McHenry County
McHenry County Department of Health
In short
McHenry County Department of Health issues 15 permits we publish for McHenry County, last verified 2026-10-07. 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 Health Permitonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $175–$425 per permit year: no food preparation (Risk II and III) $175.00 for 1 check-out counter, $240.00 for 2, $300.00 for 3 or more; with food preparation $425.00 (Risk I), $355.00 (Risk II), $240.00 (Risk III); plus $50 for each additional food service department (deli, meat, coffee, etc.) | permit year May 1 – April 30 (PHO Art. III §8.04.140.B) | 2026-10-07 |
| Temporary Food Establishment Permitonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $45–$70 per event: Risk Classification I $70.00, II $45.00; late fee $25.00 if the application is received less than 5 days before the event; festival permit $440.00 for up to 10 stands plus $35.00 per stand over 10 | one event at a fixed location, not more than 14 consecutive days (PHO Art. I) | 2026-10-07 |
| Food Establishment Construction Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $125–$400 per project: Major review Risk I $400.00, II $275.00, III $200.00; Minor review $125.00; 2nd and subsequent resubmittal $75.00; food establishment variance review $100.00; the review fee is doubled if work starts without written approval | plan approval valid two years from the date of approval (PHO Art. III §8.04.160.D); renewable for six months at half the prevailing plan review fee | 2026-10-07 |
| Water Well Permitonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | Construct new well $100.00 plus inspection fee $175.00; alteration, extension or modification $100.00; well sealing $100.00 ($50.00 if done at the time of a new well installation) | per project | 2026-10-07 |
| Construction Impact Review (Health Review)only if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $200 per Construction Impact Review | per project | 2026-10-07 |
| Food Establishment Health Permit (Fixed Location – Foodservice/Commissary/Caterer) | McHenry County Department of Health | $280–$410 per permit year, by risk class: Risk Classification I $410.00, II $345.00, III $280.00; a non-seasonal establishment that opens on or after November 1 pays half the annual fee for that permit year | permit year May 1 – April 30 (PHO Art. III §8.04.140.B); renewal is delinquent if not made within five business days after April 30 | 2026-10-07 |
| Food Establishment Health Permit (Fixed Location – Seasonal)only if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $80–$150 per permit year, by risk class: Risk Classification I $150.00, II $115.00, III $80.00 | permit year May 1 – April 30; a seasonal establishment operates less than five months per permit year | 2026-10-07 |
| Caterer Health Permit for Public Eventsonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $280–$410 per permit year, at the Fixed Location – Foodservice/Commissary/Caterer rate: Risk Classification I $410.00, II $345.00, III $280.00 | permit year May 1 – April 30 | 2026-10-07 |
| Supplemental Health Permit (Outdoor Cooking or Outdoor Bar)only if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $105 per Supplemental Health Permit, in addition to the annual or seasonal health permit | issued alongside the establishment's annual or seasonal health permit | 2026-10-07 |
| Food Health Permit — Schools, Daycares, Churchesonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $35–$155 per permit year: Risk Classification I $155.00, II $125.00, III $105.00; Satellite Foodservice $80.00; Milk Machines Only $35.00 | permit year May 1 – April 30 (PHO Art. III §8.04.140.B) | 2026-10-07 |
| Mobile Food Establishment Health Permit | McHenry County Department of Health | $80–$300 per permit year: non-seasonal (5 or more months) Risk I $300.00, II $240.00, III $175.00; seasonal (less than 5 months) Risk I $150.00, II $115.00, III $80.00 | permit year May 1 – April 30 | 2026-10-07 |
| Seasonal Temporary Food Establishment Permit (Single Location)only if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $180–$360 per permit year: Risk Classification I (5 months) $255.00; Risk Classification II (5 months) $180.00; Risk Classification II (8 months) $360.00 | within one permit year (May 1 – April 30); not renewable in a permit year (PHO Art. III §8.04.230.B.4) | 2026-10-07 |
| Food Program Conditional, Replacement, Reinstatement and Re-inspection Feesonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $25–$100 per event: Replacement Permit $25.00; Conditional Permit $65.00; Reinstatement after suspension or revocation $95.00; 2nd and subsequent re-inspections for the same violation $95.00; Off Site Food Storage Facility $100.00 | per occurrence; a conditional permit lasts up to 30 days (PHO Art. III §8.04.140.D) | 2026-10-07 |
| Private Sewage Disposal (Septic) Permit — Non-Residentialonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Health | $400–$815 per permit, by design flow: up to 500 gallons a day $400.00; 501 to 1,000 gallons a day $525.00; over 1,000 gallons a day $815.00; also pre-design meeting $100.00, alteration or repair $155.00, 6-month permit extension $75.00 | per project | 2026-10-07 |
| Veterinarian Rabies Vaccination Certificate Submission | McHenry County Department of Health | A reporting duty. PHO Article VII §8.04.960 lists the owner-side rabies vaccination fees ($15.00 annual, $30.00 three-year); a fee charged to veterinarians for the serially numbered rabies tags under 510 ILCS 5/8(d) is not published in Article VII. | ongoing, for every rabies vaccination given | 2026-10-07 |
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 Health Permit
A retail store that sells food needs a Department of Health operating permit. Article VII sets two scales. A store with no food preparation (Risk Classification II or III) pays by number of check-out counters: $175.00 for one, $240.00 for two and $300.00 for three or more. A store with food preparation pays $425.00, $355.00 or $240.00 for Risk Classification I, II or III, plus $50 for each additional food service department such as a deli, meat counter or coffee bar. All figures are per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. The permit year runs May 1 to April 30, and the permit applies in incorporated and unincorporated areas alike.
