Erie County

Erie County Department of Health

In short

Erie County Department of Health issues 4 permits we publish for Erie 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
Retail Food Facility License (annual)	Erie County Department of Health	Annual license fee by facility type, per the ECDH Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services, effective January 1, 2025 (§1.B): Retail less than 1,000 sq. ft $115; Retail 1,001-5,000 sq. ft $210; Retail 5,001-10,000 sq. ft $270; Retail 10,001-20,000 sq. ft $350; Retail greater than 20,000 sq. ft $700; Takeout, no seats $150; 1-50 seats $210; 51-100 seats $270; 101-150 seats $350; greater than 150 seats $425; Catering $200; Mobile Unit $150; Shared Kitchen $100; Manufacturing $100. Food vending machines (§1.A): base fee $100 plus $2 per machine. Initial application for a new facility (§3.A) $150. Rush fee for an annual license application submitted within 7 days of opening (§4.A) $75. Overdue license fee (§5): 1 to 9 days past due $50; 10 to 29 days $100; 30 or more days $200. Follow-up inspections (§2.B): second follow-up $100; third and each later follow-up $200.	annual; the schedule lists these under 'Annual License/Permit Fees'	2026-10-21
Temporary Food License (per unit, per event)only if it applies to you	Erie County Department of Health	Per the ECDH Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services, effective January 1, 2025 (§7.A): Temporary License for a 1 or 2-day event $50; 3 to 7-day event $100; 8 to 14-day event $155; Farmer's Market (seasonal June-October) $50. Rush fees (§4.B-C): application submitted within 7 days of the event $50 per vendor; application with an accompanying Coordinator's Application for a Temporary Event submitted within 3 business days of the event $100 per vendor.	per event, priced by event length (1-2, 3-7 or 8-14 days); the Farmer's Market license is seasonal, June to October	2026-10-21
Body Art Establishment Licenseonly if it applies to you	Erie County Department of Health	Per the ECDH Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services, effective January 1, 2025: annual Body Art license $170 (§1.G); initial application $150 (§3.A); Temporary Body Art License $70 (§7.C).	one year; the regulations state 'Licenses must be renewed annually and are valid for one year after date of issuance'	2026-10-21
Public Bathing Place (Pool) Registration and Annual Inspectiononly if it applies to you	Erie County Department of Health	Per the ECDH Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services, effective January 1, 2025: Bathing Place application $100 (§3.B); annual inspection of Public Bathing Places $100 (§2.A.1).	annual inspection	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

Retail Food Facility License (annual)

A restaurant, coffee shop, grocery or other retail food store, caterer or mobile food unit in Erie County, Pennsylvania needs an annual license from the Erie County Department of Health. The Department's Restaurants, Groceries and Events page states that it "is responsible for inspecting and licensing more than 1,600 retail food facilities throughout Erie County. This includes restaurants, grocery stores, cafeterias, mobile food vendors and vending companies", and links the 2025 fee schedule. The fees are per the Erie County Department of Health 'Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services', which gives an effective date of January 1, 2025 and which the Erie County Board of Health minutes of October 28, 2024 describe as "approved by County Council". The posted schedule's header reads "Proposed effective date: January 1, 2025", and the Board of Health minutes of October 28, 2024 state: "A new fee schedule for services was approved by County Council." The annual fee ranges from $115 for a retail store under 1,000 sq. ft to $700 over 20,000 sq. ft, and from $150 for takeout with no seats to $425 for more than 150 seats; a mobile unit pays $150 and a caterer $200. A new facility also pays the $150 initial application fee, and a $75 rush fee applies when the application is submitted within 7 days of opening. The schedule (§10.A) provides an automatic increase: 'Effective January 1 of every third year following the date of approval, all fees outlined in this fee schedule shall be subject to an increase of 7.5%, rounded to the nearest dollar', and states that the increase 'will occur automatically without the need for further approval or notice'. Applications are made through the Department's online license and permit portal linked from its Licenses, Permits & Inspections page.

