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10 permits · verified 2026-10-13

What permits do you need to open a restaurant in St Louis County Mn?

In short

A restaurant in St Louis County Mn, MN has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division charges $135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in person for the articles of incorporation. 4 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-13 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in St Louis County Mn

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Liquor License (townships only)only if it applies to youSt. Louis County Auditor — LicensingCounty fee per license, 2026 Fee Schedule, by type and Area (Ordinance 28 §6.03.03): on-sale intoxicating Area 1 $1,800, Area 2 $1,000, Area 3 $750; off-sale intoxicating Area 1 $500, Area 2 $250, Area 3 $150; Sunday on-sale intoxicating $200 (all Areas); exclusive liquor store off-sale: unorganized areas $350, organized townships $500, and Angora, Clinton and Sturgeon Townships $500 each; club on-sale intoxicating $500; on-sale wine Area 1 $600, Area 2 $334, Area 3 $250; 3.2 percent malt liquor on-sale $150, off-sale $115, on/off-sale $150; seasonal on-sale intoxicating Area 1 $900, Area 2 $700, Area 3 $500; seasonal Sunday on-sale $150; temporary on-sale intoxicating (14 days) $100; temporary on-sale 3.2 percent malt liquor (14 days) $25; expanded service area permit $75, subsequent $40. Permit for consumption and display: $250 payable to Minnesota Liquor Enforcement plus $50 payable to the St. Louis County Auditor. A late fee of 5% of the license fee applies to renewals received after the Ordinance 28 §4.04 deadlines.annual licenses July 1 through June 30; seasonal licenses May 1 through October 31 or November 1 through April 30; consumption and display permits April 1 through March 31 (Ordinance 28 §4.03)2026-10-13
Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to youMinnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services$45 certification or renewal, plus a $5 technology fee3 years2026-09-03
Food and Beverage Establishment LicenseMinnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services$300 base plus a category fee of $185 low risk, $430 medium or $670 high, plus a $50 statewide hospitality fee and a $5 technology fee — or a delegated county's own scheduleannual2026-09-03

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 Louis County Mn

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
SSTS (Septic) Permit to Construct and Operating Permitonly if it applies to youSt. Louis County Planning & Zoning — Onsite Wastewater DivisionVaries — formula on the St Louis County Mn pagepermit to construct per project; operating permit renewed on the county's renewal cycle2026-10-13
Land Use Permit, Home Business (Performance Standard) Permit and Conditional Use Permitonly if it applies to youSt. Louis County Planning & Zoning — Land Use DivisionVaries — formula on the St Louis County Mn pageper permit, for the approved project or use2026-10-13

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

MN 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 youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division$135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in personperpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December2026-09-03
General Business License — Minnesota state positiononly if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feeset by the city2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division$135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in personperpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December2026-09-03
Annual Renewalonly if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feeannual — due by 31 December every year after the year of formation2026-09-03
Sales and Use Tax AccountMinnesota Department of Revenue, Business RegistrationNo feevalid until cancelled or revoked2026-09-03

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 Louis County Mn?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a restaurant in St Louis County Mn, MN, 2 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.

4 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

County Liquor License (townships only): County fee per license, 2026 Fee Schedule, by type and Area (Ordinance 28 §6.03.03): on-sale intoxicating Area 1 $1,800, Area 2 $1,000, Area 3 $750; off-sale intoxicating Area 1 $500, Area 2 $250, Area 3 $150; Sunday on-sale intoxicating $200 (all Areas); exclusive liquor store off-sale: unorganized areas $350, organized townships $500, and Angora, Clinton and Sturgeon Townships $500 each; club on-sale intoxicating $500; on-sale wine Area 1 $600, Area 2 $334, Area 3 $250; 3.2 percent malt liquor on-sale $150, off-sale $115, on/off-sale $150; seasonal on-sale intoxicating Area 1 $900, Area 2 $700, Area 3 $500; seasonal Sunday on-sale $150; temporary on-sale intoxicating (14 days) $100; temporary on-sale 3.2 percent malt liquor (14 days) $25; expanded service area permit $75, subsequent $40. Permit for consumption and display: $250 payable to Minnesota Liquor Enforcement plus $50 payable to the St. Louis County Auditor. A late fee of 5% of the license fee applies to renewals received after the Ordinance 28 §4.04 deadlines.

