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15 permits · verified 2026-10-10

What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Adams County Co?

In short

A restaurant in Adams County Co, CO has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 12 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division charges $50 one-time filing, online only for the articles of incorporation. 10 of the 15 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Adams County Co

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Retail Food Establishment License (annual; fixed and mobile)Adams County Health Department, Environmental HealthAmounts the Adams County Health Department publishes for 2026 under "Fees Set by Colorado Legislature" (C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1), as enacted by SB25-285): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, over 200 seats $581; limited food service establishment $338; grocery store without deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $244, over 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $469, over 15,000 sq. ft. $894; mobile unit full service $481, prepackaged food $338. The statutory schedule changes on 1/1/2027; contact ACHD for the amounts it charges from that date.annual, valid January 1 through December 31; mobile licenses expire December 31 regardless of issue date; not prorated and not transferable2026-10-10
Liquor or Fermented Malt Beverage License: Adams County approval before state filing (unincorporated county)only if it applies to youAdams County Licensing (Liquor and Marijuana Licensing Authority Board)State's fee only, per the Colorado Department of Revenue's DR 8500 fee schedule dated 08/14/26: state application fee $1,100 ($1,200 with concurrent review); state transfer of ownership application fee $1,100; state annual renewal application fee $250; state annual license fee for a county-issued license: Hotel & Restaurant $500, Tavern $500, Lodging $500, Entertainment $500, Brew Pub $750, Beer & Wine $436.25, Retail Liquor Store $312.50, Fermented Malt Beverage types $117.50; state manager registration $30; state special event permit $25 per day ($10 per day for fermented malt beverage). The local (county) portion is charged in addition and is not stated in a current Adams County document; contact Adams County Licensing.annual; renewals are filed with Adams County 45 days before the license expires2026-10-10
Special Event Retail Food Licenseonly if it applies to youAdams County Health Department, Environmental HealthSpecial events license $165 a year per license; special event plan review application $160 per event; late fee $50 per late application; special event inspection $80 per hour per inspector (ACHD 2026 fee page).annual (the license fee is charged annually per license); plan review per event2026-10-10
Public Dance Hall License (county license, patron dancing)only if it applies to youAdams County Licensing (Liquor and Marijuana Licensing Authority Board)$10 application fee plus $25 license fee, as stated on the county's Public Dance Hall License Application Process sheet.not stated on the county's process sheet2026-10-10
Retail Food Establishment Plan Review (fixed and mobile)only if it applies to youAdams County Health Department, Environmental Health$155 application fee at submission; plan review and pre-opening inspection billed at an hourly rate and not to exceed $900, due at licensing (C.R.S. 25-4-1607(2)). HACCP plan review at actual cost, not to exceed $620 for a process already conducted at the facility and $100 for a specific written process (25-4-1607(4)). Optional site evaluation of a potential location: $120 or the actual cost, whichever is greater, with $120 billed when requested (25-4-1607(5)).one-time, before a new, extensively remodelled or never-licensed establishment or mobile unit opens2026-10-10
Retail Food Establishment LicenseColorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability$244–$1,063 a year for 2026, banded by establishment type and size; the schedule rises in 2027 and 2028annual2026-09-03
Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to youColorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and SustainabilityNo feeset by the certifying programme, not by Colorado2026-09-03

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 Adams County Co

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
On-Site Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permit (conditional: sites not on public sewer)only if it applies to youAdams County Health Department, Environmental HealthVaries — formula on the Adams County Co pageper permit (installation, repair or expansion)2026-10-10
Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Permit (unincorporated Adams County)only if it applies to youAdams County Community and Economic Development Department, Building SafetyVaries — formula on the Adams County Co pageper permit2026-10-10
Certificate of Occupancy (unincorporated Adams County)only if it applies to youAdams County Community and Economic Development Department, Building SafetyVaries — formula on the Adams County Co pageone-time, on completion of the permitted work2026-10-10

