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9 permits · verified 2026-09-03

What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Washington?

In short

A restaurant in Washington, DC has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 3 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. District of Columbia Department of Health, Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services Division charges $35 per card, valid three years for the certified food protection manager identification card. 4 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-03 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Washington

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Food Establishment Plan ReviewDistrict of Columbia Department of Health, Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services Division$70–$300 per submission, banded by capacity or floor areaone-time per submission2026-09-03
Certified Food Protection Manager Identification CardDistrict of Columbia Department of Health, Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services Division$35 per card, valid three years3 years from the date of the examination2026-09-03

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 Washington

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Basic Business LicenseDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing DivisionVaries — formula on the Washington page2 or 4 years, or 6 months where eligible2026-09-03
Certificate of OccupancyDistrict of Columbia Department of BuildingsVaries — formula on the Washington pagenot stated in the published schedule2026-09-03

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

DC 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
Biennial Reportonly if it applies to youDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division$300 per filing, every two yearsbiennial2026-09-03
Combined Business Tax Registration (FR-500)District of Columbia Office of Tax and RevenueNo feeone-time registration2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations DivisionVaries — formula on the DC pageno expiry, but a biennial report is due every two years2026-09-03
Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division$99 one-time filingno expiry, but a biennial report is due every two years2026-09-03
Certificate of Clean HandsDistrict of Columbia Office of Tax and RevenueNo feedoes not expire — validated in real time2026-09-03

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 Washington?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a restaurant in Washington, DC, 6 apply to every business of this type and 3 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 6 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $35.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 9 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:

Food Establishment Plan Review: $70–$300 per submission, banded by capacity or floor area

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Washington permits page and the DC state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Washington?

Permits for a restaurant in Washington, DC come from 5 separate offices: District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing Division, District of Columbia Department of Buildings, District of Columbia Department of Health, Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services Division, District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division, District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue. 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 Washington that other businesses do not?

Certified Food Protection Manager Identification Card

$35 to the District for the card, on top of whatever the accredited exam provider charges — the District does not set that price. What DC requires is a certified manager, not a food handler card for every worker: the phrase "food handler" does not appear in the District's food code at all. The obligation that bites is presence, not paperwork. A certified person in charge must be at the establishment during all hours of operation, which for a seven-day operation usually means certifying more than one person. Replacing a lost card is $15. A business selling only pre-packaged, non-hazardous food is exempt. Ordinary employees still have to be trained in food safety and allergy awareness for their own duties, but they need no card and pay no fee.

Shared with other businesses in Washington

  • Food Establishment Plan Review — District of Columbia Department of Health, Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services Division, $70–$300 per submission, banded by capacity or floor area, one-time per submission. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Washington, DC; what each one involves is set out on the Washington permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across DC and are covered on the DC state page.

How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Washington?

A restaurant and a coffee shop in Washington, DC need exactly the same 2 permits beyond the ones every business needs.

Permits particular to each business type in Washington, DC, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops2200
Retail stores4202
Food trucks3112
Auto repair shops1021
Childcare centres2022
Contractors and trades2022
Fitness studios2022
Salons and barbers1021
Veterinary clinics1021

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. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Washington permits page and the DC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. DC Health — Certified Food Protection Manager identification card, $35 and valid three years from the date of the examinationDistrict of Columbia Department of 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.