14 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Birmingham?
In short
A restaurant in Birmingham, AL has 7 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits charges $150 flat; a new Certificate of Use and Occupancy triggered by a change of occupancy or tenant is a $300 inspection fee instead for the certificate of occupancy. 8 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Birmingham
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishment Permit | Jefferson County Department of Health, Food Protection Division | $250–$650 a year, by risk level — Level 1 $250, Level 2 $350, Level 3 $550, Level 4 $650; a mobile food service permit is $250 for Levels 1–2 or $550 for Levels 3–4 | annual | 2026-09-08 |
| Sign Permit | City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits | $175.00 application fee per sign, plus $1.50 per square foot of sign face. | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-08 |
| Municipal Business License — Restaurants and Cafes | City of Birmingham Finance Department, Tax and License Administration Division | Schedule 216, graduated by prior-year gross receipts: under $5,000 $60, rising in steps to $720 at $90,000–$100,000; above $100,000, $720 plus 0.2% of the excess. No license is issued without a current, valid health department permit on file at application. | annual — calendar year, all licenses expire December 31 regardless of purchase date | 2026-09-08 |
| Food Establishment Permit | Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging | $50–$650 a year, set by the county health department, not by the state | annual — expiring when the privilege licenses expire, or on a date the health officer sets | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging | No fee | 5 years for a certification; 12 months for attendance without certification | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Birmingham
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits | $150 flat; a new Certificate of Use and Occupancy triggered by a change of occupancy or tenant is a $300 inspection fee instead | one-time, per issuance | 2026-09-08 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits | Varies — formula on the Birmingham page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
| Zoning Certificate or Information Letteronly if it applies to you | City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits | Varies — formula on the Birmingham page | one-time, per request | 2026-09-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
AL registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State and County Business Privilege Licenseonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — 1 October to 30 September, delinquent 1 November | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Corporation Annual Report (abolished)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | No fee | not applicable — the filing no longer exists | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Privilege Taxonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — due when the matching federal return is due | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax License | Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division | No fee | annual — renew online between 1 November and 31 December | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a restaurant in Birmingham?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 14 records listed for a restaurant in Birmingham, AL, 7 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 7 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $150.00. That is a floor, not a total. 8 of the 14 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Food Establishment Permit: $250–$650 a year, by risk level — Level 1 $250, Level 2 $350, Level 3 $550, Level 4 $650; a mobile food service permit is $250 for Levels 1–2 or $550 for Levels 3–4
Sign Permit: $175.00 application fee per sign, plus $1.50 per square foot of sign face.
Municipal Business License — Restaurants and Cafes: Schedule 216, graduated by prior-year gross receipts: under $5,000 $60, rising in steps to $720 at $90,000–$100,000; above $100,000, $720 plus 0.2% of the excess. No license is issued without a current, valid health department permit on file at application.
Food Establishment Permit: $50–$650 a year, set by the county health department, not by the state
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Birmingham permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Birmingham?
Permits for a restaurant in Birmingham, AL come from 7 separate offices: Jefferson County Department of Health, Food Protection Division, City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits, City of Birmingham Finance Department, Tax and License Administration Division, Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division, Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services, Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division, Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Jefferson County Department of Health, Food Protection DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment Permit(205) 930-1260www.jcdh.org/SitePages/Programs-Services/EnvironmentalHealth/FoodProtection/FoodProt.aspx
- City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and PermitsIssues 4 permits on this page: Sign Permit, Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit, Zoning Certificate or Information Letter(205) 254-2478www.birminghamal.gov/government/city-departments/planning-engineering-permits
- City of Birmingham Finance Department, Tax and License Administration DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Municipal Business License — Restaurants and Cafes710 North 20th Street, Room TL-100, Birmingham, AL 35203 · (205) 254-2198www.birminghamal.gov/government/city-departments/finance/tax-license-division
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: State and County Business Privilege License2545 Taylor Road, Montgomery, AL 36117 · (334) 353-7827www.revenue.alabama.gov/business-license
- Alabama Secretary of State, Business ServicesIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation (LLC), Certificate of Incorporation, Corporation Annual Report (abolished)770 Washington Avenue, Suite 580, Montgomery, AL 36104 · (334) 242-5324www.sos.alabama.gov/business-entities
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Business Privilege Tax, Sales Tax LicensePO Box 327710, Montgomery, AL 36132-7710 · (334) 242-1490www.revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/business-tax-online-registration-system
- Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and LodgingIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment Permit, Certified Food Protection Manager201 Monroe Street, Suite 1250, Montgomery, AL 36104 · (334) 206-5373www.alabamapublichealth.gov/foodsafety/food-and-lodging.html
What does a restaurant need in Birmingham that other businesses do not?
Sign Permit
Historic Preservation Review or Commercial Revitalization District design review, where applicable, adds a further $35 each.
Municipal Business License — Restaurants and Cafes
Renewal is due January 1, delinquent after February 15 for general business licenses. A new business's first-year fee is based on a sworn affidavit estimating the first 90 days' gross receipts; later years use the prior year's annualised figure. The ordinance document carries a static 'effective 01/01/16' header despite plainly containing content added well after that date, so no per-amendment revision date could be confirmed — treat these figures as current as of April 2026 publication by the Alabama Department of Revenue and confirm with the Tax and License Division (205-254-2198) for a large or unusual filing.
Certified Food Protection Manager
No state fee, because Alabama neither examines nor registers anyone — the certificate comes from an accredited private programme at that programme's price. Two limits define who actually needs it. It applies only to priority category 3 and 4 establishments, broadly those handling raw animal foods, cooking to reduce pathogens, or cooling and reheating, plus anyone operating under a variance or a food safety plan; categories 1 and 2 and temporary establishments are exempt. And within those categories it is a hard requirement rather than one option among several, because Alabama expressly declines to adopt the two federal food code paragraphs that would otherwise let a person in charge demonstrate knowledge by other means. Since 2020 a certified or attendance-verified person in charge must be present during all hours of operation. There is no statewide food handler card — the phrase appears nowhere in the rules — though Jefferson and Mobile counties each issue one locally.
Shared with other businesses in Birmingham
- Food Establishment Permit — Jefferson County Department of Health, Food Protection Division, $250–$650 a year, by risk level — Level 1 $250, Level 2 $350, Level 3 $550, Level 4 $650; a mobile food service permit is $250 for Levels 1–2 or $550 for Levels 3–4, annual. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
- Food Establishment Permit — Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging, $50–$650 a year, set by the county health department, not by the state, annual — expiring when the privilege licenses expire, or on a date the health officer sets. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Birmingham, AL; what each one involves is set out on the Birmingham permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across AL and are covered on the AL state page.
How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Birmingham?
A restaurant and a coffee shop in Birmingham, AL need exactly the same 5 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Birmingham permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Birmingham — Permit and Inspection Fees, articles V and VIICity of Birmingham, Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- City of Birmingham Business License Code, Ordinance 97-183 as amended, listing of schedules by number (hosted by the Alabama Department of Revenue)City of Birmingham, republished by the Alabama Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- City of Birmingham — business license year, renewal, and delinquency datesCity of Birmingham, Finance Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- Alabama Administrative Code chapter 420-3-22 — food establishment sanitation, permits issued by the county health officerAlabama Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.