Temporary Food License (per unit, per event)

A restaurant, coffee shop or food truck selling food at a fair, festival, carnival or other event in Erie County, Pennsylvania needs a temporary food license from the Erie County Department of Health. The Department's Restaurants, Groceries and Events page states that "Temporary licenses are issued to each food facility at an event (i.e., fair, festival, carnival, etc.). Fees are charged per unit per event." The fees are per the Erie County Department of Health 'Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services', which gives an effective date of January 1, 2025 and which the Erie County Board of Health minutes of October 28, 2024 describe as "approved by County Council": $50 for a 1 or 2-day event, $100 for 3 to 7 days, $155 for 8 to 14 days, and $50 for a seasonal Farmer's Market license (June to October). A late application costs a $50 rush fee per vendor within 7 days of the event, or $100 per vendor within 3 business days when it comes with a Coordinator's Application for a Temporary Event; the schedule states: "Applications for temporary licenses without an accompanying Coordinator's Application for a Temporary Event received within 3 business days will not be able to be accommodated." The schedule (§10.A) provides an automatic increase: 'Effective January 1 of every third year following the date of approval, all fees outlined in this fee schedule shall be subject to an increase of 7.5%, rounded to the nearest dollar', and states that the increase 'will occur automatically without the need for further approval or notice'.

Body Art Establishment License

A salon that offers tattooing or body piercing in Erie County, Pennsylvania needs a Body Art Establishment License from the Erie County Department of Health; a salon offering neither is outside these regulations. The Department's Tattoos and Body Piercing page states that it "is responsible for inspecting and licensing body art establishments throughout Erie County. This includes tattoo and piercing establishments", and lists the Body Art Establishment Regulations (2016). Section 4(b) of the regulations provides: "No person shall operate a body art establishment in Erie County without a valid License issued by the Department", "Licenses are not transferable" and "Licenses must be renewed annually and are valid for one year after date of issuance"; §4(c) requires a Temporary License to operate at a temporary event such as a fair or festival. The fees are per the Erie County Department of Health 'Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services', which gives an effective date of January 1, 2025 and which the Erie County Board of Health minutes of October 28, 2024 describe as "approved by County Council": $170 for the annual license, $150 for the initial application and $70 for a temporary license. The schedule (§10.A) provides an automatic increase: 'Effective January 1 of every third year following the date of approval, all fees outlined in this fee schedule shall be subject to an increase of 7.5%, rounded to the nearest dollar', and states that the increase 'will occur automatically without the need for further approval or notice'.

Public Bathing Place (Pool) Registration and Annual Inspection

A fitness studio or gym with a pool in Erie County, Pennsylvania registers it with the Erie County Department of Health; a studio without a pool has no pool registration. The Department's page on moving its license and permit applications online lists "Registrations for Public Pools and Small Flow Treatment Facilities" among the programs it handles. The fees are per the Erie County Department of Health 'Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services', which gives an effective date of January 1, 2025 and which the Erie County Board of Health minutes of October 28, 2024 describe as "approved by County Council": a $100 Bathing Place application fee and a $100 annual inspection fee for Public Bathing Places. The schedule (§10.A) provides an automatic increase: 'Effective January 1 of every third year following the date of approval, all fees outlined in this fee schedule shall be subject to an increase of 7.5%, rounded to the nearest dollar', and states that the increase 'will occur automatically without the need for further approval or notice'.

Contact

Jurisdiction: Erie County
Phone: 814-451-6700
Website: eriecountypa.gov/departments/health/services-and-programs/licenses-permits-inspections/

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.

Erie County Board of Health Meeting Minutes, 10.28.2024Erie County Board of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Erie County Department of Health Body Art Establishment Regulations (May 2016)Erie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Erie County Department of Health Fee Schedule for Environmental Health ServicesErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Health Department License and Permit Applications Will Move OnlineErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Licenses, Permits & InspectionsErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Restaurants, Groceries and EventsErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
Tattoos and Body PiercingErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21

Other offices serving Erie County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Business licenses in Erie County

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Pennsylvania jurisdictions

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