10 permits · verified 2026-09-28
What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Lee County Al?
In short
A coffee shop in Lee County Al, AL has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services charges $200 one-time filing for the certificate of formation (llc). 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a coffee shop in Lee County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service / Health Permit | Alabama Department of Public Health, Lee County Health Department | Food-service establishment permits in Lee County are issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health's Lee County Health Department, part of ADPH's eleven-county East Central District (Autauga, Bullock, Chambers, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Russell and Tallapoosa), under statewide ADPH food-service rules at Alabama Administrative Code Ch. 420-3-22. Neither Lee County's own environmental-fees.html page nor the statewide ADPH Fee System Manual PDF is reachable online — both redirect (HTTP 302) to ADPH's generic 404 page, confirmed on a direct check — so no dollar figure for this permit is published on ADPH's public web pages. Call the Lee County Health Department, (334) 745-5765, for the current permit fee before opening. | annual | 2026-09-28 |
| 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 Lee County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County General Privilege License | Lee County Probate Judge's Office | Varies — formula on the Lee County Al page | annual | 2026-09-28 |
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 coffee shop in Lee County Al?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a coffee shop in Lee County Al, AL, 4 apply to every business of this type and 6 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
5 of the 10 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 Service / Health Permit: Food-service establishment permits in Lee County are issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health's Lee County Health Department, part of ADPH's eleven-county East Central District (Autauga, Bullock, Chambers, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Russell and Tallapoosa), under statewide ADPH food-service rules at Alabama Administrative Code Ch. 420-3-22. Neither Lee County's own environmental-fees.html page nor the statewide ADPH Fee System Manual PDF is reachable online — both redirect (HTTP 302) to ADPH's generic 404 page, confirmed on a direct check — so no dollar figure for this permit is published on ADPH's public web pages. Call the Lee County Health Department, (334) 745-5765, for the current permit fee before opening.
Food Establishment Permit: $50–$650 a year, set by the county health department, not by the state
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Lee County Al permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Lee County Al?
Permits for a coffee shop in Lee County Al, AL come from 6 separate offices: Lee County Probate Judge's Office, Alabama Department of Public Health, Lee County Health Department, 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.
- Lee County Probate Judge's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Lee County General Privilege License215 S. 9th St., Opelika, AL 36801 (mail: PO Box 2266, Opelika, AL 36803-0811) · 334-737-3670 (Opelika); 334-737-7297 (Auburn satellite office); 334-448-3299 (Smiths Station satellite office)www.leecountyal.gov/government/probate_judge/index.php
- Alabama Department of Public Health, Lee County Health DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Service / Health Permit334-745-5765www.alabamapublichealth.gov/lee
- 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 coffee shop need in Lee County Al that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in Lee County Al
- Food Service / Health Permit — Alabama Department of Public Health, Lee County Health Department, Food-service establishment permits in Lee County are issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health's Lee County Health Department, part of ADPH's eleven-county East Central District (Autauga, Bullock, Chambers, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Russell and Tallapoosa), under statewide ADPH food-service rules at Alabama Administrative Code Ch. 420-3-22. Neither Lee County's own environmental-fees.html page nor the statewide ADPH Fee System Manual PDF is reachable online — both redirect (HTTP 302) to ADPH's generic 404 page, confirmed on a direct check — so no dollar figure for this permit is published on ADPH's public web pages. Call the Lee County Health Department, (334) 745-5765, for the current permit fee before opening., annual. Also required for restaurants, food trucks and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres 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 restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging, No fee, 5 years for a certification; 12 months for attendance without certification. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Lee County Al, AL; what each one involves is set out on the Lee County Al 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 coffee shop compare with other businesses in Lee County Al?
A coffee shop and a food truck in Lee County Al, AL need exactly the same 3 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a coffee shop | Only a coffee shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food trucks | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the childcare centres page, food trucks page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Lee County Al permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.