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14 permits · verified 2026-10-15

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

In short

A restaurant in Lake County In, IN has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Lake County Weights & Measures Department charges $140 per location, per calendar year, county fee (Lake County Code § 110.08(B), Ord. 1264D-1 signed September 14, 2010). New-business proration per the department's License Fee Schedule: January 1–March 31 $140; April 1–June 30 $105; July 1–September 30 $70; October 1–December 31 $35. Farm stands or seasonal businesses open three months or less a year: one-quarter of the annual fee ($35). Card payments add a 2.45% transaction fee, $1.49 minimum for the weights and measures location license (lake county weights & measures department). 7 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-15 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Lake County In

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Annual Food Service Establishment Permit (Lake County Health Department)only if it applies to youLake County Health Department (Food Safety and Environmental Health Divisions)Annual Food Service Permit by number of employees: 1–4 $220; 4–9 (as printed) $280; 10–14 $340; 15–19 $400; 20–24 $460; 25–29 $520; 30–34 $580; 35–39 $640; 40–44 $700; 45–49 $760; 50–54 $820; 55–59 $880; 60–64 $940; 65 or more $1,000. New Establishment Application $20 (no plan review needed); New Establishment plan review: 1–24 employees $75, 25–49 $150, 50–65 $225. Replacement permit $10. Food service violation re-inspection $50. A new establishment applying between July 1 and December 31 pays 50% of the scale; an establishment operating four or fewer consecutive months in a calendar year pays one-third, and more than four but less than six consecutive months one-half. Renewal not paid by March 1: permit void, double fee to resume. Operating before obtaining the permit: double fee.calendar year; renewal fee due between January 1 and March 1 each year2026-10-15
Annual, Seasonal and Single-Event Temporary Food Permits (Lake County Health Department)only if it applies to youLake County Health Department (Food Safety and Environmental Health Divisions)Annual Temporary Permit $300; Seasonal Temporary Permit $150 per season; single-event Temporary Permit $20 per day, maximum $100 per event.annual permit: the calendar year; seasonal permit: six continuous months during the calendar year, per the department's 2026 notice; single-event permit: the event2026-10-15
Weights and Measures Location License (Lake County Weights & Measures Department)only if it applies to youLake County Weights & Measures Department$140 per location, per calendar year, county fee (Lake County Code § 110.08(B), Ord. 1264D-1 signed September 14, 2010). New-business proration per the department's License Fee Schedule: January 1–March 31 $140; April 1–June 30 $105; July 1–September 30 $70; October 1–December 31 $35. Farm stands or seasonal businesses open three months or less a year: one-quarter of the annual fee ($35). Card payments add a 2.45% transaction fee, $1.49 minimumcalendar year; a separate license for each location (Ord. 1264D Sec. 8)2026-10-15
Alcoholic Beverage Permit — Lake County Local Alcoholic Beverage Board (Indiana ATC)only if it applies to youIndiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission — Alcoholic Beverage Board of Lake CountyThe ATC's Alcohol Permit Information page publishes no fee for the local board's review; the alcoholic beverage permit itself is issued by the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. Contact the ATC for the amount for a given permit type.per permit application2026-10-15
Certified Food Protection ManagerIndiana Department of Health, Food Protection DivisionNo fee5 years2026-09-03
Retail Food Establishment PermitIndiana Department of Health, Food Protection Division$300–$1,690 a year, set by the local health department — there is no state feeannual2026-09-03

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 Lake County In

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Disposal Permit (Lake County Health Department)only if it applies to youLake County Health Department (Food Safety and Environmental Health Divisions)Varies — formula on the Lake County In pageper installation or repair2026-10-15
Commercial Building Permit, Inspections and Certificate of Occupancy (Unincorporated Lake County)only if it applies to youLake County Plan Commission — Planning & Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the Lake County In pagetwo years from the date of issuance (Building Code No. 18 § 12, Ord. 2158 approved 9/12/06); one renewal if requested and paid before expiry2026-10-15
Zoning Applications under Unified Development Ordinance No. 2560 (Unincorporated Lake County)only if it applies to youLake County Plan Commission — Planning & Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the Lake County In pageper application2026-10-15

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

IN 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
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youIndiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division$75 one-time electronic filing; $100 on paperno expiry, but a business entity report is due every two years2026-09-03
Business Entity Reportonly if it applies to youIndiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division$32 every two years online; $50 on paper — a nonprofit pays $22 online or $20 on paperbiennial — due on the month and day the business was formed2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youIndiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division$75 one-time electronic filing; $100 on paperno expiry, but a business entity report is due every two years2026-09-03
Registered Retail Merchant CertificateIndiana Department of Revenue$25 one-time, per place of business; renewal is free2 years, renewed automatically at no cost2026-09-03
General Business License — State of Indiana Positiononly if it applies to youIndiana Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feeset by the city or county2026-09-03

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 Lake County In?

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 Lake County In, IN, 3 apply to every business of this type and 11 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 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $25.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 14 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:

Annual Food Service Establishment Permit (Lake County Health Department): Annual Food Service Permit by number of employees: 1–4 $220; 4–9 (as printed) $280; 10–14 $340; 15–19 $400; 20–24 $460; 25–29 $520; 30–34 $580; 35–39 $640; 40–44 $700; 45–49 $760; 50–54 $820; 55–59 $880; 60–64 $940; 65 or more $1,000. New Establishment Application $20 (no plan review needed); New Establishment plan review: 1–24 employees $75, 25–49 $150, 50–65 $225. Replacement permit $10. Food service violation re-inspection $50. A new establishment applying between July 1 and December 31 pays 50% of the scale; an establishment operating four or fewer consecutive months in a calendar year pays one-third, and more than four but less than six consecutive months one-half. Renewal not paid by March 1: permit void, double fee to resume. Operating before obtaining the permit: double fee.

