12 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Colorado Springs?
In short
A restaurant in Colorado Springs, CO has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Colorado Springs Fire Department, Division of the Fire Marshal charges $1,032 a year for the annual facilities permit. 4 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Colorado Springs
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Facilities Permitonly if it applies to you | Colorado Springs Fire Department, Division of the Fire Marshal | $1,032 a year | annual | 2026-09-08 |
| Retail Food Establishment — County Plan Review and Ancillary Fees | El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Services | Plan Review Application $100, plus Plan Review Time at $62/hour, not to exceed $580. A Change of Ownership Inspection is $120 (an additional inspection is $65). Special Event Permits: limited menu $248 (one event) or $340 (multiple events); full menu $298 or $425. A Basic Food Safety Class is $15 per person. | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-08 |
| Fire Construction Plan Review | Colorado Springs Fire Department, Division of the Fire Marshal | By occupancy group and floor area (includes two plan reviews plus initial and final inspection): Group A-2 (restaurants/assembly with food and drink) $602 (up to 5,000 sq ft) or $774 (5,000–10,000 sq ft); Group B (business/office) $473/$688/$946 by size up to 100,000 sq ft; Group M (mercantile/retail) $516–$1,204 by size up to 100,000 sq ft. A fire alarm plan review (50 or fewer devices) is $473; a sprinkler system (100 heads or fewer) is $731. A $25 technology fee applies to all permits; re-inspection is $500; a Work-at-Risk permit is $500; working without a permit doubles the fee. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
| Retail Food Establishment License | Colorado 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 2028 | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability | No fee | set by the certifying programme, not by Colorado | 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 Colorado Springs
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — City of Colorado Springs positiononly if it applies to you | City of Colorado Springs, City Clerk's Office | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-08 |
| Sales/Use Tax License | City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax Office | No fee | expires every odd year on December 31; mandatory renewal | 2026-09-08 |
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
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax License | Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division | Varies — formula on the CO page | 2 years — every license expires on 31 December of an odd-numbered year | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Periodic Reportonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $25 a year; $50 more if filed late | annual — due in the entity's own periodic report month | 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 Colorado Springs?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a restaurant in Colorado Springs, CO, 5 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.
4 of the 12 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Retail Food Establishment — County Plan Review and Ancillary Fees: Plan Review Application $100, plus Plan Review Time at $62/hour, not to exceed $580. A Change of Ownership Inspection is $120 (an additional inspection is $65). Special Event Permits: limited menu $248 (one event) or $340 (multiple events); full menu $298 or $425. A Basic Food Safety Class is $15 per person.
Fire Construction Plan Review: By occupancy group and floor area (includes two plan reviews plus initial and final inspection): Group A-2 (restaurants/assembly with food and drink) $602 (up to 5,000 sq ft) or $774 (5,000–10,000 sq ft); Group B (business/office) $473/$688/$946 by size up to 100,000 sq ft; Group M (mercantile/retail) $516–$1,204 by size up to 100,000 sq ft. A fire alarm plan review (50 or fewer devices) is $473; a sprinkler system (100 heads or fewer) is $731. A $25 technology fee applies to all permits; re-inspection is $500; a Work-at-Risk permit is $500; working without a permit doubles the fee.
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 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Colorado Springs permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Colorado Springs?
Permits for a restaurant in Colorado Springs, CO come from 7 separate offices: City of Colorado Springs, City Clerk's Office, City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax Office, Colorado Springs Fire Department, Division of the Fire Marshal, El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Services, 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.
- City of Colorado Springs, City Clerk's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — City of Colorado Springs position(719) 385-5901coloradosprings.gov/BusinessLicensing
- City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales/Use Tax License(719) 385-5903coloradosprings.gov/finance-sales-tax/page/sales-tax-faq
- Colorado Springs Fire Department, Division of the Fire MarshalIssues 2 permits on this page: Annual Facilities Permit, Fire Construction Plan Review(719) 385-5978coloradosprings.gov/fire-department/page/fee-schedules-fire
- El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Retail Food Establishment — County Plan Review and Ancillary Fees1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2044, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 · (719) 578-3199www.elpasocountyhealth.org
- Colorado Secretary of State, Business DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally), Articles of Organization (LLC), Periodic Report1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290 · (303) 894-2200www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/business/businessHome.html
- Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax License1375 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80261 · (303) 238-7378tax.colorado.gov/sales-tax-account-license
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and SustainabilityIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License, Certified Food Protection Manager4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246 · (303) 692-3645cdphe.colorado.gov/dehs/rf/licensing
What does a restaurant need in Colorado Springs that other businesses do not?
Retail Food Establishment — County Plan Review and Ancillary Fees
This covers El Paso County Public Health's own plan-review and ancillary fees, directly confirmed from its Board of Health fee schedule. That same Chapter 3 Fee Schedule prices the base 'Retail Food Establishment License' line item itself as 'Per Section 25-4-1607 C.R.S.' rather than printing an independent county figure — the county has adopted the statutory schedule directly rather than set its own rate. The amount is recorded at Colorado's state layer (Colorado Revised Statutes section 25-4-1607, as amended by Senate Bill 25-285) rather than restated here.
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 Colorado Springs
- Annual Facilities Permit — Colorado Springs Fire Department, Division of the Fire Marshal, $1,032 a year, annual. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the salons and barbers page.
- Fire Construction Plan Review — Colorado Springs Fire Department, Division of the Fire Marshal, By occupancy group and floor area (includes two plan reviews plus initial and final inspection): Group A-2 (restaurants/assembly with food and drink) $602 (up to 5,000 sq ft) or $774 (5,000–10,000 sq ft); Group B (business/office) $473/$688/$946 by size up to 100,000 sq ft; Group M (mercantile/retail) $516–$1,204 by size up to 100,000 sq ft. A fire alarm plan review (50 or fewer devices) is $473; a sprinkler system (100 heads or fewer) is $731. A $25 technology fee applies to all permits; re-inspection is $500; a Work-at-Risk permit is $500; working without a permit doubles the fee., one-time, per project. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics 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 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Colorado Springs, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Colorado Springs 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 Colorado Springs?
A restaurant and a coffee shop in Colorado Springs, CO need exactly the same 5 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 5 | 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 salons and barbers page, veterinary clinics page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Colorado Springs permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- El Paso County Board of Health, Chapter 3 — Fee Schedule and Civil Penalties (approved October 25, 2023, effective January 1, 2024)El Paso County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- 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
- 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.