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

CO registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youColorado Secretary of State, Business Division$50 one-time filing, online onlyperpetual, but a periodic report is due every year2026-09-03
General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally)only if it applies to youColorado Secretary of State, Business DivisionNo feeset by the city or county2026-09-03
Sales Tax LicenseColorado Department of Revenue, Taxation DivisionVaries — formula on the CO page2 years — every license expires on 31 December of an odd-numbered year2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youColorado Secretary of State, Business Division$50 one-time filing, online onlyperpetual, but a periodic report is due every year2026-09-03
Periodic Reportonly if it applies to youColorado Secretary of State, Business Division$25 a year; $50 more if filed lateannual — due in the entity's own periodic report month2026-09-03

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 Adams County Co?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 15 records listed for a restaurant in Adams County Co, CO, 3 apply to every business of this type and 12 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

10 of the 15 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 Establishment License (annual; fixed and mobile): Amounts the Adams County Health Department publishes for 2026 under "Fees Set by Colorado Legislature" (C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1), as enacted by SB25-285): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, over 200 seats $581; limited food service establishment $338; grocery store without deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $244, over 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $469, over 15,000 sq. ft. $894; mobile unit full service $481, prepackaged food $338. The statutory schedule changes on 1/1/2027; contact ACHD for the amounts it charges from that date.

Liquor or Fermented Malt Beverage License: Adams County approval before state filing (unincorporated county): State's fee only, per the Colorado Department of Revenue's DR 8500 fee schedule dated 08/14/26: state application fee $1,100 ($1,200 with concurrent review); state transfer of ownership application fee $1,100; state annual renewal application fee $250; state annual license fee for a county-issued license: Hotel & Restaurant $500, Tavern $500, Lodging $500, Entertainment $500, Brew Pub $750, Beer & Wine $436.25, Retail Liquor Store $312.50, Fermented Malt Beverage types $117.50; state manager registration $30; state special event permit $25 per day ($10 per day for fermented malt beverage). The local (county) portion is charged in addition and is not stated in a current Adams County document; contact Adams County Licensing.

Special Event Retail Food License: Special events license $165 a year per license; special event plan review application $160 per event; late fee $50 per late application; special event inspection $80 per hour per inspector (ACHD 2026 fee page).

Public Dance Hall License (county license, patron dancing): $10 application fee plus $25 license fee, as stated on the county's Public Dance Hall License Application Process sheet.

Retail Food Establishment Plan Review (fixed and mobile): $155 application fee at submission; plan review and pre-opening inspection billed at an hourly rate and not to exceed $900, due at licensing (C.R.S. 25-4-1607(2)). HACCP plan review at actual cost, not to exceed $620 for a process already conducted at the facility and $100 for a specific written process (25-4-1607(4)). Optional site evaluation of a potential location: $120 or the actual cost, whichever is greater, with $120 billed when requested (25-4-1607(5)).

Retail Food Establishment License: $244–$1,063 a year for 2026, banded by establishment type and size; the schedule rises in 2027 and 2028

The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Adams County Co permits page and the CO state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Adams County Co?

Permits for a restaurant in Adams County Co, CO come from 6 separate offices: Adams County Health Department, Environmental Health, Adams County Licensing (Liquor and Marijuana Licensing Authority Board), Adams County Community and Economic Development Department, Building Safety, Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division, Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a restaurant need in Adams County Co that other businesses do not?

1 of the 7 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in Adams County Co: Public Dance Hall License (county license, patron dancing).

Public Dance Hall License (county license, patron dancing)

A bar, restaurant or other venue that allows patron dancing needs a Public Dance Hall License from Adams County. The county's process sheet states: "The public dance hall license is a county license only. The license allows for patron dancing, not employee dancing. Adams County does not offer cabaret licenses." A complete application includes the Application for License to Conduct Public Dance Hall, a Colorado Department of Revenue DR 8404-I Individual History Record (not required if the applicant already holds a liquor license in this jurisdiction), a diagram of the premises, proof of property possession and the fees of $10 for the application and $25 for the license; a background investigation is required for each individual who submits an Individual History Record. The process sheet is undated and names no adopting resolution; the county's current Licensing page links it.

