Knox County
Knox County Health Department, Environmental Health
In short
Knox County Health Department, Environmental Health issues 3 permits we publish for Knox County, last verified 2026-10-08. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Establishment Permit (KCHD) | Knox County Health Department, Environmental Health | $30–$360 per permit year (state rule fees): $210 for 0–50 seats, $360 for 51+; auxiliary bar $100; child care food service $50 (0–50) or $80 (51+); temporary food $30 | annual permit year, July 1 – June 30 (KCHD); a temporary food permit covers 14 days per KCHD's fee table | 2026-10-08 |
| Mobile Food Unit / Mobile Cart Health Permit (KCHD) | Knox County Health Department, Environmental Health | $210 per year (July 1 – June 30), as published by KCHD | annual permit year, July 1 – June 30 | 2026-10-08 |
| Public Swimming Pool Permit (KCHD)only if it applies to you | Knox County Health Department, Environmental Health | $340 per pool permit year (April 1 – March 31); half rate when the application is made after October 1 (T.C.A. § 68-14-315) | annual permit year, April 1 – March 31 | 2026-10-08 |
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 Establishment Permit (KCHD)
In Knox County the Knox County Health Department (KCHD) issues and inspects food service permits, but the fees are the state's, not county-set fees: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01-.09 (effective 14 June 2026) sets $210 for an establishment with 0–50 seats, $360 for 51 or more seats, $100 for an auxiliary establishment, $30 for a temporary food service establishment, and $50 or $80 for a child care food service (0–50 or 51+ seats). KCHD's published fee table on its Environmental Health FAQ page lists the same amounts (Commercial Food $210/$360, 'Auxiliary Bar' $100, Child Care Facility $50/$80, Temporary Food $30) with a permit year of July 1 – June 30; the 14-day period for a temporary food permit is KCHD's own table wording, as the rule states the $30 with no period. To the question 'Is there a fee for plan review?' the FAQ answers 'Not currently.' Per the FAQ, the applicant completes a health permit application, goes through plan review, passes a preliminary inspection and pays the permit fee before the permit is issued; KCHD plan review is separate from city and county building review. Contact Environmental Health at 865-215-5200 (ext. 2) or environmental@knoxcounty.org.
Mobile Food Unit / Mobile Cart Health Permit (KCHD)
The $210 figure is KCHD's own published fee: the Knox County Health Department's fee table on its Environmental Health FAQ page lists 'Mobile Food Unit' at $210 for the July 1 – June 30 permit year, and its Mobile Cart Plan Review Guidance (revised 10 November 2025) states 'The permit fee is $210.00 per year (July 1 to June 30).' KCHD's Mobile Food Unit Guidance states that the state food service rules require plans drawn to scale for mobile food units to be submitted to the local health department for review and approval before construction or modification. The cart guidance requires operating from an approved commissary, and the FAQ says a commissary agreement must be on file with the local health department when a commissary is used. Inside the City of Knoxville, the city's own mobile food unit permit is a separate requirement on the Knoxville page. Contact KCHD at (865) 215-5200 or environmental.plans@knoxcounty.org.
Public Swimming Pool Permit (KCHD)
This applies to a fitness studio only if it operates a pool: a studio without a pool has no pool permit. T.C.A. § 68-14-313(a)(1) states that 'The permit fee to operate a public swimming pool shall be three hundred forty dollars ($340)', and T.C.A. § 68-14-315 sets half the fee when the application is made after October 1. The Knox County Health Department, which permits and inspects public pools in the county, lists 'Public Swimming Pools' at $340 with a permit year of April 1 – March 31 in the fee table on its Environmental Health FAQ page. Per the same FAQ, plan review is conducted for public pool facilities before a health permit is issued, and the pool must meet the state pool rules. Contact KCHD Environmental Health at 865-215-5200 (ext. 2) or environmental@knoxcounty.org.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Knox County
- Phone
- 865-215-5200 (ext. 2)
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.
- Environmental Health — FAQs (health permit fee table; plan review)Knox County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Mobile Cart Plan Review Guidance (revised 11.10.2025)Knox County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Mobile Food Unit Guidance (plan review)Knox County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- T.C.A. § 68-14-313 — Public swimming pool permit feeState of Tennessee (Tennessee Code Annotated) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- T.C.A. § 68-14-315 — Permit fees for partial yearState of Tennessee (Tennessee Code Annotated) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01 — food service establishments, including the permit fee schedule effective 14 June 2026Tennessee Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Other offices serving Knox County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Tennessee jurisdictions
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