Temporary Food Establishment Permit
A temporary food establishment operates at a fixed location for not more than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single event (PHO Article I). The permit fee is $70.00 for Risk Classification I and $45.00 for Risk Classification II, with a $25.00 late fee when the application arrives less than five days before the event; Article VII states that temporary permit fees and late fees are not refundable or transferable. A festival organiser can instead pay $440.00 for up to 10 stands plus $35.00 for each stand over 10. All figures are per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. Category III temporary food establishments are exempt from the permit and fee requirements but must meet the rest of the ordinance (§8.04.140.A.1). One temporary food event is allowed per sponsor per single location per calendar year unless the renewal conditions in §8.04.230.B are met.
Food Establishment Construction Plan Review
Plans must be submitted to the Department of Health when a food establishment is built, extensively remodeled, or converted from an existing structure (§8.04.160.A), and the Department inspects before operations start. A major review (remodeled area over 250 square feet, or a new establishment) costs $400.00, $275.00 or $200.00 for Risk Classification I, II or III; a minor review (250 square feet or less) costs $125.00. A second or later resubmittal is $75.00 and a variance review is $100.00. All work that starts without written approval has the review fee doubled (§8.04.160.C). Figures are per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. Approval is valid for two years, and Article VII allows a six-month renewal for half the prevailing plan review fee.
Water Well Permit
A business served by a private well needs a Department of Health permit to construct, alter or seal it. Article VII sets $100.00 to construct a new well, $100.00 for an alteration, extension or modification, and $100.00 for well sealing ($50.00 when sealing is done at the time a new well is installed), plus a $175.00 inspection fee for new, extended, modified, replaced or abandoned water wells. Figures are per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. A business on a public water supply without a private well has no well permit.
Construction Impact Review (Health Review)
The Department of Health reviews building projects on properties served by a private septic system and/or private well to check the effect on those systems. Article VII sets one Construction Impact Review Fee of $200.00 (its examples include decks, pools, additions, accessory structures and ZBA petitions), per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. The county's Construction Impact Review page describes the review types, including non-residential additions and alterations; the fee schedule sets a single amount for all of them. Article VII states that construction impact review fees are non-refundable once the Department has completed its initial review of the file.
Food Establishment Health Permit (Fixed Location – Foodservice/Commissary/Caterer)
Every food establishment in McHenry County needs a valid operator's permit from the Department of Health in the operator's name for that specific establishment (PHO Art. III §8.04.140.A). The Public Health Ordinance applies in both incorporated and unincorporated areas, so a restaurant or coffee shop inside a city or village still holds this county permit. The fee is set by risk classification at $410.00, $345.00 or $280.00 per permit year, per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. Article VII also provides that a non-seasonal establishment opening on or after November 1 pays half of the annual fee, and that an establishment closing before November 1 may request a refund of half the annual fee in writing. A conditional permit is available within five business days after April 30 for an additional fee (see the food program fees record). Plan review is a separate fee for new or extensively remodeled establishments.
Food Establishment Health Permit (Fixed Location – Seasonal)
A fixed-location food establishment that operates for less than five months in a permit year is a "Seasonal Food Establishment" under PHO Article I and pays the Fixed Location – Seasonal fee instead of the annual fixed-location fee: $150.00 for Risk Classification I, $115.00 for Risk Classification II and $80.00 for Risk Classification III, per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. The permit year runs May 1 to April 30. The permit applies countywide, in incorporated and unincorporated areas alike. A seasonal ice cream stand or coffee kiosk open only in summer is the typical case.
Caterer Health Permit for Public Events
PHO Art. III §8.04.240.C states: "Catering food service operations, that cater events which are open to the public, must obtain a valid Health Permit from the McHenry County Department of Health prior to operating." This applies to every caterer serving public events in the county, wherever its kitchen is. Under §8.04.240.B a caterer whose base of operations is outside McHenry County must also hold a valid health permit from its home regulatory authority, or alternative documentation such as an inspection report where that authority issues no permits. Article VII prices caterers in the single "Fixed Location – Foodservice/Commissary/Caterer" row at $410.00, $345.00 or $280.00 by risk class, per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board.
