11 permits · verified 2026-09-28
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Lee County Al?
In short
A restaurant in Lee County Al, AL has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 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). 6 of the 11 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 restaurant 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 |
| Alcohol License Local Approval, Unincorporated Lee Countyonly if it applies to you | Lee County Commission | Every Alabama business seeking an ABC Board retail, wholesale or on-premises alcohol license needs an approval step from the local governing body with jurisdiction over the premises before the state issues the license — inside an incorporated city, that is the city's own governing body, and in the unincorporated area of a wet county, it is the county commission. Lee County's own codified local act on alcoholic beverages, Ala. Code §45-41-20 and §45-41-20.01 (Title 45, Ch. 41, Art. 2), authorizes draft/keg beer sales countywide and Sunday alcohol sales, but sets out no distinct step-by-step application procedure, fee, or deadline for the Lee County Commission's own local-approval role in the unincorporated area, of the kind Opelika's and Auburn's own city governments each publish for applicants inside their respective city limits. Contact the Lee County Commission office directly for the current unincorporated-area approval procedure before applying to the ABC Board. | one-time local approval per application; the resulting state ABC license has its own separate renewal cycle, administered by the state, not the county | 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 restaurant in Lee County Al?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a restaurant in Lee County Al, AL, 4 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.
6 of the 11 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.
Alcohol License Local Approval, Unincorporated Lee County: Every Alabama business seeking an ABC Board retail, wholesale or on-premises alcohol license needs an approval step from the local governing body with jurisdiction over the premises before the state issues the license — inside an incorporated city, that is the city's own governing body, and in the unincorporated area of a wet county, it is the county commission. Lee County's own codified local act on alcoholic beverages, Ala. Code §45-41-20 and §45-41-20.01 (Title 45, Ch. 41, Art. 2), authorizes draft/keg beer sales countywide and Sunday alcohol sales, but sets out no distinct step-by-step application procedure, fee, or deadline for the Lee County Commission's own local-approval role in the unincorporated area, of the kind Opelika's and Auburn's own city governments each publish for applicants inside their respective city limits. Contact the Lee County Commission office directly for the current unincorporated-area approval procedure before applying to the ABC Board.
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 restaurant in Lee County Al, AL come from 7 separate offices: Lee County Probate Judge's Office, Alabama Department of Public Health, Lee County Health Department, Lee County Commission, 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
- Lee County CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Alcohol License Local Approval, Unincorporated Lee Countywww.leecountyal.gov/government/lee_county_commission/index.php
- 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 Lee County Al that other businesses do not?
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 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 coffee shops, food trucks and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres page.
- Alcohol License Local Approval, Unincorporated Lee County — Lee County Commission, Every Alabama business seeking an ABC Board retail, wholesale or on-premises alcohol license needs an approval step from the local governing body with jurisdiction over the premises before the state issues the license — inside an incorporated city, that is the city's own governing body, and in the unincorporated area of a wet county, it is the county commission. Lee County's own codified local act on alcoholic beverages, Ala. Code §45-41-20 and §45-41-20.01 (Title 45, Ch. 41, Art. 2), authorizes draft/keg beer sales countywide and Sunday alcohol sales, but sets out no distinct step-by-step application procedure, fee, or deadline for the Lee County Commission's own local-approval role in the unincorporated area, of the kind Opelika's and Auburn's own city governments each publish for applicants inside their respective city limits. Contact the Lee County Commission office directly for the current unincorporated-area approval procedure before applying to the ABC Board., one-time local approval per application; the resulting state ABC license has its own separate renewal cycle, administered by the state, not the county. Also required for retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores 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 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 restaurant compare with other businesses in Lee County Al?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Alcohol License Local Approval, Unincorporated Lee County. A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
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 childcare centres page, retail stores page and food trucks 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.
- 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.