Massachusetts — statewide
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Food Protection
In short
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Food Protection issues 3 permits we publish for Massachusetts — statewide, last verified 2026-09-03. 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 Establishment Permit | Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Food Protection | $50–$300 a year, set by the local board of health — there is no state fee | no more than one year from issue, renewed annually | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manager | Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Food Protection | No fee | 5 years | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Allergen Awareness Requirements | Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Food Protection | No fee | the allergen certificate is valid 5 years from issue | 2026-09-03 |
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 Establishment Permit
The state writes the code and defines the regulatory authority as the local board of health, so the permit and its price are the town's. The two examples show how differently towns build a fee: Cambridge charges $50 for a non-alcohol food establishment plus two dollars a seat, and $200 for a retail food store plus a hundred dollars per five hundred square feet of selling area; Lowell charges flat bands, $200 for a restaurant or bakery and $300 for a supermarket. With three hundred and fifty-one municipalities setting their own, no single Massachusetts restaurant permit fee exists. A permit expires no later than a year from issue and renewal must be applied for at least thirty days ahead.
Certified Food Protection Manager
No state fee — the department recognises accredited programmes rather than running one, and it goes so far as to advise contacting as many trainers as possible and comparing the cost of the exam. Every food establishment must employ at least one on-site manager or supervisor, eighteen or over, who holds the certificate, and the documentation must be posted next to the food establishment permit rather than filed away. If that person leaves you have sixty days to replace them, extendable by the board of health by up to sixty more. If a person in charge fails the exam twice the permit holder may ask the local board for a variance on documented training. Non-profit temporary establishments are exempt.
Food Allergen Awareness Requirements
No state fee, and Massachusetts was the first state in the country to require this. It is three obligations rather than one. A poster approved by the department, no smaller than eight and a half by eleven inches, must be displayed in the employee work area. Menus and menu boards — including drive-through boards, in type no smaller than the smallest menu item — must carry the words asking customers to tell their server about a food allergy before ordering. And a certified food protection manager must hold a Massachusetts allergen awareness certificate, valid five years. One thing has changed and catches people out: since 7 October 2024 the department's own training video no longer meets the requirement, and approved training must now be accredited, part of a recognised industry programme, or include an interactive video and an exam. Massachusetts now recognises nine major allergens, sesame among them. Schools, camps, child care facilities and non-profit temporary establishments are wholly or partly exempt.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Massachusetts — statewide
- Phone
- (617) 983-6712
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.
- 105 CMR 590.000 — state sanitary code chapter X, minimum sanitation standards for food establishmentsMassachusetts Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- City of Cambridge Inspectional Services — food and sanitary permit feesCity of Cambridge · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- City of Lowell Health Department — health permit feesCity of Lowell · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health — food allergen awareness frequently asked questionsMassachusetts Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health — food protection manager certification exam and trainer directoryMassachusetts Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Other Massachusetts statewide offices
- Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Corporations Division
- Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering, Division of Occupational Licensure
- Massachusetts Board of Registration in Veterinary Medicine, Division of Occupational Licensure
- Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue
- Massachusetts Division of Standards, Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
- Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Home Improvement Contractor Program
- Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections, Division of Occupational Licensure
Massachusetts jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.