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16 permits · verified 2026-10-02

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

In short

A restaurant in Gwinnett County, GA has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Gwinnett County Fire Marshal's Office charges $100 per Fire Certificate of Occupancy for a tenant building, per the Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule, Fire section for the gwinnett county fire certificate of occupancy (countywide). 8 of the 16 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Gwinnett County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Fire / Life-Safety Permitsonly if it applies to youGwinnett County Fire Marshal's OfficeBurn Permit $500.00; Site Plan Review $100.00; Commercial Kitchen Hood/Duct $100.00 per hood; Shell Fire Permit and Interior Finish Fire Permit scaled by square footage and sprinkler status — for example, a sprinklered Business/Mercantile/Day Care/Educational Occupancy up to 10,000 square feet costs $200.00. Other specialty fire permits on the same schedule range from $64.00 up to $1,280.00 for a high-rise building, all from the Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule, 'Fire Fees' section, effective July 1, 2024.Per permit, tied to construction, remodeling, or a specific activity such as an open burn.2026-10-02
Food Service Establishment Health PermitGwinnett County Health Department, Environmental Health Section (Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale Public Health District)Annual permit fee by inspection Risk Type and seating, per the GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule, Rev. 082625, adopted August 25, 2025: Risk Type 1, under 30 seats $260.00 / 30 or more seats $360.00; Risk Type 2, under 30 seats $500.00 / 30 or more seats $700.00; Risk Type 3, under 30 seats $750.00 / 30 or more seats $1,050.00. New or change-of-ownership plan review: under 30 seats $350.00 / 30 or more seats $550.00. Temporary Food Service Permit: 1-4 days $150.00, 5-14 days $375.00. Pop-up Facilitator Plan Review $150.00; Pop-up Authorization for Vendor $150.00. HACCP Plan Review $200.00. Food Service Manager Course $150.00. A mobile food unit whose base of operation is permitted in Gwinnett, Newton, or Rockdale County is billed under this same schedule; the current fee schedule's full category list has no separate 'Mobile Food Unit' line, and the Mobile Unit Food Service Permit Application states that all plan review and permitting fees under this standard schedule apply to it.Annual permit; New/Change-of-Ownership Plan Review and HACCP Plan Review are one-time charges.2026-10-02
Building Permitonly if it applies to youGwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development DivisionsNew construction: $4.00 per $1,000.00 of ICC Building Valuation Data estimated construction cost (0.004 × valuation), updated annually each January 1 to the current ICC chart; Shell-Only construction is priced at 50% of the calculated valuation, and a 5% fee reduction applies for LEED/EarthCraft certification or a solar/EV-charger installation. Minor renovation under $75,000.00: Residential $125.00 / Non-residential $150.00. Extensive renovation of $75,000.00 or more: the same $4.00 per $1,000.00 formula. Selected related fees on the same schedule: Demolition $150.00; Tenant Change Permit $120.00; Mobile Home $75.00; Building Permit Extension $25.00; Building Permit Reinspection (first follow-up $0, second $50.00, third and later $100.00); Compliance Inspection Report (non-residential) $500.00.Per project, from permit issuance through final inspection.2026-10-02
Alcoholic Beverage License (County Layer, Unincorporated Gwinnett)only if it applies to youGwinnett County Licensing & Revenue Office, Dept. of Planning & DevelopmentThe dollar fee for this county license is not published in any public Gwinnett County document; the amount is disclosed only after logging into the county's authenticated Business Tax Portal. Contact the Licensing & Revenue Office, 678-377-4100, for the current amount.Annual; county renewal deadline November 30, with online renewal by November 1 to receive the renewed license by January 1.2026-10-02
Individual Alcohol (Pouring) Permitonly if it applies to youGwinnett County Police Department, Permits Unit$100 per individual bartender or server, flat fee, as published on the Gwinnett County Police Department's Police Services pageNot stated on the Police Department's fee page; the primary source lists only the $100.00 fee amount, with no renewal term specified.2026-10-02
Food Service PermitGeorgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section$240–$1,050 a year, set by the county board of health — no state fee, floor or ceilingthe permit is valid until suspended or revoked, but counties bill an annual fee2026-09-03
Certified Food Safety Manageronly if it applies to youGeorgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health SectionNo feeset by the certifying organisation, not by Georgia2026-09-03

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 Gwinnett County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Business/Occupation Tax CertificateGwinnett County Licensing & Revenue Office, Dept. of Planning & DevelopmentVaries — formula on the Gwinnett County pageAnnual; renewal due February 15. A $25.00 late fee applies after the deadline, with an additional 10% penalty after March 31 plus 1.5% monthly interest.2026-10-02
Gwinnett County Fire Certificate of Occupancy (Countywide)Gwinnett County Fire Marshal's Office$100 per Fire Certificate of Occupancy for a tenant building, per the Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule, Fire sectionPer occupancy, required before a commercial business opens or changes tenancy.2026-10-02
Rezoning / Special Use Permit / Zoning Varianceonly if it applies to youGwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development DivisionsVaries — formula on the Gwinnett County pagePer application.2026-10-02
Certificate of Occupancy / Tenant Name Change PermitGwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development DivisionsVaries — formula on the Gwinnett County pagePer occupancy; a Tenant Name Change Permit is required in place of a new Certificate of Occupancy when there is no construction.2026-10-02

