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Delaware County

Delaware Public Health District

In short

Delaware Public Health District issues 8 permits we publish for Delaware County, last verified 2026-10-20. 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
Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment LicenseDelaware Public Health DistrictCombined DPHD + state fee, 2026 schedule. Commercial under 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $314, Risk II $352, Risk III $646, Risk IV $812. Commercial over 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $443, Risk II $466, Risk III $1,576, Risk IV $1,668. Non-commercial under 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $157, Risk II $176, Risk III $323, Risk IV $406. Non-commercial over 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $221.50, Risk II $233, Risk III $788, Risk IV $834. Each total includes the state fee of $28 (commercial) or $14 (non-commercial), which is not a DPHD charge. A late renewal adds a penalty of 25% of the renewal fee.one licensing period, March 1 to the last day of February (ORC 3717.01(P)); a license issued to a new operation after December 1 runs to the end of the next licensing period (ORC 3717.43(C)(1)(a))2026-10-20
Food Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youDelaware Public Health DistrictNew facility: $500 under 25,000 sq ft, $900 over 25,000 sq ft. Remodel: $300 under 25,000 sq ft, $600 over 25,000 sq ft. Expedited review (acted on within 5 business days): $1,000 plus the plan review fee. Paid in full at submission.per project; DPHD's Food Safety page states that plans 'will be acted upon within 30 days of receipt' and expedited plans 'within 5 business days'2026-10-20
Mobile Food Service Operation / Mobile Retail Food Establishment LicenseDelaware Public Health District$168–$308 a year per unit, combined DPHD + state fee: low risk (pre-packaged food only) $168 ($140 DPHD + $28 state); high risk $308 ($280 DPHD + $28 state)one licensing period, March 1 to the last day of February; ORC 3717.43(D) requires a mobile operation to renew before it begins operating in a new licensing period2026-10-20
Temporary Food Service Licenseonly if it applies to youDelaware Public Health District$125 per day of the event; the 2026 schedule shows a $0.00 state fee for this linethe event period only; ORC 3717.43(C)(1)(b) provides that the license expires at the end of the period for which it is issued, and ORC 3717.43(D) makes it not renewable2026-10-20
Public Swimming Pool / Spa Licenseonly if it applies to youDelaware Public Health DistrictCombined DPHD + state fee, 2026 schedule: pool $580 ($500 + $80 state); additional pool $555 ($500 + $55 state); spa $505 ($425 + $80 state); additional spa $480 ($425 + $55 state); special use pool $705 ($625 + $80 state); additional special use pool $680 ($625 + $55 state). The state component is not a DPHD charge.annual, per the 2026 schedule2026-10-20
Tattoo and Body Piercing Approvalonly if it applies to youDelaware Public Health District2026 schedule: tattoo service $1,000; body piercing service $1,000; combined body art service $1,500; temporary body art service $150. The schedule heading marks this program 'No State Fee', so each figure is DPHD's alone.one year, renewable and not transferable (ORC 3730.03)2026-10-20
Commercial Plumbing Permit and Plan ReviewDelaware Public Health District2026 schedule, commercial: application (includes 1st fixture) $160 plus $30 per additional fixture; re-inspection $200; permit transfer $160; commercial water heater replacement $75 (no application fee). Commercial plan review (includes one revision): 1-20 fixtures $55, 21-40 $110, 41-60 $165, 61+ $275; expedited plan review (3 business days) $1,000 plus fixture fees. Medical gas: application (includes 1st fixture) $150, $21 per outlet, $75 per system, permit transfer $150. Installation without permits: double fees. Late fee: 25% of the permit fee.per project2026-10-20
Plumbing Contractor RegistrationDelaware Public Health District$200 a year, due at the time of applicationcalendar year; DPHD's 2026 bond form runs 'ending December 31, 2026'2026-10-20

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 Operation / Retail Food Establishment License

