13 permits · verified 2026-10-23
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Merced County?
In short
A restaurant in Merced County, CA has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division charges $20 per filing, biennial for the statement of information (llc). 5 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-23 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Merced County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Food Facility Health Permit | Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Division of Environmental Health | Annual local fees, by the schedule's labels. Food Facility with food preparation (i.e. restaurants, delicatessens): 0 - 49 seats $550; 50 - 149 seats $770; ≥150 seats $944. Bar $590; Bakery $590. Retail Market (grocery store): <300 sq. ft. (Pre-packaged, non-hazardous food) $40; <2,000 sq. ft. $442; 2,001 - 6,000 sq. ft. $590; 6,001 - 15,000 sq. ft. $888; 15,001-30,000 sq. ft. $1,245; >30,001 sq. ft. $1,459. Plan check: prepackaged food / equipment remodel $295 each (2.5-hour minimum); unpackaged food, food preparation $826 each (7-hour minimum); each additional hour at the schedule's hourly rate of $118. State surcharges are added separately. | annual | 2026-10-23 |
| Temporary Food Facility Permitonly if it applies to you | Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Division of Environmental Health | Local fees, by the schedule's labels: low risk single event $42/event; low risk annual fee $216/year; high risk single event $123/event; high risk annual fee $612/year; temporary food facility operating at a weekly or monthly community event less than 25 consecutive or non-consecutive days in any 90-day period $494/event. State surcharges are added separately. | per event, or annual for the annual-fee options | 2026-10-23 |
| Food Facility Permit | California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch | No fee | set by the local enforcement agency | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Handler Card | California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch | $15 statutory maximum for at least one accredited course | 3 years | 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 Merced County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Business License (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Business Licenses | Varies — formula on the Merced County page | 1 year (County Code §6.02.050); the annual license is 'valid for one year from the date of issue'; a temporary license covers activities of 30 days or less and is valid for 30 days from the start date | 2026-10-23 |
| Building Permit (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Building & Safety Division | Varies — formula on the Merced County page | per project (one-time) | 2026-10-23 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
CA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statement of Information (LLC)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $20 per filing, biennial | biennial | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $70 one-time filing | no expiry, but a Statement of Information is due biennially | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but a Statement of Information is due annually | 2026-09-03 |
| Statement of Information (Corporation)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $25 per filing, annual | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Seller's Permitonly if it applies to you | California Department of Tax and Fee Administration | No fee — no fee to apply | no expiry while actively engaged in business as a seller | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxonly if it applies to you | California Franchise Tax Board | Varies — formula on the CA page | annual, until the entity is cancelled | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — California position (city or county, not state) | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | No fee | set by the issuing city or county | 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 Merced County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a restaurant in Merced County, CA, 4 apply to every business of this type and 9 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 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $15.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Retail Food Facility Health Permit: Annual local fees, by the schedule's labels. Food Facility with food preparation (i.e. restaurants, delicatessens): 0 - 49 seats $550; 50 - 149 seats $770; ≥150 seats $944. Bar $590; Bakery $590. Retail Market (grocery store): <300 sq. ft. (Pre-packaged, non-hazardous food) $40; <2,000 sq. ft. $442; 2,001 - 6,000 sq. ft. $590; 6,001 - 15,000 sq. ft. $888; 15,001-30,000 sq. ft. $1,245; >30,001 sq. ft. $1,459. Plan check: prepackaged food / equipment remodel $295 each (2.5-hour minimum); unpackaged food, food preparation $826 each (7-hour minimum); each additional hour at the schedule's hourly rate of $118. State surcharges are added separately.
Temporary Food Facility Permit: Local fees, by the schedule's labels: low risk single event $42/event; low risk annual fee $216/year; high risk single event $123/event; high risk annual fee $612/year; temporary food facility operating at a weekly or monthly community event less than 25 consecutive or non-consecutive days in any 90-day period $494/event. State surcharges are added separately.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Merced County permits page and the CA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Merced County?
Permits for a restaurant in Merced County, CA come from 7 separate offices: Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Division of Environmental Health, Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Business Licenses, Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Building & Safety Division, California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch, California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Franchise Tax Board. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Division of Environmental HealthIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Facility Health Permit, Temporary Food Facility Permit2222 M Street, Merced, CA 95340 · (209) 381-1100www.countyofmerced.com/597/Environmental-Health
- Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Business LicensesIssues 1 permit on this page: County Business License (unincorporated area)2222 M Street, 2nd Floor, Merced, CA 95340 · (209) 385-7654permits.countyofmerced.com/Permitting-Licensing-Divisions/Business-Licenses
- Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Building & Safety DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit (unincorporated area)2222 M Street, 2nd Floor, Merced, CA 95340 · (209) 385-7477permits.countyofmerced.com/Home
- California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug BranchIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Facility Permit, Food Handler Cardwww.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/RetailFood.aspx
- California Secretary of State, Business Programs DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Statement of Information (LLC), Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation(916) 657-5448bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov
- California Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationIssues 1 permit on this page: Seller's Permitonlineservices.cdtfa.ca.gov
- California Franchise Tax BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxwww.ftb.ca.gov
What does a restaurant need in Merced County that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in Merced County
- Retail Food Facility Health Permit — Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Division of Environmental Health, Annual local fees, by the schedule's labels. Food Facility with food preparation (i.e. restaurants, delicatessens): 0 - 49 seats $550; 50 - 149 seats $770; ≥150 seats $944. Bar $590; Bakery $590. Retail Market (grocery store): <300 sq. ft. (Pre-packaged, non-hazardous food) $40; <2,000 sq. ft. $442; 2,001 - 6,000 sq. ft. $590; 6,001 - 15,000 sq. ft. $888; 15,001-30,000 sq. ft. $1,245; >30,001 sq. ft. $1,459. Plan check: prepackaged food / equipment remodel $295 each (2.5-hour minimum); unpackaged food, food preparation $826 each (7-hour minimum); each additional hour at the schedule's hourly rate of $118. State surcharges are added separately., annual. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Temporary Food Facility Permit — Merced County Community and Economic Development Department, Division of Environmental Health, Local fees, by the schedule's labels: low risk single event $42/event; low risk annual fee $216/year; high risk single event $123/event; high risk annual fee $612/year; temporary food facility operating at a weekly or monthly community event less than 25 consecutive or non-consecutive days in any 90-day period $494/event. State surcharges are added separately., per event, or annual for the annual-fee options. Also required for food trucks and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Facility Permit — California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch, No fee, set by the local enforcement agency. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Food Handler Card — California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch, $15 statutory maximum for at least one accredited course, 3 years. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Merced County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the Merced County permits page. The 7 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CA and are covered on the CA state page.
How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Merced County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Mobile Food Facility Health Permit, which a restaurant does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page, retail stores page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Merced County permits page and the CA 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.