Food and Beverage Establishment License: $300 base plus a category fee of $185 low risk, $430 medium or $670 high, plus a $50 statewide hospitality fee and a $5 technology fee — or a delegated county's own schedule

The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the St Louis County Mn permits page and the MN state page.

Which offices issue these permits in St Louis County Mn?

Permits for a restaurant in St Louis County Mn, MN come from 6 separate offices: St. Louis County Auditor — Licensing, St. Louis County Planning & Zoning — Onsite Wastewater Division, St. Louis County Planning & Zoning — Land Use Division, Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services, Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business Registration. 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 St Louis County Mn that other businesses do not?

County Liquor License (townships only)

The County Auditor's licenses page states: "St. Louis County licenses establishments located in organized and unorganized townships within the County of St. Louis, Minnesota. If the establishment is located in an organized township, town board approval is required. If your establishment is located within a city, contact the city clerk's office." The same page says new applicants must personally appear before the County's Liquor Licensing Committee, that the County Board authorizes issuance "with final approval for intoxicating liquor granted by the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division" of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, and that applicants must meet the requirements of the Sheriff, Attorney, Environmental Services and Planning. Under Ordinance 28 §6.02, no on-sale intoxicating license is approved unless the establishment also holds a Minnesota Department of Health food and beverage service establishment license, and under §6.03.01 a "restaurant" must seat at least 30 guests. On-sale fees depend on the Area: Ordinance 28 §6.03.03 (2017 text) places the Towns of Canosia, Duluth (the township, not the City of Duluth), Grand Lake, Lakewood, Midway, Rice Lake and Solway in Area 1, and lists Area 2 and Area 3 towns by name. Of the consumption and display permit charges, the $50 payment is the county's; the $250 goes to Minnesota Liquor Enforcement. Temporary and special event license applications are due at least 45 days ahead (§4.03). The figure is from the St. Louis County 2026 Fee Schedule (amended by the County Board after the public hearing on January 27, 2026; originally adopted November 4, 2025 by Resolution No. 25-527), which is in effect through December 31, 2026. Contact the St. Louis County Auditor's licensing staff at 218-726-2580 or auditorlicensing@stlouiscountymn.gov.

Shared with other businesses in St Louis County Mn

  • Certified Food Protection Manager — Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services, $45 certification or renewal, plus a $5 technology fee, 3 years. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Food and Beverage Establishment License — Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services, $300 base plus a category fee of $185 low risk, $430 medium or $670 high, plus a $50 statewide hospitality fee and a $5 technology fee — or a delegated county's own schedule, annual. 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 St Louis County Mn, MN; what each one involves is set out on the St Louis County Mn permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MN and are covered on the MN state page.

How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in St Louis County Mn?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A restaurant also needs County Liquor License (townships only). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in St Louis County Mn, MN, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops2210
Food trucks2210
Retail stores4123
Auto repair shops1031
Childcare centres2032
Contractors and trades3033
Fitness studios0030
Salons and barbers2032
Veterinary clinics1031

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 St Louis County Mn permits page and the MN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. 2026 Fee Schedule — Amended by the St. Louis County Board after the Public Hearing on January 27, 2026 (Originally Adopted November 4, 2025 – Resolution No. 25-527)St. Louis County, Minnesota · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
  2. Licenses (County Auditor): liquor, precious metal dealer, tobacco, transient merchantSt. Louis County Auditor · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
  3. Ordinance No. 28, Liquor Licensing (adopted Resolution 867, 1994; last amended Resolution 17-420, June 27, 2017)St. Louis County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
  4. Minn. Stat. §340A.404, subd. 6 — county board liquor-licensing authority limited to the unorganized/unincorporated areaMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29

Related

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