Union County

Union County Environmental Health

In short

Union County Environmental Health issues 7 permits we publish for Union County, last verified 2026-10-21. 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 Establishment Plan Review (New and Renovation to Existing)	Union County Environmental Health	$250 per review application ("Food Establishment Plan Review (New and Renovation to Existing)", Attachment B)	one review per new establishment or renovation project	2026-10-21
Mobile Food Unit / Pushcart Plan Review	Union County Environmental Health	$150 per review application ("Mobile Food Unit/Push Cart Plan Review", Attachment B)	one review per unit plan	2026-10-21
Temporary or Limited Food Establishment Permit Feeonly if it applies to you	Union County Environmental Health	$75 per permit issued (G.S. 130A-248(d2)); listed by the county as "Temporary/Limited Food Establishment Application" and in Attachment B as Temporary and Limited Food Establishment Plan Review, 75 per review application	per permit issued (G.S. 130A-248(d2)); the permit term is not stated in the county fee schedule	2026-10-21
Child Day Care Plan Review and Facility Approval	Union County Environmental Health	No fee for child care plan review is published in Attachment B to the FY 2027 Budget Ordinance or on the Environmental Health Fees page; contact Union County Environmental Health, 704-283-3553, for the current amount. Septic and well permits and inspections that the review requires are charged at their own Attachment B fees.	one approval before opening; the pre-opening inspection must score a Superior classification with no critical violations	2026-10-21
Public Swimming Pool Operation Permit and Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you	Union County Environmental Health	$300–$350 per operation permit application: Seasonal Public Swimming Pool Operation Permit $300; Year-Round Public Swimming Pool Operation Permit $350 (Attachment B). Plan review, new and renovation: $350 for pools less than 2,000 sq ft, $500 for pools greater than 2,000 sq ft; Commercial Pool Re-Visit Fee (prior to permit issuance) $100 per visit	seasonal or year-round operation, as the permit is labeled	2026-10-21
Tattoo and Permanent Makeup Permitonly if it applies to you	Union County Environmental Health	$125–$200 Tattoo Permit Application $200 per permit application; Temporary Tattoo Artist Permit (15 days or less at approved location) $125 (Attachment B)	one year; renewed annually (G.S. 130A-283(c) and the county Tattoos and Institutions page)	2026-10-21
Commercial On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Improvement Permit and Construction Authorizationonly if it applies to you	Union County Environmental Health	Commercial Improvement Permit Application (site evaluation) $500 per application. Construction Authorization Permit by system type: Type II c $200; Type III b $300; Type IV a $450; Type V $600; Type VI $1,200. Repair permit $100; component replacement permit $100; permit re-design $125; inspection of existing on-site wastewater system $125 per inspection request; site re-visit $75 per visit.	per permit	2026-10-21

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 Plan Review (New and Renovation to Existing)

A new restaurant or coffee shop in Union County, or one renovating an existing food establishment, submits its plans to Union County Environmental Health for review before the establishment is permitted. The county Food Protection and Lodging page states that Environmental Health Specialists in the Food, Lodging and Institutions Program "conduct plan review, permitting and inspections of businesses that prepare and serve food", and the Development Services page states that Environmental Health enforces state public health rules "across all parts of Union County, including within municipalities". Tax Rate and Fee Schedule Attachment B to the FY 2027 Budget Ordinance (adopted June 16, 2026, effective July 1, 2026) sets "Food Establishment Plan Review (New and Renovation to Existing)" at $250 per review application, and the county Environmental Health Fees page lists the same $250. That is the maximum G.S. 130A-248(f) allows: a local health department "may charge a fee not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00)" for plan review, and under the same subsection a food establishment that pays the State's $250 prototype franchise or chain plan review fee under G.S. 130A-248(e) "is not liable" for the local fee. The State food establishment permit itself is a North Carolina state record.

Mobile Food Unit / Pushcart Plan Review

A food truck, mobile food unit or pushcart that will operate in Union County has its plans reviewed by Union County Environmental Health. The county Food Protection and Lodging page lists mobile food units and push carts among the businesses whose plan review, permitting and inspections the Food, Lodging and Institutions Program performs. Tax Rate and Fee Schedule Attachment B to the FY 2027 Budget Ordinance (adopted June 16, 2026, effective July 1, 2026) sets "Mobile Food Unit/Push Cart Plan Review" at $150 per review application, and the Environmental Health Fees page lists "Mobile Food Unit / Pushcart Plan Review" at the same $150. The amount is below the $250 ceiling that G.S. 130A-248(f) places on a local health department's plan review fee. The State permit to operate the unit is a North Carolina state record. A unit that cooks with fuel may also need the Fire Marshal's operational permit for mobile food preparation vehicles, recorded separately.

Temporary or Limited Food Establishment Permit Fee

A vendor serving food at a fair, festival or other temporary event in Union County, or a limited food services establishment, pays a $75 permit fee to Union County Environmental Health. The amount is set by statute: G.S. 130A-248(d2) provides that "A local health department shall charge each temporary food establishment and each limited food services establishment a fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for each permit issued." The county collects it as listed on its own schedules: the Environmental Health Fees page lists "Temporary/Limited Food Establishment Application" at $75.00, and Tax Rate and Fee Schedule Attachment B to the FY 2027 Budget Ordinance (adopted June 16, 2026, effective July 1, 2026) lists "Temporary Food Establishment Plan Review" and "Limited Food Establishment Plan Review" at 75 per review application each. The county Food Protection and Lodging page names temporary food establishments and limited food service operations among the businesses the Food, Lodging and Institutions Program permits and inspects. Contact Union County Environmental Health, 704-283-3553, before the event.

