Montgomery County

Montgomery County Office of Public Health

In short

Montgomery County Office of Public Health issues 15 permits we publish for Montgomery County, last verified 2026-10-01. 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
Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Sit-Down Dining (A License)	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$345–$460 annual license fee by seating capacity — up to 49 seats $345, 50 to 199 seats $385, 200 or more seats $460, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule effective January 1, 2026	The 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule, Chapter 4 (Food Code), Chapter 21 (Inspections and Fines), and Chapter 1 (General Provisions) do not state the exact length of a license term. OPH's own permitting and licensing page states that current license holders are invoiced to renew approximately 45 days before an expiration date the page does not otherwise state.	2026-10-01
Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Mobile Food Vendor (E License)	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$290 per vehicle, per year, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule	The 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule, Chapter 4 (Food Code), Chapter 21, and Chapter 1 do not state the exact length of a license term. OPH's own permitting and licensing page states that current license holders are invoiced to renew approximately 45 days before an expiration date the page does not otherwise state.	2026-10-01
Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Commissary, incl. Caterers (D License)only if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$460 per year, covering a commissary base for mobile food units or a stand-alone catering operation, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule	The 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule, Chapter 4 (Food Code), Chapter 21, and Chapter 1 do not state the exact length of a license term. OPH's own permitting and licensing page states that current license holders are invoiced to renew approximately 45 days before an expiration date the page does not otherwise state.	2026-10-01
Temporary Food Service License (Special Event)only if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$105–$180 per vendor, per event — $180 standard, $105 for a nonprofit vendor, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule	Per event.	2026-10-01
Farmer's Market Vendor Permitonly if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$160 flat permit fee, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule	The 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule lists a single $160 permit-fee line for this program, with no separately stated season length or renewal cycle attached to it.	2026-10-01
Public Bathing Place (Pool/Spa) Registrationonly if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$85–$140 $140 per year for the first pool, spa, or spray pad; $85 per year for each additional one at the same facility, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule	Annual, per Montgomery County Public Health Code Chapter 10, Bathing Place Sanitation and Safety Program, which governs registration of every public bathing place in the county.	2026-10-01
On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Inspections, Hauler License, Fill Registry, Re-Use/Redesignonly if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	Routine inspections: conventional system $425, alternate system $550, experimental system $660, major-repair replacement $220, non-routine or component inspection $110, each per inspection. Liquid Sewage Hauler License: $215 per vehicle, per year; delinquent re-issuance $150 plus the license fee; on-premises vehicle inspection $100 plus the license fee. Fill Registry application $435. Re-Use or change-of-use review $215. Redesign review $315, all per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule.	Annual, per vehicle, for the Liquid Sewage Hauler License; one-time, per action, for every other fee on this record.	2026-10-01
Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Retail Food Facility (C License)	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$155–$700 annual license fee by facility square footage — 1,500 sq ft or less $155; 1,501–2,500 sq ft $325; 2,501–5,000 sq ft $355; 5,001–7,500 sq ft $420; 7,501–10,000 sq ft $520; 10,001–15,000 sq ft $590; 15,001 sq ft or more $700, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule	The 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule, Chapter 4 (Food Code), Chapter 21, and Chapter 1 do not state the exact length of a license term. OPH's own permitting and licensing page states that current license holders are invoiced to renew approximately 45 days before an expiration date the page does not otherwise state.	2026-10-01
Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Take-Out / Non-Temporary Vendor (B License)	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$290 flat annual fee, covering both a take-out facility with no seating and a non-temporary vendor stand, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule	The 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule, Chapter 4 (Food Code), Chapter 21, and Chapter 1 do not state the exact length of a license term. OPH's own permitting and licensing page states that current license holders are invoiced to renew approximately 45 days before an expiration date the page does not otherwise state.	2026-10-01
Mass Gathering Permitonly if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$885 processing fee per Mass Gathering event, plus $180 per vendor booth or stand, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule	Per event.	2026-10-01
Food Facility Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	Retail food facility plan review, by square footage: 2,000 square feet or less $265, plus $65 for each additional 1 to 200 square feet. Plan review for a food establishment that is not a retail facility is a flat $265, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule.	One-time, before opening a new facility or completing a remodel.	2026-10-01
Certified Food Safety Manager (CFSM) Certificateonly if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$95 per 5-year certificate, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule's Field Services fee table	5 years, per Chapter 4 §4-3(e): 'A Certified Food Safety Manager is required to reapply for certification every five (5) years.'	2026-10-01
Organized Camp Permit (CMG License)only if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	$245 permit fee, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule	One calendar year from the date of issuance, unless revoked or suspended, per Chapter 16 §16-12(b): 'The permit shall be valid for one calendar year from date of issuance unless revoked or suspended by the Department.'	2026-10-01
On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Site Evaluation & New/Repair Permitonly if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	Soil probes/percolation test $485 per lot; major repairs (probes plus percolation) $485 per lot; additional or secondary site $625 per lot; conventional-system permit $425 per application; alternate and experimental systems $550 per application; retention tanks $245 per application; major repair or replacement $225 per application; minor repair $140 per application; modification $95 per application; permit transfer or duplication $165; re-submittal review $160 per application, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule.	One-time, per application; related inspection fees are billed separately under the companion On-Lot Sewage inspections record here.	2026-10-01
Individual Water Supply / Irrigation & Geothermal Well Permitonly if it applies to you	Montgomery County Office of Public Health	Permit application review and installation inspection $270; additional well inspection $110 per inspection; permit transfer $165; modification $105; geothermal well with fewer than 5 boreholes $250, each additional 5-borehole increment $155, geothermal maximum per site $1,100, per the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule.	Per permit or action.	2026-10-01