Retail Food Establishment License

Colorado now writes these fees into statute on a three-year escalator, so the number depends on the year as well as the business. For 2026 a restaurant or caterer pays $481 up to a hundred seats, $538 to two hundred and $581 above; a limited food service establishment $338; a grocery $244 or $441 by floor area, or $469 and $894 with a deli; a full-service mobile unit $481 and a prepackaged one $338. Every one of those rises on 1 January 2027 and again in 2028, after which the 2028 figures continue until a new schedule is set. Two qualifications matter. The statutory figures are a ceiling: a county or district board of health may charge less, and Denver may set its own by ordinance. And the state itself only licenses in nine counties — Clear Creek, Dolores, Gilpin, Moffat, Ouray, Park, Pitkin outside Aspen, Rio Blanco and San Juan — with local public health agencies doing it everywhere else. Plan review is separate at $155 plus actual cost; the statute caps that at $900 while the department's own page still says $580, so confirm before budgeting.

Shared with other businesses in Adams County Co

  • Retail Food Establishment License (annual; fixed and mobile) — Adams County Health Department, Environmental Health, Amounts the Adams County Health Department publishes for 2026 under "Fees Set by Colorado Legislature" (C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1), as enacted by SB25-285): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, over 200 seats $581; limited food service establishment $338; grocery store without deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $244, over 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $469, over 15,000 sq. ft. $894; mobile unit full service $481, prepackaged food $338. The statutory schedule changes on 1/1/2027; contact ACHD for the amounts it charges from that date., annual, valid January 1 through December 31; mobile licenses expire December 31 regardless of issue date; not prorated and not transferable. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Liquor or Fermented Malt Beverage License: Adams County approval before state filing (unincorporated county) — Adams County Licensing (Liquor and Marijuana Licensing Authority Board), State's fee only, per the Colorado Department of Revenue's DR 8500 fee schedule dated 08/14/26: state application fee $1,100 ($1,200 with concurrent review); state transfer of ownership application fee $1,100; state annual renewal application fee $250; state annual license fee for a county-issued license: Hotel & Restaurant $500, Tavern $500, Lodging $500, Entertainment $500, Brew Pub $750, Beer & Wine $436.25, Retail Liquor Store $312.50, Fermented Malt Beverage types $117.50; state manager registration $30; state special event permit $25 per day ($10 per day for fermented malt beverage). The local (county) portion is charged in addition and is not stated in a current Adams County document; contact Adams County Licensing., annual; renewals are filed with Adams County 45 days before the license expires. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
  • Special Event Retail Food License — Adams County Health Department, Environmental Health, Special events license $165 a year per license; special event plan review application $160 per event; late fee $50 per late application; special event inspection $80 per hour per inspector (ACHD 2026 fee page)., annual (the license fee is charged annually per license); plan review per event. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Retail Food Establishment Plan Review (fixed and mobile) — Adams County Health Department, Environmental Health, $155 application fee at submission; plan review and pre-opening inspection billed at an hourly rate and not to exceed $900, due at licensing (C.R.S. 25-4-1607(2)). HACCP plan review at actual cost, not to exceed $620 for a process already conducted at the facility and $100 for a specific written process (25-4-1607(4)). Optional site evaluation of a potential location: $120 or the actual cost, whichever is greater, with $120 billed when requested (25-4-1607(5))., one-time, before a new, extensively remodelled or never-licensed establishment or mobile unit opens. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
  • Certified Food Protection Manager — Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability, No fee, set by the certifying programme, not by Colorado. 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 Adams County Co, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Adams County Co permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CO and are covered on the CO state page.

How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Adams County Co?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 6 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Public Dance Hall License (county license, patron dancing). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Adams County Co, CO, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops6610
Food trucks5520
Retail stores3340
Auto repair shops1071
Childcare centres2072
Contractors and trades3073
Fitness studios1071
Salons and barbers1071
Veterinary clinics1071

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 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 Adams County Co permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Public Dance Hall License Application ProcessAdams County, Colorado · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  2. Licensing page (liquor, marijuana, public dance hall)Adams County, Colorado · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  3. Colorado Senate Bill 25-285, chapter 296 of the 2025 session laws — the statutory retail food establishment fee schedule for 2026, 2027 and 2028Colorado General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment — retail food licensing, and the nine counties the state licenses directlyColorado Department of Public Health and Environment · 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.