Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

15 permits · verified 2026-10-09

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

In short

A restaurant in Washoe County, NV has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Washoe County Community Services Department, Building Division charges $50 per inspection for the building division business license inspection (unincorporated area). 9 of the 15 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Washoe County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Liquor Work Permit (employees who sell or serve liquor) — Washoe County Sheriff's Officeonly if it applies to youWashoe County Sheriff's Office, Records (Work Permits)$74 per employee, new or renewal, including the $39.00 state fingerprinting fee; replacement card $15five years (WCSO Work Permits page)2026-10-09
Washoe County Liquor License (unincorporated area)only if it applies to youWashoe County Community Services Department, Business License Division$52–$302 per calendar quarter, payable in advance, plus the gross-receipts feeone calendar quarter (WCC 30.255)2026-10-09
NNPH Food Establishment Permit (fixed and mobile food units, countywide)Northern Nevada Public Health, Environmental Health ServicesApplication / change of service area / change of ownership $706. Annual permit: Risk Level 1 $338 ($1,044 with application); Risk Level 2 $469 ($1,175 with application); Risk Level 3 $1,334 ($2,040 with application). Construction plan review: base $601 plus $572 (under 1,000 sq ft), $967 (1,000-2,999 sq ft) or $1,363 (3,000 sq ft or more); remodel plan review base $601 plus $836. Late payment 25% of the annual permit; reinspection $273 (NNPH EHS Fees FY27, effective July 1, 2026).annual (fiscal year)2026-10-09
NNPH Temporary Food Event Permits (organizer, vendor, annual itinerant, special event)only if it applies to youNorthern Nevada Public Health, Environmental Health ServicesEvent organizer permit (2-5 day event or 6-20 booths) $847. Vendor permit to operate, high risk: $189 (1-3 days), $320 (4-7 days), $584 (8-14 days); low risk: $225 (1-7 days), $357 (8-14 days). Annual itinerant temporary food establishment: $1,541 high risk, $1,278 low risk. Annual producer/sampling permit $357. Special event permit to operate (5,000+ attendees): $1,672 base plus $273 per hour. Late fee 100% of the permit fee for missing the submittal date, 200% within 3 business days of the event (NNPH EHS Fees FY27, effective July 1, 2026).per event (1 to 14 days), or annual for the itinerant and producer/sampling permits2026-10-09
Food Handler Safety Training CardSouthern Nevada Health District$25 for a new card or an on-time renewal; a lapsed renewal is $403 years2026-09-04
Food Establishment PermitSouthern Nevada Health District$290–$1,334 a year, set by whichever of three regulators covers the addressannual2026-09-04

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 Washoe County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Washoe County Building Permit (unincorporated area)only if it applies to youWashoe County Community Services Department, Building DivisionVaries — formula on the Washoe County pageper project2026-10-09
Building Division Business License Inspection (unincorporated area)only if it applies to youWashoe County Community Services Department, Building Division$50 per inspectionper business license application, where an inspection is required2026-10-09
Fire Business License Inspection and Operational Permits — Truckee Meadows Fire Protection Districtonly if it applies to youTruckee Meadows Fire Protection DistrictVaries — formula on the Washoe County pageper inspection; operational permits annual; temporary permits per event2026-10-09
Washoe County General Business License (unincorporated area; includes home-based and mobile businesses)Washoe County Community Services Department, Business License DivisionVaries — formula on the Washoe County pageannual; expires on the last day of the anniversary month (WCC 25.029)2026-10-09

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

NV 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
Annual Listonly if it applies to youNevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings DivisionVaries — formula on the NV pageannual, filed alongside the state business license renewal2026-09-04
Sales and Use Tax PermitNevada Department of Taxation$15 for each location, one timeno expiration — valid until suspended or revoked2026-09-04
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youNevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings DivisionVaries — formula on the NV pageperpetual, but an annual list and the state business license are both due every year2026-09-04
State Business LicenseNevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings Division$200 a year for most entity types; a corporation pays $500annual — due on the last day of the anniversary month the license was first filed2026-09-04
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youNevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings Division$225 $75 to file plus a $150 initial list, filed togetherperpetual, but an annual list and the state business license are both due every year2026-09-04

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 Washoe County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 15 records listed for a restaurant in Washoe County, NV, 6 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 6 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $240.00. That is a floor, not a total. 9 of the 15 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Washoe County Liquor License (unincorporated area): $52–$302 per calendar quarter, payable in advance, plus the gross-receipts fee

NNPH Food Establishment Permit (fixed and mobile food units, countywide): Application / change of service area / change of ownership $706. Annual permit: Risk Level 1 $338 ($1,044 with application); Risk Level 2 $469 ($1,175 with application); Risk Level 3 $1,334 ($2,040 with application). Construction plan review: base $601 plus $572 (under 1,000 sq ft), $967 (1,000-2,999 sq ft) or $1,363 (3,000 sq ft or more); remodel plan review base $601 plus $836. Late payment 25% of the annual permit; reinspection $273 (NNPH EHS Fees FY27, effective July 1, 2026).

