14 permits · verified 2026-10-24
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in St Clair County Il?
In short
A restaurant in St Clair County Il, IL has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. St. Clair County Building & Zoning Department charges $30 per application, non-refundable for the certificate of zoning compliance. 7 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-24 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in St Clair County Il
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Food Establishment Permit | St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division | $168–$613 per calendar-year permit, 2026 fees by size and risk category (Category 1 / 2 / 3): Large $613 / $602 / $573; Medium $390 / $362 / $344; Small $223 / $194 / $168. Concession operations (open fewer than 95 days a year) and not-for-profit establishments pay 50% of the category fee; each additional kitchen, additional mobile food establishment or departmental inspection within the same facility $84; new establishments permitted between July 1 and December 31 pay 50%; no fee for food pantries and self-operated school food service | calendar year; expires December 31 | 2026-10-24 |
| Retail Food Establishment Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division | A plan review fee is charged based on the establishment's risk category under County Code §19-4-4(E)(4) and Attachment D of the food ordinance; contact the Health Department's Environmental Health Division at (618) 233-7769 for the current amount. | one-time, per construction, remodel, conversion or ownership change | 2026-10-24 |
| Temporary Food Event Permit / Event Registrationonly if it applies to you | St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division | $0–$194 per vendor per event (2026 application): single day or two day $0.00; 3-day temporary permit $81.00; four to fourteen day event (consecutive days at the same location) $194.00 | one event, up to 14 consecutive days at one location; not transferable or renewable | 2026-10-24 |
| County Retail Liquor License (Unincorporated St. Clair County)only if it applies to you | St. Clair County Local Liquor Control Commissioner (Chairman of the County Board) | $20–$1,500 by class: Class A Tavern–Short Hours $400 a year; Class B Tavern–Long Hours $600 a year; Class C Recreation and Park $200 per six-month period; Class D Liquor Store $600 a year; Class E Retail Liquor Entertainment $1,500 a year; Class F Special Events (not-for-profit) $20 a day for beer or wine, $35 a day for other alcoholic liquor; Class G Caterer $400 a year; Class H Beer and Wine $400 a year; plus a non-refundable $250 first-time application fee for every class except Class F | January 1 – December 31 (Class C licenses, six-month period); fees prorated for licenses granted part-way through the year | 2026-10-24 |
| 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 St Clair County Il
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Zoning Complianceonly if it applies to you | St. Clair County Building & Zoning Department | $30 per application, non-refundable | one year (Code §40-11-3); renewable for successive one-year periods on written request | 2026-10-24 |
| Commercial Building Permitonly if it applies to you | St. Clair County Building & Zoning Department | Varies — formula on the St Clair County Il page | invalid 12 months after issue; the code official may grant one extension of up to 180 days | 2026-10-24 |
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 St Clair County Il?
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 St Clair County Il, IL, 6 apply to every business of this type and 8 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
7 of the 14 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 Permit: $168–$613 per calendar-year permit, 2026 fees by size and risk category (Category 1 / 2 / 3): Large $613 / $602 / $573; Medium $390 / $362 / $344; Small $223 / $194 / $168. Concession operations (open fewer than 95 days a year) and not-for-profit establishments pay 50% of the category fee; each additional kitchen, additional mobile food establishment or departmental inspection within the same facility $84; new establishments permitted between July 1 and December 31 pay 50%; no fee for food pantries and self-operated school food service
Retail Food Establishment Plan Review: A plan review fee is charged based on the establishment's risk category under County Code §19-4-4(E)(4) and Attachment D of the food ordinance; contact the Health Department's Environmental Health Division at (618) 233-7769 for the current amount.