A restaurant, coffee shop, grocery or other business that serves or sells food in DPHD's district needs this annual license from the Delaware Public Health District. DPHD's About Us page describes the district as 'serving Delaware County (except portions annexed to Westerville, Columbus, and Dublin), Delaware City and Powell,' so an address in an annexed part of one of those three cities is licensed by that city's health authority rather than DPHD. The figures are taken from DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026); the signed minutes of the December 9, 2025 Board of Health meeting record that 'Resolution 2025-09 was unanimously approved' and that the fees 'will take effect on January 1, 2026.' The schedule prints a DPHD fee, a state fee and a total for each line, and the amounts above are the totals. Risk level follows the highest-risk food activity the operation performs. ORC 3717.43(D) requires the renewal application by March 1 and sets the late penalty at 'twenty-five per cent of the renewal fee'; DPHD's application form also states the 25% penalty. Renewal amounts for the licensing period beginning March 1, 2027 are set by the fee schedule DPHD's Board of Health has in effect at that time. On child care: ORC 3717.42(B)(8) exempts 'a type A or type B family child care home' that prepares or serves food for the children in its care, and (B)(7) exempts 'a food service operation serving thirteen or fewer individuals daily'; child care centers are not among the listed exemptions. A gym that sells food or drinks falls under the same license.

Food Plan Review

Building or substantially remodeling a kitchen, coffee bar, food counter or food-preparation area in DPHD's district needs a plan review before the work starts. DPHD's Food Safety page states that 'the State of Ohio requires that all new or substantially remodeled food facilities undergo a plan review approval process,' that plans 'will be acted upon within 30 days of receipt,' and that 'a food plan review fee must be paid in full at the time of submission.' The amounts above are published on that page and in DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026); no state component is added to them. The page also states that plumbing plans 'must be submitted separately to the DPHD plumbing department,' so a food fit-out normally runs this review, a DPHD commercial plumbing permit and the Department of Building Safety's commercial permits at the same time. The plan review comes before, and in addition to, the annual food license.

Mobile Food Service Operation / Mobile Retail Food Establishment License

A food truck, trailer or cart licensed by the Delaware Public Health District pays one of two amounts. DPHD's requirements sheet (Rev. 12/2025) prints 'HIGH RISK = $308.00 LOW RISK* = $168.00' and defines low risk as mobile units that 'sell pre-packaged food only'. The same totals, with the $28 state fee shown separately, appear in DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026). The sheet states that 'a pre-licensing inspection' is required for all new mobile operations, that from September 1, 2024 every new mobile operation must have at least one person holding an Ohio Person in Charge (PIC) certificate, and that a unit without a three-compartment sink or dish machine must use a licensed kitchen as a commissary each day. The application requires a sketch of the unit, an equipment list, surface finishes and the foods to be served. Under ORC 3717.43(D) a mobile operation files its renewal before it starts operating in a new licensing period, and a late filing carries the 25% penalty. A truck making taxable sales also needs the vendor's license, because ORC 5739.17 treats each vehicle as a place of business for a vendor with no fixed place.

Temporary Food Service License

Selling or serving food at a festival, fair, market or other short event in DPHD's district takes a temporary food service license. DPHD's temporary food service application states 'COST FOR TEMPORARY EVENTS = $125 PER DAY', and the same $125 per day appears in DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026). The application asks for the event address and dates, every food and its supplier, the licensed location where food is prepared if it is not cooked on site, and how hot foods will be held at 135°F or above and cold foods at 41°F or below. Under ORC 3717.43 the license expires at the end of the period for which it is issued and is not renewable, and ORC 3717.43(E)(1) allows a licensor to issue not more than ten temporary licenses per licensing period to the same person for different events within its jurisdiction, and only one per event.

Public Swimming Pool / Spa License

A gym, fitness studio or club with a swimming pool, spa or hot tub open to members or the public needs a license from the Delaware Public Health District for each one. A studio without a pool or spa has no pool license to obtain; the trigger is the water feature, not the business type. DPHD's Public Places page states that public swimming pools and spas 'are regulated by Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) 3701-31', that each outdoor pool is inspected roughly four times during the swimming season, and that indoor pools are inspected at least quarterly. The amounts are from DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026), which shows a DPHD fee, a state fee and a total for each line; the lower 'additional' figures apply to a second and later pool, spa or special use pool.

