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13 permits · verified 2026-09-06

What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Baltimore?

In short

A restaurant in Baltimore, MD has 9 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development, Permits Office charges $45 per use, per building or part of a building for the use and occupancy permit. 5 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Baltimore

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Sign PermitBaltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development, Permits Office$1 per square foot, minimum $13 for each consolidated area of signage.one-time, per sign2026-09-06
Temporary Food Service Facility LicenseBaltimore City Health Department, Bureau of Environmental Health$50 per booth or stand, per event of 14 days or lessper event2026-09-06
Food Service Facility Plan ReviewBaltimore City Health Department, Bureau of Environmental Health$150 initial plan review and inspection, includes 1 reinspection; each additional reinspection is $50; a blueprint review, where required, is $75one-time, per new facility or major remodel2026-09-06
Trader's LicenseCircuit Court for Baltimore City, Land Records & Licenses DivisionGraded by stock-in-trade value: $20 (up to $1,000); $40 (over $1,000 to $5,000); $80 (over $5,000 to $10,000); $160 (over $10,000 to $50,000); $375 (over $50,000 to $100,000); $1,000 (over $100,000 to $300,000); $1,500 (over $300,000 to $750,000); $2,125 (over $750,000).annual2026-09-06
Food Service Facility LicenseMaryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection$100–$525 a year, set by the county health department — there is no state fee1 year from issue unless local law says otherwise2026-09-03
Certified Food Service Manageronly if it applies to youMaryland Department of Health, Office of Food ProtectionNo feeno state period; three to five years where a county requires a card2026-09-03

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 Baltimore

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Use and Occupancy PermitBaltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development, Permits Office$45 per use, per building or part of a buildingissued once per qualifying occupancy2026-09-06
Commercial Building PermitBaltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development, Permits OfficeVaries — formula on the Baltimore pageone-time, per project2026-09-06

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

MD 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
Trader's LicenseComptroller of Maryland, State License BureauVaries — formula on the MD page1 May to 30 April, whenever it is bought2026-09-03
Sales and Use Tax LicenseComptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration DivisionNo feeno expiry — effective until surrendered or revoked2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division$100 one-time filingperpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division$120 one-time minimum — $100 filing plus a $20 organization and capitalization feeperpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division$300 a yearannual — due 15 April, extendable to 15 June2026-09-03

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 Baltimore?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a restaurant in Baltimore, MD, 9 apply to every business of this type and 4 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 9 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $245.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 13 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:

Sign Permit: $1 per square foot, minimum $13 for each consolidated area of signage.

Trader's License: Graded by stock-in-trade value: $20 (up to $1,000); $40 (over $1,000 to $5,000); $80 (over $5,000 to $10,000); $160 (over $10,000 to $50,000); $375 (over $50,000 to $100,000); $1,000 (over $100,000 to $300,000); $1,500 (over $300,000 to $750,000); $2,125 (over $750,000).

Food Service Facility License: $100–$525 a year, set by the county health department — there is no state fee

The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Baltimore permits page and the MD state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Baltimore?

Permits for a restaurant in Baltimore, MD come from 7 separate offices: Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development, Permits Office, Baltimore City Health Department, Bureau of Environmental Health, Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Land Records & Licenses Division, Comptroller of Maryland, State License Bureau, Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration Division, Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection, Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter 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 Baltimore that other businesses do not?

Food Service Facility Plan Review

Baltimore City Health Code delegates the base annual food-facility license fee to the Health Commissioner, 'as set from time to time... with the approval of the City Council' — no published dollar figure for that base annual fee could be located. A widely-repeated claim that Code section 9-11 sets a $460 annual fee is false; that section is Article 15's Late-Night Commercial Operations subtitle, unrelated to food licensing.

Food Service Facility License

The state health department writes the regulations and licenses only processing, warehousing and dairy; retail food service belongs to the twenty-four local health departments, and the statute says the county governing body sets the fee schedule and the money is paid to the county. Both examples band by risk rather than size. Montgomery charges $200 for a low-priority facility, $375 for moderate and $525 for high, with a $100 non-profit rate and a $100 late fee, and its licenses expire on 31 January. Howard charges $415, $325 and $100 on the same three tiers, adds a ten per cent technology surcharge to everything, and prices plan review separately at up to $485. Statutory caps exist only in odd corners — a mobile reciprocity license cannot exceed $300, and seasonal on-farm processing $70 outside four jurisdictions.

Shared with other businesses in Baltimore

  • Sign Permit — Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development, Permits Office, $1 per square foot, minimum $13 for each consolidated area of signage., one-time, per sign. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.
  • Temporary Food Service Facility License — Baltimore City Health Department, Bureau of Environmental Health, $50 per booth or stand, per event of 14 days or less, per event. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • Trader's License — Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Land Records & Licenses Division, Graded by stock-in-trade value: $20 (up to $1,000); $40 (over $1,000 to $5,000); $80 (over $5,000 to $10,000); $160 (over $10,000 to $50,000); $375 (over $50,000 to $100,000); $1,000 (over $100,000 to $300,000); $1,500 (over $300,000 to $750,000); $2,125 (over $750,000)., annual. Also required for retail stores and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
  • Certified Food Service Manager — Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection, No fee, no state period; three to five years where a county requires a card. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Baltimore, MD; what each one involves is set out on the Baltimore permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MD and are covered on the MD state page.

How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Baltimore?

A restaurant and a coffee shop in Baltimore, MD need exactly the same 6 permits beyond the ones every business needs.

Permits particular to each business type in Baltimore, MD, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops6600
Food trucks4331
Retail stores2240
Fitness studios1150
Auto repair shops2151
Salons and barbers3152
Veterinary clinics3152
Childcare centres2062
Contractors and trades1061

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 veterinary clinics page, food trucks page, retail stores page and coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Baltimore permits page and the MD state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Baltimore City Health Department — Plan Review feesBaltimore City Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
  2. Maryland Health-General section 21-308 — county governing bodies set the food establishment license fee scheduleMaryland General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  3. COMAR 10.15.03.28 — a food service facility license must be obtained from the approving authorityMaryland Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. Montgomery County Licensure and Regulatory Services — fee scheduleMontgomery County, Maryland · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  5. Howard County Health Department — environmental health fee scheduleHoward County, Maryland · 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.