Hawaii — statewide
Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch
In short
Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch issues 2 permits we publish for Hawaii — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Handler Certification | Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch | No fee | 3 years | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Establishment Permit | Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch | $300–$400 a year for a restaurant, banded by risk category and floor area | annual — a late renewal adds 20% of the annual fee | 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
Food Handler Certification
No fee — the health department runs its own food handler classes at no charge at all, a genuine alternative to paying a private provider. At least one certified employee must be present at every permitted food establishment during operating hours, valid for three years once earned. A certified food protection manager credential satisfies this requirement as well and exempts its holder from needing the separate card.
Food Establishment Permit
The health department administers this through four island districts rather than one central office — Oahu, Maui covering Molokai and Lanai, Hawaii Island split between Hilo and Kona offices, and Kauai — each with its own application, though the fee schedule itself is set statewide by rule rather than varying district to district. A restaurant under a thousand square feet pays $300 a year in the top risk category; larger than that, $400. Catering is priced separately at $400, and a special event of up to five days is a flat $50. A food establishment serving the homeless is exempt from the fee outright. Plan review for a new establishment adds $200 or $300 depending on size, and renewing late costs a further twenty per cent of the annual fee on top.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Hawaii — statewide
- Phone
- (808) 586-8000
- Website
- health.hawaii.gov/san/
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.
- Hawaii Administrative Rules title 11, chapter 50 — food establishment permit feesHawaii Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Hawaii Department of Health — food safety education, the free food handler class and its three-year termHawaii Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Other Hawaii statewide offices
Hawaii jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.