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

Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Sit-Down Dining (A License)

Every restaurant or coffee shop offering sit-down dining in Montgomery County needs this license from the Office of Public Health, priced by seating capacity under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule effective January 1, 2026: $345 for up to 49 seats, $385 for 50 to 199 seats, and $460 for 200 or more seats. Chapter 4 §4-5 requires a valid permit to operate any food facility, and §4-2 adopts the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Food Code by reference. A combined sit-down and retail-sales operation pays the higher 'AA license' rate, stacking this record's A-license fee with the C-license Retail Food Facility fee listed separately here. The exact renewal cycle length is not stated in the fee schedule or in Chapters 1, 4, or 21 of the Public Health Code; OPH's own permitting and licensing page confirms only that current holders are invoiced to renew about 45 days before an expiration date that is not otherwise published.

Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Mobile Food Vendor (E License)

A food truck operating in Montgomery County needs this Mobile Food Vendor license from OPH, priced per vehicle at $290 per year under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule. A mobile unit must also be tied to a licensed Commissary (the D License listed separately here) under the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Food Code adopted by reference. A childcare facility's own on-site food preparation needs the facility-type license listed elsewhere here instead; this record is specifically for a vehicle-based mobile unit. The exact renewal cycle length is not stated in the fee schedule or Chapters 1, 4, or 21 of the Public Health Code; OPH's own permitting and licensing page confirms only that current holders are invoiced to renew about 45 days before an unstated expiration date.

Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Commissary, incl. Caterers (D License)

A food-truck commissary base, or a stand-alone catering operation run by a restaurant, in Montgomery County needs this Commissary/Caterer license from OPH, priced flat at $460 per year under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule. Every Mobile Food Vendor license listed separately here requires the mobile unit to be tied to a licensed commissary of this type, so a food-truck operator that also runs its own commissary needs both licenses rather than this one alone. The exact renewal cycle length is not stated in the fee schedule or Chapters 1, 4, or 21 of the Public Health Code; OPH's own permitting and licensing page confirms only that current holders are invoiced to renew about 45 days before an unstated expiration date.

Temporary Food Service License (Special Event)

A restaurant, coffee shop, food truck, or retail store selling food at a fair, festival, or other short-term event in Montgomery County needs a Temporary Food Service License from OPH for each event, priced under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule at $180 per vendor per event, or $105 for a nonprofit vendor. Chapter 4 §4-5 requires a valid permit to operate any food establishment and specifically extends that requirement to a temporary or otherwise transient operation, so this license is required in addition to, not instead of, any standing facility license a vendor otherwise holds for its base location. Application materials for this license are published as a standalone form on OPH's permitting and licensing page alongside the county's other Environmental Field Services applications.