Temporary Food Event Permit / Event Registration: $0–$194 per vendor per event (2026 application): single day or two day $0.00; 3-day temporary permit $81.00; four to fourteen day event (consecutive days at the same location) $194.00
County Retail Liquor License (Unincorporated St. Clair County): $20–$1,500 by class: Class A Tavern–Short Hours $400 a year; Class B Tavern–Long Hours $600 a year; Class C Recreation and Park $200 per six-month period; Class D Liquor Store $600 a year; Class E Retail Liquor Entertainment $1,500 a year; Class F Special Events (not-for-profit) $20 a day for beer or wine, $35 a day for other alcoholic liquor; Class G Caterer $400 a year; Class H Beer and Wine $400 a year; plus a non-refundable $250 first-time application fee for every class except Class F
Retail Food Establishment Permit: No state fee — the permit and its price are set by the local health department
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the St Clair County Il permits page and the IL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in St Clair County Il?
Permits for a restaurant in St Clair County Il, IL come from 7 separate offices: St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division, St. Clair County Local Liquor Control Commissioner (Chairman of the County Board), St. Clair County Building & Zoning Department, 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.
- St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment Permit, Retail Food Establishment Plan Review, Temporary Food Event Permit / Event Registration19 Public Square, Suite 150, Belleville, IL 62220 · (618) 233-7769scchealthdept.com/environmental-programs/food-safety
- St. Clair County Local Liquor Control Commissioner (Chairman of the County Board)Issues 1 permit on this page: County Retail Liquor License (Unincorporated St. Clair County)St. Clair County Building, 10 Public Square, Belleville, IL 62220www.co.st-clair.il.us/county-code
- St. Clair County Building & Zoning DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Zoning Compliance, Commercial Building PermitSt. Clair County Building, 5th floor, 10 Public Square, Belleville, IL 62220 · (618) 825-2528www.co.st-clair.il.us/departments/building-zoning
- 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 St Clair County Il that other businesses do not?
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 St Clair County Il
- Retail Food Establishment Permit — St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division, $168–$613 per calendar-year permit, 2026 fees by size and risk category (Category 1 / 2 / 3): Large $613 / $602 / $573; Medium $390 / $362 / $344; Small $223 / $194 / $168. Concession operations (open fewer than 95 days a year) and not-for-profit establishments pay 50% of the category fee; each additional kitchen, additional mobile food establishment or departmental inspection within the same facility $84; new establishments permitted between July 1 and December 31 pay 50%; no fee for food pantries and self-operated school food service, calendar year; expires December 31. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks, retail stores and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres page.
- Retail Food Establishment Plan Review — St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division, A plan review fee is charged based on the establishment's risk category under County Code §19-4-4(E)(4) and Attachment D of the food ordinance; contact the Health Department's Environmental Health Division at (618) 233-7769 for the current amount., one-time, per construction, remodel, conversion or ownership change. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks, retail stores and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres page.
- Temporary Food Event Permit / Event Registration — St. Clair County Health Department, Environmental Health Division, $0–$194 per vendor per event (2026 application): single day or two day $0.00; 3-day temporary permit $81.00; four to fourteen day event (consecutive days at the same location) $194.00, one event, up to 14 consecutive days at one location; not transferable or renewable. Also required for food trucks and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- County Retail Liquor License (Unincorporated St. Clair County) — St. Clair County Local Liquor Control Commissioner (Chairman of the County Board), $20–$1,500 by class: Class A Tavern–Short Hours $400 a year; Class B Tavern–Long Hours $600 a year; Class C Recreation and Park $200 per six-month period; Class D Liquor Store $600 a year; Class E Retail Liquor Entertainment $1,500 a year; Class F Special Events (not-for-profit) $20 a day for beer or wine, $35 a day for other alcoholic liquor; Class G Caterer $400 a year; Class H Beer and Wine $400 a year; plus a non-refundable $250 first-time application fee for every class except Class F, January 1 – December 31 (Class C licenses, six-month period); fees prorated for licenses granted part-way through the year. Also required for retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores 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 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in St Clair County Il, IL; what each one involves is set out on the St Clair County Il 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 St Clair County Il?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 6 of these permits. A restaurant also needs County Retail Liquor License (Unincorporated St. Clair County). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 7 | 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 childcare centres page, coffee shops page, retail stores page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the St Clair County Il permits page and the IL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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.