14 permits · verified 2026-09-04
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Chicago?
In short
A restaurant in Chicago, IL has 8 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services charges $150 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 6 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-04 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Chicago
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Food Establishment License | Chicago Department of Public Health | $660–$1,650 for a 2-year term, by floor area — $660 up to 1,000 square feet, rising to $1,650 above 10,000 square feet | 2 years | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Sanitation Certification | Chicago Department of Public Health | No fee | not stated by the city — set by the accredited course provider | 2026-09-04 |
| Retail Food Establishment Permit | Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Drugs and Dairies | No state fee — the permit and its price are set by the local health department | set by the local health department | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Handler Training | Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Drugs and Dairies | No fee | 3 years | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manager | Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Drugs and Dairies | No fee | 5 years | 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 Chicago
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | Chicago Department of Buildings | Varies — formula on the Chicago page | per sign | 2026-09-04 |
| Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to you | Chicago Department of Buildings | No fee | issued once per qualifying project — not a recurring license | 2026-09-04 |
| Commercial Building Permitonly if it applies to you | Chicago Department of Buildings | Varies — formula on the Chicago page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-04 |
| Business License | Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection | Varies — formula on the Chicago page | 2 years | 2026-09-04 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
IL 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 | Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services | $150 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services | $175 one-time — $150 filing fee plus $25 minimum initial franchise tax | no expiry, but an annual report and franchise tax are due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services | Varies — formula on the IL page | annual — an LLC files before the first day of its anniversary month | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Registration (Form REG-1) | Illinois Department of Revenue, Central Registration Division | No fee | continuous — no renewal | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Illinois position (city, not state) | Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity | No fee | set by the issuing municipality | 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 Chicago?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 14 records listed for a restaurant in Chicago, IL, 8 apply to every business of this type and 6 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
6 of the 14 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 6 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Retail Food Establishment License: $660–$1,650 for a 2-year term, by floor area — $660 up to 1,000 square feet, rising to $1,650 above 10,000 square feet
Retail Food Establishment Permit: No state fee — the permit and its price are set by the local health department
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Chicago permits page and the IL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Chicago?
Permits for a restaurant in Chicago, IL come from 7 separate offices: Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago Department of Buildings, Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Drugs and Dairies, Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Illinois Department of Revenue, Central Registration Division, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Chicago Department of Public HealthIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License, Food Sanitation Certification(312) 747-9884www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph/provdrs/food_safety.html
- Chicago Department of BuildingsIssues 3 permits on this page: Sign Permit, Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit121 N. LaSalle St., Room 900, Chicago, IL 60602 · (312) 744-3449www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bldgs.html
- Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer ProtectionIssues 1 permit on this page: Business License121 N. LaSalle St., Room 800, Chicago, IL 60602 · (312) 744-6249www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/chicago-business-licensing/home.html
- Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Drugs and DairiesIssues 3 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment Permit, Food Handler Training, Certified Food Protection Manager525-535 West Jefferson Street, Springfield, IL 62761 · (217) 782-4977dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/food-safety/retail-food.html
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business ServicesIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report501 South Second Street, Room 351, Springfield, IL 62756 · (217) 524-8008www.ilsos.gov/departments/business_services
- Illinois Department of Revenue, Central Registration DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Certificate of Registration (Form REG-1)Central Registration Division, Illinois Department of Revenue, PO Box 19030, Springfield, IL 62794-9030 · (217) 785-3707mytax.illinois.gov
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic OpportunityIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — Illinois position (city, not state)(800) 252-2923dceo.illinois.gov/smallbizassistance/beginhere/stepbystepguide.html
What does a restaurant need in Chicago that other businesses do not?
Food Sanitation Certification
No fee, because Chicago does not itself price this certification — every establishment must have a Person in Charge holding a CDPH food sanitation certificate on site whenever TCS food is being prepared or served, but the required course is delivered and priced by third-party approved providers rather than the city. Category I employees also need Food Allergen Awareness Training within 30 days of hire, renewed every 3 years.
Retail Food Establishment Permit
The Department of Public Health's Retail Food page states that retail food establishments in Illinois, 'including restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, and food trucks, are regulated by local health departments serving the jurisdiction where the establishment is located', and directs anyone starting a retail food business to the local health department, so the permit and its fee are set locally and depend on the county or city. The state reserves permitting to itself only for food processing plants, which it splits with the Department of Agriculture. The code itself is the 2022 FDA Food Code as adopted by Illinois, and inspection findings are graded as priority, priority foundation or core rather than by a numeric score.
Shared with other businesses in Chicago
- Retail Food Establishment License — Chicago Department of Public Health, $660–$1,650 for a 2-year term, by floor area — $660 up to 1,000 square feet, rising to $1,650 above 10,000 square feet, 2 years. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Handler Training — Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Drugs and Dairies, No fee, 3 years. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Drugs and Dairies, No fee, 5 years. 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 Chicago, IL; what each one involves is set out on the Chicago permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across IL and are covered on the IL state page.
How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Chicago?
A restaurant and a coffee shop in Chicago, IL 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 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 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 coffee shops page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Chicago permits page and the IL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Chicago CDPH — food sanitation certification course requirementChicago Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Illinois Department of Public Health — retail foodIllinois Department of Public 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.