9 permits · verified 2026-10-08
What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Union County Nj?
In short
A coffee shop in Union County Nj, NJ has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services charges $75 a year; $30 for a nonprofit for the annual report. 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a coffee shop in Union County Nj
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Food Permit on County Property (Including Temporary and Mobile Food at Union County Parks Events)only if it applies to you | Union County Office of Health Management | Fees will be determined based on application, as stated on the county's 2025 Temporary Mobile Retail Food Establishment Application; checks or money orders payable to County of Union | per event, or seasonal/annual for vendors attending several events in the year | 2026-10-08 |
| Retail Food Establishment License | New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program | $80–$1,000 a year, set by the local board of health across more than a hundred jurisdictions | annual, usually the calendar year | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program | No fee | set by the certifying programme, not by New Jersey | 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 Union County Nj
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Planning Board Site Plan Review (Building or Expanding a Commercial Site Along a County Road)only if it applies to you | Union County Planning Board, Bureau of Planning and Economic Development | Varies — formula on the Union County Nj page | county action within 30 days of a complete application (§308); approval valid 3 years if the municipality gave preliminary approval only, 2 years if it gave final approval (§312) | 2026-10-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
NJ registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | $75 a year; $30 for a nonprofit | annual — due the last day of the entity's anniversary month | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — New Jersey Business Action Center Positiononly if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | No fee | set by the municipality | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each anniversary month | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each anniversary month | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Registration (Form NJ-REG) | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | No fee | one-time registration — no renewal | 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 coffee shop in Union County Nj?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a coffee shop in Union County Nj, NJ, 2 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
3 of the 9 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:
Retail Food Permit on County Property (Including Temporary and Mobile Food at Union County Parks Events): Fees will be determined based on application, as stated on the county's 2025 Temporary Mobile Retail Food Establishment Application; checks or money orders payable to County of Union
Retail Food Establishment License: $80–$1,000 a year, set by the local board of health across more than a hundred jurisdictions
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Union County Nj permits page and the NJ state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Union County Nj?
Permits for a coffee shop in Union County Nj, NJ come from 4 separate offices: Union County Planning Board, Bureau of Planning and Economic Development, Union County Office of Health Management, New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Union County Planning Board, Bureau of Planning and Economic DevelopmentIssues 1 permit on this page: County Planning Board Site Plan Review (Building or Expanding a Commercial Site Along a County Road)Administration Building, Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 07207 · 908-527-4268ucnj.org/union-county-planning-board
- Union County Office of Health ManagementIssues 1 permit on this page: Retail Food Permit on County Property (Including Temporary and Mobile Food at Union County Parks Events)400 North Avenue East, Westfield, NJ 07090 · 908-518-5620ucnj.org/health
- New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesIssues 5 permits on this page, including Annual Report, General Business License — New Jersey Business Action Center Position, Certificate of Incorporation33 West State Street, 5th Floor, Trenton, NJ 08608-1214 · (609) 292-9292www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue
- New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License, Certified Food Protection ManagerPO Box 369, Trenton, NJ 08625-0369 · (609) 826-4935www.nj.gov/health/ceohs/phfpp/retailfood
What does a coffee shop need in Union County Nj that other businesses do not?
Retail Food Permit on County Property (Including Temporary and Mobile Food at Union County Parks Events)
This permit applies only to food sold on county property, such as events at Union County Parks or county facilities. Laws of Union County §1-128(A)(1)(t) gives the Office of Health Management the duty to enforce the state retail food regulations, N.J.A.C. 8:24, 'on County properties, including performing inspections and issuing permits to allow for retail food establishments'. The county's 2025 Temporary Mobile Retail Food Establishment instructions state that the application, covering tables and tents, farmers markets, trucks and trailers, must be emailed to REHS@ucnj.org at least 10 business days before the event, and that permit fees must be received at least 2 days before the event. For Union County Parks and facilities, the application states that 'Fees will be determined based on application', payable to County of Union at the Office of Health Management, 400 North Avenue East, Westfield (908-518-5634). Mobile food units receive a pre-operational inspection in Westfield, and the instructions state that 'All municipal approvals shall be obtained before operating / vending.'
Shared with other businesses in Union County Nj
- Retail Food Establishment License — New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program, $80–$1,000 a year, set by the local board of health across more than a hundred jurisdictions, annual, usually the calendar year. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program, No fee, set by the certifying programme, not by New Jersey. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Union County Nj, NJ; what each one involves is set out on the Union County Nj permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NJ and are covered on the NJ state page.
How does a coffee shop compare with other businesses in Union County Nj?
A coffee shop and a food truck in Union County Nj, NJ need exactly the same 3 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a coffee shop | Only a coffee shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food trucks | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Restaurants | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
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 restaurants page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Union County Nj permits page and the NJ state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Union County Temporary Mobile Retail Food Establishment Application (2025)Union County Office of Health Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Laws of Union County (updated through January 2025)County of Union, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Union County Temporary Mobile Retail Food Establishment Application instructions (2025)Union County Office of Health Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Union County Office of Health Management pageCounty of Union, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.