Farmer's Market Vendor Permit

A retail-store or food-truck vendor selling at a farmers market in Montgomery County needs this Farmer's Market Vendor Permit from OPH, priced flat at $160 under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule — the schedule's own Farmer's Market Vendor line lists only this single tier, with no second or higher tier. The application form for this permit is published separately from OPH's other Environmental Field Services applications. The schedule does not separately state how long the permit covers beyond the flat per-permit fee itself, so only the flat fee is given here, with no season length.

Public Bathing Place (Pool/Spa) Registration

A fitness studio operating a pool, spa, or hot tub in Montgomery County registers it annually with OPH, priced at $140 per year for the first pool, spa, or spray pad and $85 per year for each additional one at the same facility, under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule. Chapter 10 §10-8 through §10-14 separately require a distinct $10-per-year state construction-type permit payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania — a smaller, separate state fee from this county registration fee; both can apply to the same facility, but only this $140/$85 county registration fee is the fee listed here. A fitness studio without a pool, spa, or hot tub has no obligation under this program.

On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Inspections, Hauler License, Fill Registry, Re-Use/Redesign

A contractor hauling septic or sewage waste in Montgomery County needs the annual Liquid Sewage Hauler License from OPH at $215 per vehicle per year under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule — the one county-level license here reaching a contractor business directly for septic-waste hauling. The same fee schedule also prices the routine inspections, fill-registry registration, and re-use/redesign reviews that apply across the ten industries covered here wherever a property is not connected to public sewer, from $110 for a non-routine or component inspection up to $660 for an experimental-system inspection, plus a flat $435 Fill Registry application and $215/$315 for re-use and redesign reviews respectively. This record is a companion to the site-evaluation and new/repair permit fees listed separately here under the same Chapter 15 authority.

Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Retail Food Facility (C License)

A retail store selling food (grocery, mini-mart, or convenience-store format) in Montgomery County needs this license from OPH, priced by square footage under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule from $155 for 1,500 square feet or less up to $700 for 15,001 square feet or more. A childcare facility that operates a retail-type food area is also within scope. A retail facility that also offers take-out or sit-down dining pays the higher combined 'CC license' rate, stacking this record's C-license fee with the B- or A-license fee listed separately here. The exact renewal cycle length is not stated in the fee schedule or Chapters 1, 4, or 21 of the Public Health Code; OPH's own permitting and licensing page confirms only that current holders are invoiced to renew about 45 days before an expiration date that is not otherwise published.

Eating & Drinking Establishment License — Take-Out / Non-Temporary Vendor (B License)

A restaurant, coffee shop, or food truck operating a fixed take-out window with no seating, or a non-temporary vendor stand, in Montgomery County needs this license from OPH, priced flat at $290 under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule — the same figure applies to both the take-out-facility line and the non-temporary-vendor line on the schedule. This is distinct from the Mobile Food Vendor (E License) listed separately here, which covers a vehicle-based mobile unit rather than a fixed stand or window. The exact renewal cycle length is not stated in the fee schedule or Chapters 1, 4, or 21 of the Public Health Code; OPH's own permitting and licensing page confirms only that current holders are invoiced to renew about 45 days before an expiration date that is not otherwise published.

Mass Gathering Permit

A restaurant, food truck, or retail store vending at a qualifying large public event in Montgomery County falls under this Mass Gathering Permit, which OPH charges as an $885 processing fee per event plus $180 for each vendor booth or stand, under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule. The governing chapter, Chapter 12, was adopted May 3, 2017 but did not take effect until September 17, 2020 — a roughly three-year gap printed on the chapter's own cover page — and remains the current authority for this program. This permit is separate from, and in addition to, any individual Temporary Food Service License a vendor at the gathering needs for its own booth, which is listed separately here.

