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Erie County

Erie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental Health

In short

Erie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental Health issues 11 permits we publish for Erie County, last verified 2026-10-05. 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
Mobile Food Unit or Pushcart PermitErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.annual permit2026-10-05
Food Commissary Permit (preparation and storage, or storage only)only if it applies to youErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.renewed with the county's annual health permit cycle2026-10-05
Temporary Food Service Establishment Permitonly if it applies to youErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.up to 14 consecutive days, specific to one event and date2026-10-05
Gym, Health or Fitness Facility PermitErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.up to three years from the date of issue2026-10-05
Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Construction Permitonly if it applies to youErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.per permit; no renewal period stated in the sources cited for this record2026-10-05
Food Service Establishment Permit (fixed location, 0 to 50 seats or over 50 seats)Erie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.annual; renewed in the same month the permit was issued2026-10-05
Caterer PermitErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.annual catering permit2026-10-05
Frozen Dessert Machine Add-ononly if it applies to youErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.runs with the food service permit it is added to2026-10-05
Plan Review, Food Service Establishmentonly if it applies to youErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.one-time, per new construction or remodel project2026-10-05
Swimming Pool Permitonly if it applies to youErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet under the Erie County Sanitary Code, which refers to the approved fee schedule (Art. IV §6.2 and §12.4). Under Charter Art. 5 §504, amendments to those fee schedules take effect only when the County Legislature ratifies them, or are deemed ratified if the Legislature does not act within sixty days of presentation. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.operating permit term not stated in the sources cited for this record2026-10-05
Retail Tobacco and Vapor Product Business Permitonly if it applies to youErie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental HealthSet by the Erie County Legislature under Art. XXIII §2.1(a) of the Erie County Sanitary Code, per permit year. No adopted dollar amount is cited for this record; contact the Erie County Department of Health for the current fee.not more than one year from the date of issuance2026-10-05

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

Mobile Food Unit or Pushcart Permit

The county's application form lists Mobile Food Truck and Push Cart as separate permit types. The form requires a letter from the owner of the permitted facility granting permission to use its kitchen, submitted with the application. The county's FAQ states that a mobile food unit must follow the requirements of New York State Sanitary Code Subpart 14-4 and must be operated in conjunction with a commissary, and that operators qualify for an annual permit. The fee is set under the Erie County Sanitary Code; no adopted dollar amount is cited for this record.

Food Commissary Permit (preparation and storage, or storage only)

The county's application form offers two commissary options: one for food preparation and storage, and one for storage only. The county's FAQ states that a mobile food unit must be operated in conjunction with a commissary. The county's how-to page states that health permits are renewed annually. The fee is set under the Erie County Sanitary Code; no adopted dollar amount is cited for this record.

Temporary Food Service Establishment Permit

The county's temporary food service application asks applicants to submit at least five days before the first day of operation. The county's restaurant and food sanitation page states that filing at least five days before the event avoids a late filing fee. The county's FAQ, quoting New York State Subpart 14-2, says each temporary permit must be specific to the event and date and covers one event of not more than 14 days. The fee is set under the Erie County Sanitary Code; no adopted dollar amount is cited for this record.

Gym, Health or Fitness Facility Permit

Art. IV §15.2(a) of the Erie County Sanitary Code provides that no person may operate a gym, health or fitness facility in Erie County without a permit from the Erie County Commissioner of Health, and §15.1 applies the requirement to facilities operated in the county. Under §15.2(b), an application must be filed at least 60 days before operation, and again before any expiry or change in name, owner or operator, a rule in force since April 1, 2023. For new construction, §15.2(b) requires a copy of the certificate of occupancy issued by the local code enforcement official. Under §15.2(e), a permit is valid for not more than three years from the date of issue.

Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Construction Permit

Art. IV §6.1 of the Erie County Sanitary Code requires a permit for separate waterborne-sewage disposal, and §6.2 refers to the approved fee schedule. The requirement applies to a premises that is served by its own onsite system rather than by a public sewer, whatever business operates there. The county's onsite wastewater treatment application, marked Revised April 9, 2026, lists commercial property use as one of its options. The fee is set under the Erie County Sanitary Code; no adopted dollar amount is cited for this record.

Food Service Establishment Permit (fixed location, 0 to 50 seats or over 50 seats)

Erie County Department of Health issues this permit for restaurants of 0 to 50 seats and for restaurants over 50 seats, under New York State Sanitary Code Part 14 as the county administers it. The county's application form asks that the application be submitted at least 21 days before the start of operation. The county's how-to page states that health permits are renewed annually and are due the same month in which the permit was issued. The fee is set under the Erie County Sanitary Code; no adopted dollar amount is cited for this record.

Caterer Permit

The county's application form includes a Caterer checkbox among its food service permit types. The county's FAQ says an annual catering permit may allow the holder to serve food to the public at a temporary event, and it applies the New York State Sanitary Code Subpart 14-1 definition of a caterer. The fee is set under the Erie County Sanitary Code; no adopted dollar amount is cited for this record.

Frozen Dessert Machine Add-on

The county's application form lists +Frozen Dessert as an add-on to the food service permit, so operating a frozen dessert machine is added to a food permit rather than applied for on its own. The county's restaurant and food sanitation page states that operating a frozen dessert machine requires an additional fee. The fee is set under the Erie County Sanitary Code; no adopted dollar amount is cited for this record.

Plan Review, Food Service Establishment

The county's plan review application is titled Application for Plan Review, New Construction or Remodel, Food Service, and is dated April 9, 2026 on the county's form. The application is the review step for a new food service establishment or for a remodel of one. The fee is set under the Erie County Sanitary Code; no adopted dollar amount is cited for this record.

Swimming Pool Permit

Art. IV §15.2(h) of the Erie County Sanitary Code requires a separate permit to operate a swimming pool that is part of a gym, health or fitness facility. The county's swimming pool plan approval application covers the plan review step for a pool. A facility without a pool has no pool permit under this rule, so the record applies only where a pool is on the gym premises. The fee is set under the Erie County Sanitary Code; no adopted dollar amount is cited for this record.

Retail Tobacco and Vapor Product Business Permit

Art. XXIII §2.0(a) of the Erie County Sanitary Code prohibits operating a retail tobacco product business or a retail vapor product business without a permit. The scope in §1.2 and §2.0 covers retail businesses that sell tobacco, vapor or smoking-paraphernalia products, so a retail store that sells none of these is outside the rule. Under §2.0(e), a permit is issued for not more than one year from the date of issuance. The county's application form states a 30-day advance submission rule, with October 1, 2024 as the reference date for existing facilities and new facilities applying after that date.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Erie County
Phone
(716) 961-6800

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.

  1. Erie County Charter, Article 5, Department of Health, §504Erie County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  2. Erie County Department of Health — Application for plan review, new construction or remodel, food serviceErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  3. Erie County Department of Health — Environmental Health permits and applicationsErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  4. Erie County Department of Health — Food service facility permit applicationErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  5. Erie County Department of Health — How to open a food service establishmentErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  6. Erie County Department of Health — Onsite wastewater treatment construction permit applicationErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  7. Erie County Department of Health — Restaurant and food sanitation services (FAQ)Erie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  8. Erie County Department of Health — Retail tobacco, vapor and paraphernalia permit applicationErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  9. Erie County Department of Health — Swimming pool plan approval applicationErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  10. Erie County Department of Health — Temporary food service establishment applicationErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
  11. Sanitary Code of Erie County (adopted May 7, 1948)Erie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05

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