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

Food Service Facility License — Moderate Priority

This is the Moderate Priority tier of Montgomery County's Food Service Facility License, for facilities whose food passes through the temperature danger zone once — a typical cook, hot-hold and serve operation such as a restaurant or coffee shop kitchen. The $375.00 fee is printed on the county's current Food Service Facility License Application form (April 2026 edition) issued by DHHS Licensure & Regulatory Services, 2425 Reedie Drive, 9th Floor, Wheaton, MD 20902, and the same figure is confirmed on the department's own current Fee Schedule page. Montgomery County Code §15-12 delegates the dollar fee to the County Executive by regulation. The license expires every January 31 and is marked, on the application form itself, as not transferable between locations or owners.

Food Service Facility License — High Priority

This is the High Priority tier of Montgomery County's Food Service Facility License, for facilities that prepare food a day or more in advance or pass food through the temperature danger zone two or more times — a cook-cool-reheat operation. The $525.00 fee is printed on the county's current Food Service Facility License Application form (April 2026 edition) issued by DHHS Licensure & Regulatory Services, 2425 Reedie Drive, 9th Floor, Wheaton, MD 20902, and the same figure is confirmed on the department's own current Fee Schedule page. Montgomery County Code §15-12 delegates the dollar fee to the County Executive by regulation. The license expires every January 31 and is marked, on the application form itself, as not transferable between locations or owners.

Food Service Facility License — Low Priority

This is the Low Priority tier of Montgomery County's Food Service Facility License, for facilities whose food preparation does not pass through the temperature danger zone — pre-packaged items, candy, popcorn, or hand-dipped ice cream. The $200.00 fee is printed on the county's current Food Service Facility License Application form (April 2026 edition) issued by DHHS Licensure & Regulatory Services, 2425 Reedie Drive, 9th Floor, Wheaton, MD 20902, and the same figure is confirmed on the department's own current Fee Schedule page. Montgomery County Code §15-12 delegates the dollar fee to the County Executive by regulation. The license expires every January 31 and is marked, on the application form itself, as not transferable between locations or owners.

Class B Beer, Wine, and Liquor License

A restaurant or hotel owner or operator attesting that food sales make up at least 40% of combined food-and-alcohol gross receipts applies to the Board of License Commissioners for Montgomery County for this Class B beer, wine, and liquor license, which carries an annual fee of $2,500.00 per Md. Alcoholic Beverages & Cannabis Art. §25-902(G), confirmed directly in the enrolled text of 2024 Md. Laws Ch. 1021 (HB762), effective July 1, 2024, with no later session-law amendment to §25-902 changing this figure. The Board of License Commissioners and Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS, renamed from the Department of Liquor Control effective July 1, 2019) operate under a Montgomery-County-only subtitle of the Maryland Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article rather than any chapter of the county's own Code. This is the only Montgomery County alcohol license fee figure stated here for the general restaurant/coffee-shop category; other license classes are outside its scope.

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 Montgomery County Md

• Certified Food Service Manager (CFSM) License — Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Licensure & Regulatory Services, $50 one-time, per manager, 5 years. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks 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.