Supplemental Health Permit (Outdoor Cooking or Outdoor Bar)
PHO Article I defines a Supplemental Health Permit as a permit issued to a fixed food establishment, in addition to its annual or seasonal health permit, that allows outdoor grilling or cooking and/or operation of an outdoor bar. Section 8.04.140.I states that beer gardens, pig roasts, fish boils, outdoor grilling and outdoor bars are allowed only with a valid Supplemental Health Permit or a Temporary Food Permit. The fee is $105.00, per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. A restaurant planning a patio grill or outdoor bar needs this on top of its fixed-location permit.
Food Health Permit — Schools, Daycares, Churches
Article VII has a separate food permit row for schools, daycares and churches. A daycare that prepares or serves food pays $155.00, $125.00 or $105.00 for Risk Classification I, II or III; a satellite foodservice (food prepared elsewhere and served on site) pays $80.00, and a site with milk machines only pays $35.00. All figures are per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. The permit year runs May 1 to April 30 and the permit applies countywide. Childcare facility licensing itself comes from the State, not from this county permit.
Mobile Food Establishment Health Permit
A food truck or other mobile food establishment needs a Department of Health permit. Under PHO Article I a non-seasonal mobile unit operates five or more months per permit year and a seasonal one operates less than five months. Non-seasonal units pay $300.00, $240.00 or $175.00 for Risk Classification I, II or III; seasonal units pay $150.00, $115.00 or $80.00, per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. Before operating, the unit must be inspected by a licensed plumbing inspector and the report submitted to the Department, and the operator must provide the most recent inspection report of its approved commissary and the commissary agreement (§8.04.220.C). Routes must be provided on request, and the unit must be stored at a protected base of operations when not in use.
Seasonal Temporary Food Establishment Permit (Single Location)
A temporary food vendor that operates repeatedly at one location during the permit year can hold a seasonal temporary food permit instead of separate event permits. Article VII sets $255.00 for Risk Classification I (5 months), $180.00 for Risk Classification II (5 months) and $360.00 for Risk Classification II (8 months), per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. Under §8.04.230.B the vendor must be under the supervision of a certified food protection manager whenever operating, its past temporary events must have been in substantial compliance, and the application and fee must be submitted to the Department. Seasonal temporary permits are not renewable within a permit year.
Food Program Conditional, Replacement, Reinstatement and Re-inspection Fees
Article VII lists miscellaneous food program fees that apply to any permitted food establishment: $25.00 for a replacement permit, $65.00 for a conditional permit, $95.00 for reinstatement after a suspension or revocation, $95.00 for the second and each later re-inspection for the same violation, and $100.00 for an off-site food storage facility, per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. Under §8.04.140.B a permit not renewed within five business days after April 30 is delinquent; a single conditional permit can be issued in that window with the conditional permit fee, in addition to the full renewal fee, and a conditional permit lasts no more than 30 days.
Private Sewage Disposal (Septic) Permit — Non-Residential
A business on a private sewage disposal system rather than a public sewer needs a Department of Health permit to install a new system or alter one. Article VII sets non-residential permit fees by design flow: $400.00 for flows up to 500 gallons a day, $525.00 for 501 to 1,000 gallons and $815.00 above 1,000 gallons. A pre-design meeting is $100.00, an alteration or repair (septic tank, lift station, holding tank, pre-treatment unit or 15% or less of the seepage system) is $155.00, and a six-month permit extension is $75.00. Figures are per PHO Article VII §8.04.960 (Fees), approved by the County Board on July 21, 2026 and effective August 1, 2026; Article VII states that fees are in effect from December 1 through November 30 of the following year or until modified by the County Board. A business on a public sewer has no septic permit.
Veterinarian Rabies Vaccination Certificate Submission
PHO Article VI §8.04.890.A.1 requires any veterinarian vaccinating an animal for rabies to record the vaccination on National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians Form 51 or a substantially equivalent form and sign it, and §8.04.890.A.2 requires the veterinarian to send a copy of the vaccination certificate to the Department of Health. State law sets the same duty: under 510 ILCS 5/8(c) a veterinarian immunizing a dog, cat or ferret against rabies must provide the county Administrator with a certificate of immunization. Under 510 ILCS 5/8(d) a veterinarian who inoculates a dog procures serially numbered tags from County Animal Control at a fee established by the County Board. Article VI was approved with the other PHO articles and took effect August 1, 2026.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- McHenry County
- Phone
- 815-334-4000
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.
- 510 ILCS 5/8 (Animal Control Act — rabies inoculation and certificates)Illinois General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Construction Impact Review (Health Review)McHenry County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Public Health OrdinanceMcHenry County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Public Health Ordinance Article I – Definitions (effective August 1, 2026)McHenry County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Public Health Ordinance Article III – Food Sanitation (effective August 1, 2026)McHenry County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Public Health Ordinance Article VI – Animal Control (effective August 1, 2026)McHenry County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Public Health Ordinance Article VII – Fees, §8.04.960 (approved July 21, 2026; effective August 1, 2026)McHenry County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Other offices serving McHenry County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Illinois jurisdictions
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