Food Facility Plan Review

Before a new food facility opens, or an existing one remodels, in Montgomery County, OPH reviews the construction plans for a one-time fee under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule: a retail food facility pays $265 for the first 2,000 square feet, plus $65 for each additional 1 to 200 square feet, while a non-retail food establishment pays a flat $265. This plan-review fee is charged in addition to, not instead of, the operating license fee for whichever Eating & Drinking Establishment facility type (A, B, C, D, or E license, each listed separately here) applies to the finished business.

Certified Food Safety Manager (CFSM) Certificate

Every 'Person in Charge' of a public food-service facility in Montgomery County — relevant to the restaurant, coffee-shop, and food-truck industries — must hold this Certified Food Safety Manager certificate, issued by OPH for $95 under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule's Field Services table, valid for five years per Chapter 4 §4-3(e). Chapter 4 §4-3(h) exempts a facility that handles only commercially prepackaged food, or no potentially-hazardous food, from needing a certificate holder on staff. A reciprocity application is available for an applicant who already holds an out-of-county or out-of-state CFSM credential, letting that credential carry over rather than requiring a new county exam.

Organized Camp Permit (CMG License)

A childcare business in Montgomery County that independently operates as a multi-day organized camp needs this Organized Camp Permit from OPH, priced at $245 under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule and valid for one calendar year from the date of issuance, unless revoked or suspended, per Chapter 16 §16-12(b). This is a narrow scope: an ordinary daytime childcare center that is not an organized, multi-day camp has no obligation under this specific permit, though it may still need the Retail Food Facility License listed separately here if it prepares food on-site.

On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Site Evaluation & New/Repair Permit

Any Montgomery County business not connected to public sewer — typically at new construction — needs a site evaluation and permit from OPH before installing or repairing an on-lot septic system, under fee lines in the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule ranging from $95 for a modification application up to $625 for an additional or secondary site evaluation per lot. The governing chapter, Chapter 15, was revised and adopted April 16, 2015, effective April 27, 2015, and is read together with the state's own Sewage Facilities Act and its implementing regulations. This record covers the site-evaluation and permit-issuance fees specifically; related inspection fees, the Liquid Sewage Hauler License, and fill-registry/re-use/redesign fees are recorded in a companion record here.

Individual Water Supply / Irrigation & Geothermal Well Permit

Any Montgomery County business not on public water — most relevant to the restaurant, retail-store, childcare, fitness-studio, veterinary, auto-repair, and contractor industries — needs a well permit from OPH before installing an individual water supply, irrigation, or geothermal well, priced under the 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule from $105 for a modification up to $1,100 for the geothermal maximum per site. The governing chapter, Chapter 17, was revised and adopted October 4, 2012, effective January 1, 2013, and remains the current authority for this program. A permit application review paired with the installation inspection is a combined flat $270, with each additional required inspection billed separately at $110.

Contact

Jurisdiction: Montgomery County
Phone: 610-278-3000
Website: www.montgomerycountypa.gov/departments/health-human-services/office-public-health/programs-services/permitting-licensing

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.

Montgomery County Office of Public Health — Permitting & Licensing pageMontgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Montgomery County Office of Public Health, 2026 Fee and Permit Schedule (effective January 1, 2026)Montgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Montgomery County Public Health Code Chapter 10, Bathing Place Sanitation and Safety Program, revised and adopted March 21, 2025Montgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Montgomery County Public Health Code Chapter 12, Mass Gatherings, adopted May 3, 2017, effective September 17, 2020Montgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Montgomery County Public Health Code Chapter 15, On-lot Sewage Disposal, revised and adopted April 16, 2015, effective April 27, 2015Montgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Montgomery County Public Health Code Chapter 16, Organized Camps and Campgrounds, revised and adopted March 21, 2025Montgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Montgomery County Public Health Code Chapter 17, Individual Water Supply, Irrigation Well, and Geothermal Well System Regulations, revised and adopted October 4, 2012, effective January 1, 2013Montgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Montgomery County Public Health Code Chapter 4, Food Protection (Food Code), adopted May 3, 2017, effective June 3, 2017Montgomery County Office of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02

Other offices serving Montgomery County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Business licenses in Montgomery County

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Pennsylvania jurisdictions

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