11 permits · verified 2026-09-28
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Morgan County Al?
In short
A restaurant in Morgan 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 Morgan County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishment Health Permit | Morgan County Board of Health / Morgan County Health Department, Environmental Health | $40–$175 by facility type and employee count, per the Morgan County Health Department's own 2016 Environmental Health Fees page: Full-Time Food Establishment Permit $125.00 (1-5 employees), $150.00 (6-9 employees), $175.00 (10+ employees); Part-Time Food Establishment Permit $60.00 (1-5 employees), $70.00 (6-9 employees), $85.00 (10+ employees); Temporary Food Establishment Permit (15 days or fewer per calendar year) $40.00 | annual for Full-Time and Part-Time permits; up to 15 days per calendar year for a Temporary permit | 2026-09-28 |
| Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensingonly if it applies to you | Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board | Morgan County is classified 'Dry - Contains Wet Cities' by the Alabama ABC Board: Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and Trinity are wet by local option, while Falkville, Eva and all unincorporated Morgan County remain dry. Alcohol retail licenses themselves are issued and priced by the state ABC Board, not by Morgan County; every ABC application also requires an approval letter from the relevant local governing body — the city council for a premises inside one of the four wet cities. No county-collected fee applies to this wet/dry status determination itself, and because the unincorporated county and the non-wet towns remain dry, no ABC retail license can be obtained for a premises located there absent a further local-option change. | not applicable — this documents wet/dry classification and licensing scope, not a permit with its own renewal term | 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 Morgan County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County General Privilege/Business License | Morgan County Commissioner of Licenses | Varies — formula on the Morgan 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 Morgan 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 Morgan 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 Establishment Health Permit: $40–$175 by facility type and employee count, per the Morgan County Health Department's own 2016 Environmental Health Fees page: Full-Time Food Establishment Permit $125.00 (1-5 employees), $150.00 (6-9 employees), $175.00 (10+ employees); Part-Time Food Establishment Permit $60.00 (1-5 employees), $70.00 (6-9 employees), $85.00 (10+ employees); Temporary Food Establishment Permit (15 days or fewer per calendar year) $40.00
Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensing: Morgan County is classified 'Dry - Contains Wet Cities' by the Alabama ABC Board: Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and Trinity are wet by local option, while Falkville, Eva and all unincorporated Morgan County remain dry. Alcohol retail licenses themselves are issued and priced by the state ABC Board, not by Morgan County; every ABC application also requires an approval letter from the relevant local governing body — the city council for a premises inside one of the four wet cities. No county-collected fee applies to this wet/dry status determination itself, and because the unincorporated county and the non-wet towns remain dry, no ABC retail license can be obtained for a premises located there absent a further local-option change.
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 Morgan County Al permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Morgan County Al?
Permits for a restaurant in Morgan County Al, AL come from 7 separate offices: Morgan County Commissioner of Licenses, Morgan County Board of Health / Morgan County Health Department, Environmental Health, Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, 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.
- Morgan County Commissioner of LicensesIssues 1 permit on this page: Morgan County General Privilege/Business License302 Lee Street NE, Decatur, AL 35601 (P.O. Box 668, Decatur, AL 35602) · (256) 351-4770; (256) 351-4779; fax (256) 350-1127www.morgancountylicense.com
- Morgan County Board of Health / Morgan County Health Department, Environmental HealthIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment Health Permit3821 Hwy. 31 South, Decatur, AL 35603 · (256) 353-7021 (main office, ask for Environmental); (256) 340-6563 (Environmental direct)www.alabamapublichealth.gov/morgan
- Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensingalabcboard.gov/licensing-compliance/wet-cities
- 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 Morgan County Al that other businesses do not?
Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensing
A restaurant or retail store selling alcohol in Morgan County must apply to the state Alabama ABC Board for the underlying retail license, but where that premises can even be located depends on Morgan County's wet/dry status: the ABC Board's own wet-cities table classifies Morgan County 'Dry - Contains Wet Cities,' listing Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and Trinity as wet by local option. Falkville and Eva are not listed as wet, so they, along with all unincorporated Morgan County, remain dry, meaning no ABC retail alcohol license can be obtained for a premises in those areas absent a future local-option election changing that status. For a premises inside one of the four wet cities, the ABC Board's standard licensing procedure requires an approval letter from that city's own governing body — the relevant city council — as part of the state application; this is a municipal-level step, not a Morgan County Commission function, since every wet premises in Morgan County sits within a wet city's limits. No separate Morgan-County-collected fee applies to alcohol licensing itself; the state ABC Board sets and collects the underlying license fees.
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 Morgan County Al
- Food Establishment Health Permit — Morgan County Board of Health / Morgan County Health Department, Environmental Health, $40–$175 by facility type and employee count, per the Morgan County Health Department's own 2016 Environmental Health Fees page: Full-Time Food Establishment Permit $125.00 (1-5 employees), $150.00 (6-9 employees), $175.00 (10+ employees); Part-Time Food Establishment Permit $60.00 (1-5 employees), $70.00 (6-9 employees), $85.00 (10+ employees); Temporary Food Establishment Permit (15 days or fewer per calendar year) $40.00, annual for Full-Time and Part-Time permits; up to 15 days per calendar year for a Temporary permit. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks and childcare centres; 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 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Morgan County Al, AL; what each one involves is set out on the Morgan 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 Morgan County Al?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensing. 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 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| 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 food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Morgan County Al permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Wet Cities — Morgan County (row 52) listed 'Dry - Contains Wet Cities': Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville, TrinityAlabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- 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.