Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

16 permits · verified 2026-09-28

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

In short

A restaurant in Oakland County, MI has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 12 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Oakland County Clerk / Register of Deeds, Vital Records charges $10 one-time filing fee for the assumed name (dba) certificate. 5 of the 16 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Oakland County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Food Service License (fixed establishment, annual)Oakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services Unit$338.20–$457.80 a year, by seat tier, effective October 1, 2025: 0-24 seats $338.20, 25-99 seats $398.00, 100+ seats $457.80; commissaries $338.20; a 3.5% surcharge applies to card payments and $2.50 to e-checksannual; the license year runs through April 30, with renewal due by that date to avoid late fees2026-09-28
Certified Food Manager (CFM) RequirementOakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services UnitNo feeongoing while the food establishment operates; recertification is required every 5 years, with an allergen-awareness component required since January 14, 2017, and a 90-day grace period to replace a lost or departed certified manager2026-09-28
Alcohol License — Michigan Liquor Control Commission (Oakland County)only if it applies to youOakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities ManagementNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
Food Service Establishment LicenseMichigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development$338–$1,333 a year, set by the local health department; the state's embedded share is $30annual — expires 30 April2026-09-03
Certified Food Safety Manageronly if it applies to youMichigan Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentNo feecertificates are typically valid five years, set by the certifying provider2026-09-03

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 Oakland County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — Oakland County Positiononly if it applies to youOakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities ManagementNo feenot applicable — the county's Business Development page states that Oakland County does not require a business license2026-09-28
Zoning Approval — City, Village or Township Issues (Oakland County)only if it applies to youOakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities ManagementNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
Assumed Name (DBA) Certificateonly if it applies to youOakland County Clerk / Register of Deeds, Vital Records$10 one-time filing fee5 years, renewable2026-09-28
On-Site Sewage Disposal (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youOakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services UnitVaries — formula on the Oakland County pageper project, for new construction, repair/replacement or alteration of an on-site sewage disposal system; the installer license itself renews annually2026-09-28
Water Well Permitonly if it applies to youOakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services UnitVaries — formula on the Oakland County pageper well, for the specific construction, replacement, augmentation, irrigation, geothermal or abandonment project applied for2026-09-28
Building/Construction Permit — Local Community Issues (Oakland County)only if it applies to youOakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities ManagementNo feenot applicable2026-09-28

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

MI 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 Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau$50 one-time filing, non-refundableno expiry, but an annual statement is due every 15 February2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau$60 one-time minimum — a $10 fee plus an organization fee from $50, banded by authorised sharesno expiry, but an annual report is due every 15 May2026-09-03
General Business License — Michigan state positiononly if it applies to youMichigan Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentNo feenot applicable at state level2026-09-03
Sales Tax LicenseMichigan Department of TreasuryNo feeissued yearly, valid January to December2026-09-03
Annual Report or Annual Statementonly if it applies to youMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing BureauVaries — formula on the MI pageannual — 15 February for an LLC, 15 May for a corporation2026-09-03

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 Oakland County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 16 records listed for a restaurant in Oakland County, MI, 4 apply to every business of this type and 12 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

5 of the 16 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 8 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Food Service License (fixed establishment, annual): $338.20–$457.80 a year, by seat tier, effective October 1, 2025: 0-24 seats $338.20, 25-99 seats $398.00, 100+ seats $457.80; commissaries $338.20; a 3.5% surcharge applies to card payments and $2.50 to e-checks

Food Service Establishment License: $338–$1,333 a year, set by the local health department; the state's embedded share is $30

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

Which offices issue these permits in Oakland County?

Permits for a restaurant in Oakland County, MI come from 6 separate offices: Oakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities Management, Oakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services Unit, Oakland County Clerk / Register of Deeds, Vital Records, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michigan Department of Treasury. 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 Oakland County that other businesses do not?

Certified Food Safety Manager

No state fee — Michigan neither teaches the course nor issues the certificate, and the cost and length vary by provider. What the law does require is that a food service establishment, an extended retail food establishment or a food service operation inside a grocery employs at least one managerial food safety manager certified under an accredited programme. The rule adds that the certified manager must be a full-time employee but need not be present during all opening hours. Temporary establishments, vending locations and low-risk establishments are exempt. Ninety days are allowed to replace a departed manager or after a change of ownership, but a newly licensed establishment needs one from its first day. There is no statewide food handler card; local health departments may register individuals, and none of the six largest jurisdictions checked does.

Shared with other businesses in Oakland County

  • Food Service License (fixed establishment, annual) — Oakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services Unit, $338.20–$457.80 a year, by seat tier, effective October 1, 2025: 0-24 seats $338.20, 25-99 seats $398.00, 100+ seats $457.80; commissaries $338.20; a 3.5% surcharge applies to card payments and $2.50 to e-checks, annual; the license year runs through April 30, with renewal due by that date to avoid late fees. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Certified Food Manager (CFM) Requirement — Oakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services Unit, No fee, ongoing while the food establishment operates; recertification is required every 5 years, with an allergen-awareness component required since January 14, 2017, and a 90-day grace period to replace a lost or departed certified manager. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Alcohol License — Michigan Liquor Control Commission (Oakland County) — Oakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities Management, No fee, not applicable. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Food Service Establishment License — Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, $338–$1,333 a year, set by the local health department; the state's embedded share is $30, annual — expires 30 April. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

The other 6 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Oakland County, MI; what each one involves is set out on the Oakland County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MI and are covered on the MI state page.

How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Oakland County?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 5 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Retail Food Establishment License, which a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Oakland County, MI, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops6501
Food trucks7324
Auto repair shops3053
Childcare centres2052
Contractors and trades3053
Fitness studios2052
Retail stores2052
Salons and barbers5055
Veterinary clinics5055

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. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Oakland County permits page and the MI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Michigan Administrative Code regulation 570 — food establishment manager certificationMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  2. Michigan MDARD — new business information packet, covering food safety manager certification cost and termMichigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development · 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.