12 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in St Paul?
In short
A restaurant in St Paul, MN has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 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. 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in St Paul
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food and Beverage Establishment License | Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools, and Lodging Services, Metro District Office | Base fee $300, plus a statewide Hospitality fee of $50 and a $5 Technology fee, plus a risk-category license fee: Category 1 $185, Category 2 $430, Category 3 $670. A Special Event Food Stand is $250 (no plan review required); an Additional Food Service (e.g. a second kitchen) is $225; HACCP review is $15 per unit. | annual | 2026-09-08 |
| Business Sign Permit | City of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and Inspections | Wall and projecting signs: $3.00/sq ft, $85 minimum. Freestanding and roof signs: $3.00/sq ft, $91 minimum. Awnings: $2.00/linear ft, $85 minimum. Temporary/portable sign: $85 flat. A marquee over public property is $167. | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-08 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services | $45 certification or renewal, plus a $5 technology fee | 3 years | 2026-09-03 |
| 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 | 2026-09-03 |
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 Paul
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Certificate of Occupancy | City of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and Inspections | Varies — formula on the St Paul page | recurring, by occupancy type — Assembly and Institutional every 2 years; Business, Education, Factory, Mercantile, and Storage every 3 years; Hazardous every 1 year | 2026-09-08 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and Inspections | Varies — formula on the St Paul page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
| General Business License — City of Saint Paul positiononly if it applies to you | City of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and Inspections | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-08 |
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
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in person | perpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Minnesota state positiononly if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | set by the city | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in person | perpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Renewalonly if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | annual — due by 31 December every year after the year of formation | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales and Use Tax Account | Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business Registration | No fee | valid until cancelled or revoked | 2026-09-03 |
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 Paul?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a restaurant in St Paul, MN, 6 apply to every business of this type and 6 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 12 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Food and Beverage Establishment License: Base fee $300, plus a statewide Hospitality fee of $50 and a $5 Technology fee, plus a risk-category license fee: Category 1 $185, Category 2 $430, Category 3 $670. A Special Event Food Stand is $250 (no plan review required); an Additional Food Service (e.g. a second kitchen) is $225; HACCP review is $15 per unit.
Business Sign Permit: Wall and projecting signs: $3.00/sq ft, $85 minimum. Freestanding and roof signs: $3.00/sq ft, $91 minimum. Awnings: $2.00/linear ft, $85 minimum. Temporary/portable sign: $85 flat. A marquee over public property is $167.
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 Paul permits page and the MN state page.
Which offices issue these permits in St Paul?
Permits for a restaurant in St Paul, MN come from 5 separate offices: Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools, and Lodging Services, Metro District Office, City of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and Inspections, 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.
- Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools, and Lodging Services, Metro District OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Food and Beverage Establishment License625 North Robert Street, PO Box 64975, St. Paul, MN 55164-0975 · (651) 201-4500www.health.state.mn.us
- City of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and InspectionsIssues 4 permits on this page: Fire Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit, Business Sign Permit, General Business License — City of Saint Paul position375 Jackson Street, Suite 220, Saint Paul, MN 55101-1806 · (651) 266-8989www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections
- Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Minnesota state position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Renewal332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · (651) 296-2803www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens
- Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging ServicesIssues 2 permits on this page: Certified Food Protection Manager, Food and Beverage Establishment LicensePO Box 64975, St Paul, MN 55164-0975 · (651) 201-4500www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/food/license/index.html
- Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business RegistrationIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax Account600 North Robert Street, St Paul, MN 55146 · (651) 282-5225www.revenue.state.mn.us/minnesota-tax-id-requirements
What does a restaurant need in St Paul that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in St Paul
- Food and Beverage Establishment License — Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools, and Lodging Services, Metro District Office, Base fee $300, plus a statewide Hospitality fee of $50 and a $5 Technology fee, plus a risk-category license fee: Category 1 $185, Category 2 $430, Category 3 $670. A Special Event Food Stand is $250 (no plan review required); an Additional Food Service (e.g. a second kitchen) is $225; HACCP review is $15 per unit., annual. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Business Sign Permit — City of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and Inspections, Wall and projecting signs: $3.00/sq ft, $85 minimum. Freestanding and roof signs: $3.00/sq ft, $91 minimum. Awnings: $2.00/linear ft, $85 minimum. Temporary/portable sign: $85 flat. A marquee over public property is $167., 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 auto repair shops page.
- 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 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in St Paul, MN; what each one involves is set out on the St Paul 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 Paul?
A restaurant and a coffee shop in St Paul, MN need exactly the same 4 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page and auto repair shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the St Paul permits page and the MN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.