Chicago
Chicago Department of Public Health
In short
Chicago Department of Public Health issues 2 permits we publish for Chicago, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Food Establishment License | Chicago Department of Public Health | $660–$1,650 for a 2-year term, by floor area — $660 up to 1,000 square feet, rising to $1,650 above 10,000 square feet | 2 years | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Sanitation Certification | Chicago Department of Public Health | No fee | not stated by the city — set by the accredited course provider | 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
Retail Food Establishment License
Required wherever perishable food is served, stored, sold or distributed from a fixed establishment, and can only be issued at a properly zoned, non-residential location.
Food Sanitation Certification
No fee, because Chicago does not itself price this certification — every establishment must have a Person in Charge holding a CDPH food sanitation certificate on site whenever TCS food is being prepared or served, but the required course is delivered and priced by third-party approved providers rather than the city. Category I employees also need Food Allergen Awareness Training within 30 days of hire, renewed every 3 years.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Chicago
- Phone
- (312) 747-9884
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.
- Chicago BACP — retail food establishment license, fee by square footageChicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Chicago CDPH — food sanitation certification course requirementChicago Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
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Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.