Child Day Care Plan Review and Facility Approval

A new child care center in Union County, or a modification or renovation of an existing one, goes through plan review and facility approval by the Children's Environmental Health Program of Union County Environmental Health. The county's "Process for Child Day Care Plan Review and Facility Approval" states that Union County Environmental Health "is required to conduct a plan review of new child care centers and modifications or renovations to existing child care centers in accordance with the Rules Governing The Sanitation Of Child Care Centers, 15A NCAC 18A .2800". The application includes the completed form, scaled floor plans and kitchen, plumbing, lighting and playground equipment specifications. A center not on public sewer needs an inspection of the existing septic system or a soil evaluation for a new one, and for a center not on public water the document states: "Application for well permit will be required for a new well" (Attachment B lists the Well Permit at $500). After plan approval, a pre-opening inspection must score "a Superior classification with no critical violations", and the inspection report is released once well, septic, and building and fire code approvals are in place. No fee for the plan review itself is published in Attachment B or on the Environmental Health Fees page. The State child care license is a North Carolina state record.

Public Swimming Pool Operation Permit and Plan Review

A fitness studio, gym or club that operates a public swimming pool or spa in Union County needs an operation permit from Union County Environmental Health; a studio without a pool has no pool permit. The county Public Swimming Pools page states that public swimming pools, spas, wading, training and therapy pools "must comply with North Carolina Laws and Rules" (15A NCAC 18A .2500), and that "Residential pools are not permitted or inspected by Environmental Health." Tax Rate and Fee Schedule Attachment B to the FY 2027 Budget Ordinance (adopted June 16, 2026, effective July 1, 2026) sets the Seasonal Public Swimming Pool Operation Permit at $300 and the Year-Round Public Swimming Pool Operation Permit at $350 per permit application. A new or renovated pool also pays Public Swimming Pool Plan Review: $500 for pools greater than 2,000 sq ft and $350 for pools less than 2,000 sq ft (the Environmental Health Fees page labels this band "≤2,000sq/ft"), plus a Commercial Pool Re-Visit Fee of $100 per visit before the permit is issued. The Environmental Health Fees page lists the same amounts.

Tattoo and Permanent Makeup Permit

A salon that offers tattooing or permanent makeup in Union County needs a tattooing permit; a salon without tattooing or permanent makeup services has no tattoo permit. G.S. 130A-283(b) provides that "No person shall engage in tattooing without first obtaining a tattooing permit from the Department", and under subsection (c) the Department acts through the local health department to inspect the applicant's premises, instruments, utensils, equipment and procedures. The county Tattoos and Institutions page states that Union County enforces 15A NCAC 18A .3200, that an applicant returns a completed Tattoo Application to Union County Environmental Health, and that "A permit is valid for one year and must be renewed annually by applying for a permit renewal." Tax Rate and Fee Schedule Attachment B to the FY 2027 Budget Ordinance (adopted June 16, 2026, effective July 1, 2026) sets the Tattoo Permit Application at $200 per permit application and the Temporary Tattoo Artist Permit "(15 days or less at approved location)" at $125. The Environmental Health Fees page lists the same amounts. Cosmetology licensing is a North Carolina state record.

Commercial On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Improvement Permit and Construction Authorization

A business on a lot without public sewer in Union County needs on-site wastewater (septic) approval from Union County Environmental Health before building; a business on a public sewer connection has no septic permit. Tax Rate and Fee Schedule Attachment B to the FY 2027 Budget Ordinance (adopted June 16, 2026, effective July 1, 2026) sets the commercial Improvement Permit Application (site evaluation for on-site wastewater system approval) at $500 per application, and Construction Authorization Permits by system type at $200 (Type II c), $300 (Type III b), $450 (Type IV a), $600 (Type V) and $1,200 (Type VI). The same schedule lists a repair permit at $100, a component replacement permit at $100, a permit re-design at $125, an inspection of an existing system at $125 and a site re-visit at $75. The schedule states that "The maximum lot size evaluated per Improvement Permit (site evaluation) application is limited to 3 acres" and that the property owner or applicant must provide a backhoe with a trained operator for new system soil and site evaluations. The Environmental Health Fees page lists the same amounts. The Building Code Enforcement page states that for a building permit "Water and sewer may be regulated by Union County Water, Environmental Health or a combination of the two agencies."

Contact

Jurisdiction: Union County
Phone: 704-283-3553
Website: www.unioncountync.gov/government/departments-a-e/environmental-health

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.

Child Care Facilities, Schools and CampsUnion County Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Environmental HealthUnion County Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Environmental Health FeesUnion County Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Food Protection and LodgingUnion County Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
G.S. 130A-248 — food establishment permits: the $120 Department permit fee and its exclusions (d), the $25 late and $150 reinstatement fees (d1), the mandatory $75 temporary and limited food service fee (d2) and the $250 local plan review ceiling (f)North Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
G.S. 130A-283 — no person shall engage in tattooing without a permit from the Department, which acts through the local health department to inspect; the permit is valid one year and renewed annuallyNorth Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
Process for Child Day Care Plan Review and Facility ApprovalUnion County Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Public Swimming PoolsUnion County Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Tattoos and InstitutionsUnion County Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Union County, North Carolina Adopted Operating and Capital Budget 2027 (Appendix: Tax Rate and Fee Schedule Attachment B)Union County, North Carolina · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21

Other offices serving Union County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Business licenses in Union County

Industry permit lists that include this agency

North Carolina jurisdictions

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