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

GA 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
Sales and Use Tax Certificate of RegistrationGeorgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services DivisionNo feeno renewal — valid until cancelled, suspended or revoked2026-09-03
General Business License — Georgia state position (local occupation tax certificate)only if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations DivisionNo feeset by the issuing city or county, usually annual2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division$110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service chargeno expiry, but an annual registration is due each year2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division$110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service chargeno expiry, but an annual registration is due each year2026-09-03
Annual Registrationonly if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division$60 a year — $50 plus a $10 service charge; $40 for a nonprofitannual — filed between 1 January and 1 April2026-09-03

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 Gwinnett County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 16 records listed for a restaurant in Gwinnett County, GA, 6 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 $100.00. That is a floor, not a total. 8 of the 16 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Fire / Life-Safety Permits: Burn Permit $500.00; Site Plan Review $100.00; Commercial Kitchen Hood/Duct $100.00 per hood; Shell Fire Permit and Interior Finish Fire Permit scaled by square footage and sprinkler status — for example, a sprinklered Business/Mercantile/Day Care/Educational Occupancy up to 10,000 square feet costs $200.00. Other specialty fire permits on the same schedule range from $64.00 up to $1,280.00 for a high-rise building, all from the Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule, 'Fire Fees' section, effective July 1, 2024.

Food Service Establishment Health Permit: Annual permit fee by inspection Risk Type and seating, per the GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule, Rev. 082625, adopted August 25, 2025: Risk Type 1, under 30 seats $260.00 / 30 or more seats $360.00; Risk Type 2, under 30 seats $500.00 / 30 or more seats $700.00; Risk Type 3, under 30 seats $750.00 / 30 or more seats $1,050.00. New or change-of-ownership plan review: under 30 seats $350.00 / 30 or more seats $550.00. Temporary Food Service Permit: 1-4 days $150.00, 5-14 days $375.00. Pop-up Facilitator Plan Review $150.00; Pop-up Authorization for Vendor $150.00. HACCP Plan Review $200.00. Food Service Manager Course $150.00. A mobile food unit whose base of operation is permitted in Gwinnett, Newton, or Rockdale County is billed under this same schedule; the current fee schedule's full category list has no separate 'Mobile Food Unit' line, and the Mobile Unit Food Service Permit Application states that all plan review and permitting fees under this standard schedule apply to it.

Building Permit: New construction: $4.00 per $1,000.00 of ICC Building Valuation Data estimated construction cost (0.004 × valuation), updated annually each January 1 to the current ICC chart; Shell-Only construction is priced at 50% of the calculated valuation, and a 5% fee reduction applies for LEED/EarthCraft certification or a solar/EV-charger installation. Minor renovation under $75,000.00: Residential $125.00 / Non-residential $150.00. Extensive renovation of $75,000.00 or more: the same $4.00 per $1,000.00 formula. Selected related fees on the same schedule: Demolition $150.00; Tenant Change Permit $120.00; Mobile Home $75.00; Building Permit Extension $25.00; Building Permit Reinspection (first follow-up $0, second $50.00, third and later $100.00); Compliance Inspection Report (non-residential) $500.00.

Alcoholic Beverage License (County Layer, Unincorporated Gwinnett): The dollar fee for this county license is not published in any public Gwinnett County document; the amount is disclosed only after logging into the county's authenticated Business Tax Portal. Contact the Licensing & Revenue Office, 678-377-4100, for the current amount.

Food Service Permit: $240–$1,050 a year, set by the county board of health — no state fee, floor or ceiling

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

Which offices issue these permits in Gwinnett County?

Permits for a restaurant in Gwinnett County, GA come from 8 separate offices: Gwinnett County Licensing & Revenue Office, Dept. of Planning & Development, Gwinnett County Fire Marshal's Office, Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions, Gwinnett County Health Department, Environmental Health Section (Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale Public Health District), Gwinnett County Police Department, Permits Unit, Georgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services Division, Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division. 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 Gwinnett County that other businesses do not?

Alcoholic Beverage License (County Layer, Unincorporated Gwinnett)

A restaurant or coffee shop serving alcohol in unincorporated Gwinnett County needs this county Alcoholic Beverage License from the Licensing & Revenue Office, administered alongside its separate, centrally-run state license. Georgia's Dept. of Revenue, Alcohol & Tobacco Division runs a statewide centralized online application through the Georgia Tax Center under O.C.G.A. §3-2-7.1, which both the state and 'any local governing authority... that issues licenses or permits to retailers' are required to use. Per its application PDF, Gwinnett's own county license requires a notarized Statement of Personal History for every owner, officer, or member with 20% or more interest (Code §6-6(b)-(c)), a Gwinnett-resident registered agent (§6-8(h)), a certified survey for a previously unlicensed location (§6-9), and is non-transferable upon a change of ownership (§6-13). Annual renewal is due November 30, with online renewal by November 1 needed to receive the renewed license by January 1. The dollar fee for this county license is not published in any public source; contact Licensing & Revenue for the current amount.