Annual, Seasonal and Single-Event Temporary Food Permits (Lake County Health Department): Annual Temporary Permit $300; Seasonal Temporary Permit $150 per season; single-event Temporary Permit $20 per day, maximum $100 per event.

Alcoholic Beverage Permit — Lake County Local Alcoholic Beverage Board (Indiana ATC): The ATC's Alcohol Permit Information page publishes no fee for the local board's review; the alcoholic beverage permit itself is issued by the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. Contact the ATC for the amount for a given permit type.

Retail Food Establishment Permit: $300–$1,690 a year, set by the local health department — there is no state fee

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

Which offices issue these permits in Lake County In?

Permits for a restaurant in Lake County In, IN come from 7 separate offices: Lake County Health Department (Food Safety and Environmental Health Divisions), Lake County Plan Commission — Planning & Building Department, Lake County Weights & Measures Department, Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission — Alcoholic Beverage Board of Lake County, Indiana Department of Health, Food Protection Division, Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Indiana Department of 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 Lake County In that other businesses do not?

1 of the 6 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in Lake County In: Alcoholic Beverage Permit — Lake County Local Alcoholic Beverage Board (Indiana ATC).

Alcoholic Beverage Permit — Lake County Local Alcoholic Beverage Board (Indiana ATC)

Alcoholic beverage permits in Indiana are issued by the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC). The ATC's Alcohol Permit Information page states: "Each of Indiana's 92 counties has a local alcoholic beverage board (local board) that investigates and votes on all applications for alcoholic beverage retailer and dealer permits in their respective county." The page says each local board has four members, appointed by the board of county commissioners, the chief executive of the largest city or town in the county, the county fiscal body and the Commission, and that hearing schedules list applications recently advertised for a local board hearing. A restaurant seeking an ATC retailer permit for premises anywhere in Lake County therefore has its application heard by the Lake County local board; the ATC's local board hearing schedule gives dates and locations. The page publishes no fee for the local board's review; permit fees are a matter for the ATC.

Shared with other businesses in Lake County In

  • Annual Food Service Establishment Permit (Lake County Health Department) — Lake County Health Department (Food Safety and Environmental Health Divisions), Annual Food Service Permit by number of employees: 1–4 $220; 4–9 (as printed) $280; 10–14 $340; 15–19 $400; 20–24 $460; 25–29 $520; 30–34 $580; 35–39 $640; 40–44 $700; 45–49 $760; 50–54 $820; 55–59 $880; 60–64 $940; 65 or more $1,000. New Establishment Application $20 (no plan review needed); New Establishment plan review: 1–24 employees $75, 25–49 $150, 50–65 $225. Replacement permit $10. Food service violation re-inspection $50. A new establishment applying between July 1 and December 31 pays 50% of the scale; an establishment operating four or fewer consecutive months in a calendar year pays one-third, and more than four but less than six consecutive months one-half. Renewal not paid by March 1: permit void, double fee to resume. Operating before obtaining the permit: double fee., calendar year; renewal fee due between January 1 and March 1 each year. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Annual, Seasonal and Single-Event Temporary Food Permits (Lake County Health Department) — Lake County Health Department (Food Safety and Environmental Health Divisions), Annual Temporary Permit $300; Seasonal Temporary Permit $150 per season; single-event Temporary Permit $20 per day, maximum $100 per event., annual permit: the calendar year; seasonal permit: six continuous months during the calendar year, per the department's 2026 notice; single-event permit: the event. Also required for food trucks and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • Weights and Measures Location License (Lake County Weights & Measures Department) — Lake County Weights & Measures Department, $140 per location, per calendar year, county fee (Lake County Code § 110.08(B), Ord. 1264D-1 signed September 14, 2010). New-business proration per the department's License Fee Schedule: January 1–March 31 $140; April 1–June 30 $105; July 1–September 30 $70; October 1–December 31 $35. Farm stands or seasonal businesses open three months or less a year: one-quarter of the annual fee ($35). Card payments add a 2.45% transaction fee, $1.49 minimum, calendar year; a separate license for each location (Ord. 1264D Sec. 8). Also required for retail stores, coffee shops and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
  • Certified Food Protection Manager — Indiana Department of Health, Food Protection Division, No fee, 5 years. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • Retail Food Establishment Permit — Indiana Department of Health, Food Protection Division, $300–$1,690 a year, set by the local health department — there is no state fee, annual. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Lake County In, IN; what each one involves is set out on the Lake County In permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across IN and are covered on the IN state page.

How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Lake County In?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 5 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Alcoholic Beverage Permit — Lake County Local Alcoholic Beverage Board (Indiana ATC). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Lake County In, IN, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops5510
Food trucks3330
Auto repair shops2151
Retail stores2151
Childcare centres1061
Contractors and trades3063
Fitness studios1061
Salons and barbers1061
Veterinary clinics1061

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, food trucks page and retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Lake County In permits page and the IN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Alcohol Permit Information (Local Board Hearings)Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-15

Related

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