Tattoo and Body Piercing Approval

A salon or studio that offers tattooing or body piercing in DPHD's district needs the Delaware Public Health District's approval; a salon offering neither service is outside this record. DPHD's Public Places page states that 'under Ohio Administrative Code 3701-9, DPHD's Tattoo and Body Piercing program is responsible for the approval and inspection of the facilities within our health district that offer tattoo and/or body piercing services,' and that a sanitarian inspects each establishment at least once a year. The amounts are from DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026). ORC 3730.03 provides that approval 'remains valid for one year,' that it 'may be renewed' and that it 'is not transferable', so a change of ownership needs a new approval.

Commercial Plumbing Permit and Plan Review

New plumbing in a commercial building in most of Delaware County is permitted and inspected by the Delaware Public Health District, not by the Department of Building Safety. DPHD's Plumbing page states that its Plumbing Unit 'inspects new plumbing in residential, commercial buildings and medical gas installations in Delaware County except in the cities of Columbus, Dublin, and Westerville.' The amounts are the commercial and medical gas lines of DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026), which shows no state fee on any plumbing line. The fixture count drives both the permit and the plan review, so a restaurant, salon, veterinary clinic or child care fit-out with many fixtures pays more. DPHD's Food Safety page notes that plumbing plans for a food facility go to the plumbing department separately from the food plan review. Work installed before a permit is issued is charged double fees under the same schedule.

Plumbing Contractor Registration

A plumbing contractor installing plumbing within the Delaware Public Health District's plumbing jurisdiction registers with DPHD each year. DPHD's 2026 Application for Registration to Engage in the Plumbing Business lists five items: the signed application form; a surety bond for a minimum of $5,000.00; a certificate of insurance for a minimum of $250,000.00 listing the Delaware Public Health District, 470 S. Sandusky St., Delaware, OH 43015, as certificate holder; a current copy of the State of Ohio plumbing license ('As per House Bill 487'); and the $200.00 registration fee 'due at time of application submittal'. The $200 Plumbing Contractor Annual Registration Fee also appears in DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026), with no state fee. DPHD's 2026 bond form sets the term 'commencing this date and ending December 31, 2026', so registration runs on the calendar year. The application form also asks whether the contractor is medical gas certified (ASSE 6010) and a backflow certifier.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Delaware County
Phone
740-368-1700

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. 2026 Application for Registration to Engage in the Plumbing Business and Install Plumbing Within the Jurisdiction of the Delaware Public Health DistrictDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  2. 2026 Delaware Public Health District Environmental Health FeesDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  3. About Us — Delaware Public Health DistrictDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  4. Application for Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License (AGR 1269 / HEA 5319)Delaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  5. Commercial Plumbing Permit ApplicationDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  6. Delaware Public Health District Board of Health, signed minutes of the December 9, 2025 meeting (Resolution 2025-09, Emergency Adoption of the Amended 2026 Environmental Health Fees)Delaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  7. DPHD 2026 Bond FormDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  8. Fees — Delaware Public Health DistrictDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  9. Food Safety — Delaware Public Health DistrictDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  10. Mobile Food Service ApplicationDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  11. ORC 3717.01 — definitions: licensing period (1 March to the last day of February), mobile food service operation and the forty-consecutive-day rule, and temporary food service operationOhio Legislative Service Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  12. ORC 3717.42 — exemptions, including (B)(7) a food service operation serving thirteen or fewer individuals daily and (B)(8) a type A or type B family child care home preparing or serving food for the children receiving child careOhio Legislative Service Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  13. ORC 3717.43 — a licensor may issue not more than ten temporary food service operation licenses per licensing period to the same person or government entityOhio Legislative Service Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  14. ORC 3730.03 — application to the board of health of the city or general health district for approval to operate a tattooing or body piercing business, the fee established under ORC 3709.09, one-year validity and non-transferabilityOhio Legislative Service Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  15. Plumbing — Delaware Public Health DistrictDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  16. Public Places — Delaware Public Health DistrictDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  17. Requirements for Mobile Food Service Operations And Mobile Retail Food Establishments (Rev. 12/2025)Delaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  18. Temporary Food Service ApplicationDelaware Public Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20

Other offices serving Delaware County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Ohio jurisdictions

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.