17 permits · verified 2026-10-06
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Brevard County?
In short
A restaurant in Brevard County, FL has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 12 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Brevard County Tax Collector, Business Tax charges $3.70 per transfer, as published on the Brevard County Tax Collector's Business Tax Receipt information page for the business tax receipt transfer (new owner or new location). 7 of the 17 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Brevard County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Alcoholic Beverage License Application Review (county zoning)only if it applies to you | Brevard County Planning and Development, Planning and Zoning Office | $25 flat fee per application review, as published on the Planning and Zoning Applications & Fees page | one-time per State alcoholic beverage license application | 2026-10-06 |
| Food Service Employee Training and Manager Certification | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants | No fee | employee training 3 years; manager certification 5 years | 2026-09-03 |
| Public Food Service Establishment License | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants | $242–$357 per year, banded by seating, plus a $50 application fee | annual, on a staggered renewal schedule | 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 Brevard County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Tax Receipt Transfer (new owner or new location)only if it applies to you | Brevard County Tax Collector, Business Tax | $3.70 per transfer, as published on the Brevard County Tax Collector's Business Tax Receipt information page | one-time per transfer; the transferred receipt keeps the annual September 30 expiry | 2026-10-06 |
| Brevard County Local Business Tax Receipt | Brevard County Tax Collector, Business Tax | $37 per year, per business location and per person in a professional classification, plus any penalties, as published on the Brevard County Tax Collector's FAQ page | annual; receipts are issued or renewed from July 1, are due on or before September 30, and expire September 30 of the following year; unpaid receipts become delinquent on October 1 | 2026-10-06 |
| Commercial Building Permit Zoning Review and Commercial Concurrency Reviewonly if it applies to you | Brevard County Planning and Development, Planning and Zoning Office | Varies — formula on the Brevard County page | one-time per commercial building permit | 2026-10-06 |
| Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System Permit — New Systemonly if it applies to you | Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, Environmental Public Health Services | Varies — formula on the Brevard County page | one-time per system permit | 2026-10-06 |
| Zoning Use Permit Approval for Business Tax Receiptsonly if it applies to you | Brevard County Planning and Development, Planning and Zoning Office | $25 flat fee per approval, as published on the Planning and Zoning Applications & Fees page | one-time per business tax receipt application at a location | 2026-10-06 |
| Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System Permit — Repair or Abandonmentonly if it applies to you | Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, Environmental Public Health Services | Varies — formula on the Brevard County page | one-time per repair or abandonment permit | 2026-10-06 |
| Onsite Sewage System — Modification or Existing System Approvalonly if it applies to you | Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, Environmental Public Health Services | Varies — formula on the Brevard County page | one-time per application | 2026-10-06 |
| Written Zoning Verification | Brevard County Planning and Development, Planning and Zoning Office | $37.50 per written verification, as published on the Planning and Zoning Applications & Fees page | one-time per request | 2026-10-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
FL registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | $70 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report (LLC)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | Varies — formula on the FL page | annual, due by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report (Corporation)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | Varies — formula on the FL page | annual, due by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Tax Application (Sales and Use Tax)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of Revenue | No fee — no fee to register | no fixed expiry | 2026-09-03 |
| Local Business Tax Receipt | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | No fee | annual — every receipt expires on 30 September | 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 Brevard County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 17 records listed for a restaurant in Brevard County, FL, 5 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.
Of the 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $74.50. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 17 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:
Public Food Service Establishment License: $242–$357 per year, banded by seating, plus a $50 application fee
The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Brevard County permits page and the FL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Brevard County?
Permits for a restaurant in Brevard County, FL come from 6 separate offices: Brevard County Tax Collector, Business Tax, Brevard County Planning and Development, Planning and Zoning Office, Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, Environmental Public Health Services, Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Florida Department of Revenue, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Brevard County Tax Collector, Business TaxIssues 2 permits on this page: Business Tax Receipt Transfer (new owner or new location), Brevard County Local Business Tax Receipt(321) 264-6969www.brevardtaxcollector.com/services/business-tax-receipts
- Brevard County Planning and Development, Planning and Zoning OfficeIssues 4 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit Zoning Review and Commercial Concurrency Review, Zoning Use Permit Approval for Business Tax Receipts, State Alcoholic Beverage License Application Review (county zoning), Written Zoning Verification(321) 633-2070www.brevardfl.gov/PlanningAndDevelopment/PlanningAndZoning/ZoningFormsAndFees
- Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, Environmental Public Health ServicesIssues 3 permits on this page: Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System Permit — New System, Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System Permit — Repair or Abandonment, Onsite Sewage System — Modification or Existing System Approval2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Suite A116, Viera, FL 32940-6605 · (321) 633-2100brevard.floridahealth.gov
- Florida Department of State, Division of CorporationsIssues 5 permits on this page, including Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report (LLC)efile.sunbiz.org
- Florida Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Business Tax Application (Sales and Use Tax)floridarevenue.com/taxes/eservices/Pages/registration.aspx
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and RestaurantsIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service Employee Training and Manager Certification, Public Food Service Establishment Licensewww.myfloridalicense.com
What does a restaurant need in Brevard County that other businesses do not?
Food Service Employee Training and Manager Certification
Florida sets no price for either qualification — training is bought from private providers the Department has approved, so no amount is shown here because the state charges none. Two separate obligations sit behind that. Every food service employee must be trained within 60 days of being hired, and the certification lasts three years. Separately, each licensed establishment must have at least one certified food protection manager, whose certification lasts five years, and where four or more employees are working with food at one time a certified manager must be physically present. Beware one figure that circulates as though it were a card price: the statute lets the Department charge the certifying organisation no more than $5 per certified test. That is what the regulator bills the exam provider, not what a worker pays. Temporary food service vendors and vending machine operators are exempt from the manager requirement.
Shared with other businesses in Brevard County
- State Alcoholic Beverage License Application Review (county zoning) — Brevard County Planning and Development, Planning and Zoning Office, $25 flat fee per application review, as published on the Planning and Zoning Applications & Fees page, one-time per State alcoholic beverage license application. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Public Food Service Establishment License — Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, $242–$357 per year, banded by seating, plus a $50 application fee, annual, on a staggered renewal schedule. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Brevard County, FL; what each one involves is set out on the Brevard County permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across FL and are covered on the FL state page.
How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Brevard County?
A restaurant and a coffee shop in Brevard County, FL need exactly the same 3 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
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 Brevard County permits page and the FL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Florida Statutes section 509.049 — food service employee training, valid three years, within 60 days of employmentThe Florida Senate · 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.