Individual Alcohol (Pouring) Permit

A bartender or server pouring alcoholic beverages for a restaurant or coffee shop in Gwinnett County must individually hold this Alcohol Permit, issued by the Gwinnett County Police Department's Permits Unit, Innovation Square, 446 West Crogan Street, Suite 102, Lawrenceville. The fee is a flat $100.00, as published on the Department's Police Services page alongside its other permit fees (Pawn Business Certificate $100.00, Fingerprinting $10.00/card). The Police Services page states only this dollar amount and does not list a renewal term or expiration period for the permit itself. This individual permit is separate from the business-level county Alcoholic Beverage License listed elsewhere here.

Shared with other businesses in Gwinnett County

  • Fire / Life-Safety Permits — Gwinnett County Fire Marshal's Office, Burn Permit $500.00; Site Plan Review $100.00; Commercial Kitchen Hood/Duct $100.00 per hood; Shell Fire Permit and Interior Finish Fire Permit scaled by square footage and sprinkler status — for example, a sprinklered Business/Mercantile/Day Care/Educational Occupancy up to 10,000 square feet costs $200.00. Other specialty fire permits on the same schedule range from $64.00 up to $1,280.00 for a high-rise building, all from the Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule, 'Fire Fees' section, effective July 1, 2024., Per permit, tied to construction, remodeling, or a specific activity such as an open burn.. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks, childcare centres, fitness studios and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • Food Service Establishment Health Permit — Gwinnett County Health Department, Environmental Health Section (Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale Public Health District), Annual permit fee by inspection Risk Type and seating, per the GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule, Rev. 082625, adopted August 25, 2025: Risk Type 1, under 30 seats $260.00 / 30 or more seats $360.00; Risk Type 2, under 30 seats $500.00 / 30 or more seats $700.00; Risk Type 3, under 30 seats $750.00 / 30 or more seats $1,050.00. New or change-of-ownership plan review: under 30 seats $350.00 / 30 or more seats $550.00. Temporary Food Service Permit: 1-4 days $150.00, 5-14 days $375.00. Pop-up Facilitator Plan Review $150.00; Pop-up Authorization for Vendor $150.00. HACCP Plan Review $200.00. Food Service Manager Course $150.00. A mobile food unit whose base of operation is permitted in Gwinnett, Newton, or Rockdale County is billed under this same schedule; the current fee schedule's full category list has no separate 'Mobile Food Unit' line, and the Mobile Unit Food Service Permit Application states that all plan review and permitting fees under this standard schedule apply to it., Annual permit; New/Change-of-Ownership Plan Review and HACCP Plan Review are one-time charges.. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Building Permit — Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions, New construction: $4.00 per $1,000.00 of ICC Building Valuation Data estimated construction cost (0.004 × valuation), updated annually each January 1 to the current ICC chart; Shell-Only construction is priced at 50% of the calculated valuation, and a 5% fee reduction applies for LEED/EarthCraft certification or a solar/EV-charger installation. Minor renovation under $75,000.00: Residential $125.00 / Non-residential $150.00. Extensive renovation of $75,000.00 or more: the same $4.00 per $1,000.00 formula. Selected related fees on the same schedule: Demolition $150.00; Tenant Change Permit $120.00; Mobile Home $75.00; Building Permit Extension $25.00; Building Permit Reinspection (first follow-up $0, second $50.00, third and later $100.00); Compliance Inspection Report (non-residential) $500.00., Per project, from permit issuance through final inspection.. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, childcare centres, fitness studios, auto repair shops and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
  • Food Service Permit — Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, $240–$1,050 a year, set by the county board of health — no state fee, floor or ceiling, the permit is valid until suspended or revoked, but counties bill an annual fee. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Certified Food Safety Manager — Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, No fee, set by the certifying organisation, not by Georgia. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.

The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Gwinnett County, GA; what each one involves is set out on the Gwinnett County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across GA and are covered on the GA state page.

How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Gwinnett County?

A restaurant and a coffee shop in Gwinnett County, GA need exactly the same 7 permits beyond the ones every business needs.

Permits particular to each business type in Gwinnett County, GA, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops7700
Food trucks4430
Retail stores2250
Childcare centres3251
Fitness studios3251
Auto repair shops2161
Salons and barbers3162
Contractors and trades3073
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 food trucks page, coffee shops page and fitness studios page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Gwinnett County permits page and the GA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Gwinnett County Alcoholic Beverage License Application (quotes Gwinnett County Code §§6-6(b)-(c), 6-8(h), 6-9, 6-13)Gwinnett County Licensing & Revenue Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  2. Gwinnett County Alcohol License Renewal procedureGwinnett County Licensing & Revenue Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  3. O.C.G.A. §3-2-7.1, Centralized statewide application process for alcohol retailer licenses and permitslaw.justia.com (Code of Georgia mirror) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  4. Gwinnett County Police Department — Police Services page (permit fees)Gwinnett County Police Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.