sections 19-13-B42, B48 and B49 — the qualified food operator requirement for class III and IV establishmentsConnecticut Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Other Connecticut statewide offices
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, License Services Division
- Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division
- Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, Dealers and Repairers Licensing Unit
- Connecticut Department of Revenue Services
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing
Connecticut jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.