New Hanover County

New Hanover County Public Health, Environmental Health

In short

New Hanover County Public Health, Environmental Health issues 4 permits we publish for New Hanover County, last verified 2026-10-27. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Food Service Plan Review (restaurants, food stands, mobile food units and pushcarts)only if it applies to you	New Hanover County Public Health, Environmental Health	Non-prototype/Independent Restaurants, Food Stands & Mobile Food Units $250.00; Pushcarts $100.00; Renovations/Changes (changes in dimension of food preparation area, seating capacity or addition of room) $250.00 (Exhibit 3, Environmental Health Fee Schedule Effective 07/01/2026). For prototype restaurants and food stands the schedule lists 'NCDHHS - EH Section Approval Letter' in place of a county amount.	one-time, per project	2026-10-27
Limited Food Service Establishment Permitonly if it applies to you	New Hanover County Public Health, Environmental Health	$75 annual fee (Limited Food Service Establishment/Annual Fee)	annual, as the schedule line 'Limited Food Service Establishment/Annual Fee' states	2026-10-27
Temporary Food Establishment Permitonly if it applies to you	New Hanover County Public Health, Environmental Health	$75 per permit	per event, per permit	2026-10-27
Public Swimming Pool Operation Permit and Plan Review (conditional — facility with a public pool)only if it applies to you	New Hanover County Public Health, Environmental Health	Seasonal Swimming Pool - Operation Permit $200.00 (Seasonal April 1st - October 31); Year Round Swimming Pool - Operation Permit $400.00; Swimming Pool - Plan Review (new and existing remodel construction) $250.00, which 'Does not include operation permit' (Exhibit 3, Environmental Health Fee Schedule Effective 07/01/2026).	seasonal (April 1st to October 31) or year-round operation permit, as the schedule lists	2026-10-27

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 Service Plan Review (restaurants, food stands, mobile food units and pushcarts)

A new independent restaurant, food stand or food truck in New Hanover County has its plans reviewed by New Hanover County Public Health's Environmental Health division before it opens: $250.00 for a non-prototype or independent restaurant, food stand or mobile food unit, and $100.00 for a pushcart. Renovations or changes to an existing establishment, which the schedule describes as changes in dimension of the food preparation area, seating capacity or addition of a room, are $250.00. For a prototype restaurant or food stand the schedule lists an 'NCDHHS - EH Section Approval Letter' instead of a county fee. The figure is as published on the Environmental Health page of Exhibit 3 (Health) of the New Hanover County Fee Schedule FY26-27, headed 'Environmental Health Fee Schedule Effective 07/01/2026'; the schedule's footer reads 'Fee Schedule FY26-27 (Revised 7-01-26)'. Exhibit 3 states that payment can be made through the county's COAST online portal, by phone or in person at 230 Government Center Drive. The state food establishment permit that follows plan review is carried at the state layer.

Limited Food Service Establishment Permit

A limited food service establishment in New Hanover County pays Environmental Health a $75.00 annual fee, listed as 'Limited Food Service Establishment/Annual Fee $75.00'. The figure is as published on the Environmental Health page of Exhibit 3 (Health) of the New Hanover County Fee Schedule FY26-27, headed 'Environmental Health Fee Schedule Effective 07/01/2026'; the schedule's footer reads 'Fee Schedule FY26-27 (Revised 7-01-26)'. The NCDHHS Division of Public Health position statement 'Food and Lodging Permit Fee Changes', dated July 30, 2013 and issued pursuant to Session Law 2013-360, states: 'Effective August 1, 2013 local health departments are to charge a $75 fee for each permit issued to a temporary food establishment or limited food service establishment.' The same statement says the state Environmental Health Section does not assess its own fee for these establishments. The county amount matches the $75 the statement describes.

Temporary Food Establishment Permit

A vendor serving food at a temporary event in New Hanover County needs a Temporary Food Establishment Permit from Environmental Health, listed at $75.00. The figure is as published on the Environmental Health page of Exhibit 3 (Health) of the New Hanover County Fee Schedule FY26-27, headed 'Environmental Health Fee Schedule Effective 07/01/2026'; the schedule's footer reads 'Fee Schedule FY26-27 (Revised 7-01-26)'. The $75 is the state-mandated local fee: the NCDHHS Division of Public Health position statement 'Food and Lodging Permit Fee Changes', dated July 30, 2013 and issued pursuant to Session Law 2013-360, states: 'Effective August 1, 2013 local health departments are to charge a $75 fee for each permit issued to a temporary food establishment or limited food service establishment. The proceeds from those fees are to be used to support local Food, Lodging and Institution Program activities.'

Public Swimming Pool Operation Permit and Plan Review (conditional — facility with a public pool)

A gym or fitness facility in New Hanover County that operates a public swimming pool needs an operation permit from Environmental Health: $200.00 for a seasonal pool, open April 1st to October 31, or $400.00 for a year-round pool. Plan review for a new pool or a remodel of an existing one is $250.00, and the schedule notes that this 'Does not include operation permit'. The figure is as published on the Environmental Health page of Exhibit 3 (Health) of the New Hanover County Fee Schedule FY26-27, headed 'Environmental Health Fee Schedule Effective 07/01/2026'; the schedule's footer reads 'Fee Schedule FY26-27 (Revised 7-01-26)'. A studio without a pool has no pool permit under this record.

Contact

Jurisdiction: New Hanover County
Phone: Not verified — use the website
Website: health.nhcgov.com/

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.

New Hanover County Fee Schedule FY26-27 (Revised 7-01-26)New Hanover County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
POSITION STATEMENT: Food and Lodging Permit Fee Changes (July 30, 2013)North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27

Other offices serving New Hanover County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Business licenses in New Hanover County

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