Charleston
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department
In short
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department issues 3 permits we publish for Charleston, last verified 2026-09-11. 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 (Kanawha-Charleston Health Department) | Kanawha-Charleston Health Department | $125–$500 banded by seating capacity — $125.00 (0-20 seats), $250.00 (21-50 seats), $375.00 (51-80 seats), $500.00 (81+ seats); a further $125.00 add-on applies if the establishment also sells ABC/liquor. Plan review for a new food-service establishment is priced separately, from $125.00 (fewer than 25 seats) to $325.00 (more than 75 seats). | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-11 |
| Mobile Food Permit (Kanawha-Charleston Health Department) | Kanawha-Charleston Health Department | $125.00 Mobile Food Permit, plus a one-time $150.00 plan review fee for a mobile unit application. | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-11 |
| Daycare Facility Permit (Kanawha-Charleston Health Department) | Kanawha-Charleston Health Department | $60.00 for a Family Day Care (7-12 children), $125.00 for a Day Care Center (13-25 children), or $185.00 for a Day Care Center (26+ children), per the Department's own current fee schedule. A separate plan-review fee applies by the same size bands: $125.00 (fewer than 10 children), $225.00 (10-20 children), or $325.00 (more than 20 children). | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-11 |
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 (Kanawha-Charleston Health Department)
The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department (KCHD) — confirmed under that exact joint city-county name on its own current fee-schedule letterhead — is the local food-permitting authority here; the City's own Business Registration Application requires any applicant selling or serving prepared food to attach 'a copy of your Kanawha County Health Permit.' West Virginia's own state layer confirms ordinary restaurant fees are no longer fixed by a uniform statewide table and are instead set independently by each county health department, consistent with KCHD's own schedule. The fee schedule is dated on its own face 'FY 2022-2023,' and it is the fee document the Department's food-program page links to as of October 2026, so it is treated here as the in-force schedule.
Mobile Food Permit (Kanawha-Charleston Health Department)
This Health Department permit is the real food-safety credential for a Charleston food truck, distinct from — and required in addition to — the City Collector's own $20.00/year Vending Permit recorded separately above. A Charleston food truck operator needs both, plus a Charleston Fire Department inspection where applicable.
Daycare Facility Permit (Kanawha-Charleston Health Department)
This is the city-specific childcare permit layered on top of West Virginia's own state Child Care Centre License recorded at the state layer. The City's own current Zoning Ordinance independently cross-references this exact department for the exact same use: 'Family day care facilities and Family day care homes shall comply with the following: a. The City-County Health Department shall approve the proposed plans[;] b. The Building Commissioner and Fire Inspection Bureau shall approve the proposed plans' — confirming this Health Department approval, plus Building and Fire sign-off, are all required before a Charleston daycare may open, independent of the state's own separate licensing process.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Charleston
- Phone
- (304) 344-5243
- Website
- www.kchdwv.org/
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.
- Business Registration (revised 5/2024) — the City Collector's own current application, pricing the General Business License at $20.00 and requiring a Kanawha County Health Permit for any business selling or serving prepared foodCity of Charleston, Office of the City Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
- Environmental — the Department's own page describing its role permitting and inspecting the county's 1,200+ food establishmentsKanawha-Charleston Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
- Environmental Health Fees for Permits / Services — the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department's own current fee schedule (linked from the Department's food program page), pricing Food Service Establishment permits ($125-$500 by seat count), the Mobile Food Permit ($125 plus $150 plan review), and Daycare Facility permits ($60-$185 by enrollment)Kanawha-Charleston Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
- Zoning Ordinance of the City of Charleston, West Virginia (Ord. No. 7167, Nov. 21, 2005, as printed October 24, 2024) — the City's own complete current zoning text, including the $125.00 filing fee for Conditional Use Permits (§ 30-020), rezonings (§ 29-030), variances (§ 31-020), and appeals (§ 32-020); sign permit procedures (Article 24); the zoning Certificate of Compliance and fee-schedule deferral (§§ 28-030, 28-040); and use definitions for Automotive Repair Establishment, Animal Hospital/Clinic, Kennel, Gymnasium/Athletic Club, and Family Day CareCity of Charleston, West Virginia, Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
Other offices serving Charleston
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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