NNPH Temporary Food Event Permits (organizer, vendor, annual itinerant, special event): Event organizer permit (2-5 day event or 6-20 booths) $847. Vendor permit to operate, high risk: $189 (1-3 days), $320 (4-7 days), $584 (8-14 days); low risk: $225 (1-7 days), $357 (8-14 days). Annual itinerant temporary food establishment: $1,541 high risk, $1,278 low risk. Annual producer/sampling permit $357. Special event permit to operate (5,000+ attendees): $1,672 base plus $273 per hour. Late fee 100% of the permit fee for missing the submittal date, 200% within 3 business days of the event (NNPH EHS Fees FY27, effective July 1, 2026).

Food Establishment Permit: $290–$1,334 a year, set by whichever of three regulators covers the address

The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Washoe County permits page and the NV state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Washoe County?

Permits for a restaurant in Washoe County, NV come from 8 separate offices: Washoe County Community Services Department, Building Division, Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Records (Work Permits), Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, Washoe County Community Services Department, Business License Division, Northern Nevada Public Health, Environmental Health Services, Nevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings Division, Southern Nevada Health District, Nevada Department of Taxation. 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 Washoe County that other businesses do not?

Washoe County Liquor License (unincorporated area)

WCC 30.110(1) requires a county liquor license to sell, distribute or provide intoxicating liquor in unincorporated Washoe County. Under NRS 244.350(1) the Board of County Commissioners and, in a county of under 700,000 people, the sheriff constitute the county liquor board, and under NRS 244.350(4) liquor dealers inside Reno or Sparks are regulated only by that city. The fees are set by the county's Master Liquor License Fee Schedule (Liquor and Gaming Board resolution adopted January 14, 2014; technology fee effective October 31, 2016): a fixed quarterly fee by license type, from $52 for package beer to $302 for a cabaret or importer/wholesaler, including the $2 technology fee, with no fee for a liquor-tasting license. On top of that, a licensee pays $1 per quarter for each $1,000 of annual gross liquor receipts over $25,000, except importer/wholesaler and temporary licenses; a new business pays $50 per quarter, where applicable, in place of the receipts fee. Fees are paid quarterly in advance (WCC 30.150(1)). Under WCC 30.152, a fee unpaid 15 days after it is due is delinquent and adds 25%, and a license unpaid at 30 days is deemed revoked. The license term is one calendar quarter (WCC 30.255). Employees who sell or serve liquor need a Sheriff's liquor work permit, listed as its own record. Ask the Business License Division at 775-328-3733.

NNPH Temporary Food Event Permits (organizer, vendor, annual itinerant, special event)

A vendor serving food at a temporary event anywhere in Washoe County, including Reno and Sparks, needs a Northern Nevada Public Health temporary food permit, and the event organizer needs its own permit. The organizer permit for a 2-5 day event or one with 6-20 booths is $847 and must be submitted at least 14 days before the event. A vendor permit must be submitted at least 7 days before the event: high-risk vendors pay $189 for 1-3 days, $320 for 4-7 days or $584 for 8-14 days, and low-risk vendors $225 for 1-7 days or $357 for 8-14 days. A vendor working events all year can instead take an annual itinerant permit ($1,541 high risk, $1,278 low risk), submitted at least 14 days before the first event; the annual producer/sampling permit is $357. Events with 5,000 or more attendees need a special event permit to operate ($1,672 base plus $273 an hour), submitted at least one month ahead. Missing the submittal date adds a late fee of 100% of the permit fee, and applying within 3 business days of the event adds 200%. The figures are from Northern Nevada Public Health's official 'EHS Fees FY27' schedule, the FY2026-27 schedule effective July 1, 2026. NNPH has scheduled a public hearing on proposed Environmental Health fees for December 17, 2026. Ask NNPH EHS at 775-328-2434.

Shared with other businesses in Washoe County

  • Liquor Work Permit (employees who sell or serve liquor) — Washoe County Sheriff's Office — Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Records (Work Permits), $74 per employee, new or renewal, including the $39.00 state fingerprinting fee; replacement card $15, five years (WCSO Work Permits page). Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • NNPH Food Establishment Permit (fixed and mobile food units, countywide) — Northern Nevada Public Health, Environmental Health Services, Application / change of service area / change of ownership $706. Annual permit: Risk Level 1 $338 ($1,044 with application); Risk Level 2 $469 ($1,175 with application); Risk Level 3 $1,334 ($2,040 with application). Construction plan review: base $601 plus $572 (under 1,000 sq ft), $967 (1,000-2,999 sq ft) or $1,363 (3,000 sq ft or more); remodel plan review base $601 plus $836. Late payment 25% of the annual permit; reinspection $273 (NNPH EHS Fees FY27, effective July 1, 2026)., annual (fiscal year). Also required for coffee shops, food trucks, retail stores and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • Food Handler Safety Training Card — Southern Nevada Health District, $25 for a new card or an on-time renewal; a lapsed renewal is $40, 3 years. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Food Establishment Permit — Southern Nevada Health District, $290–$1,334 a year, set by whichever of three regulators covers the address, annual. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Washoe County, NV; what each one involves is set out on the Washoe County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NV and are covered on the NV state page.

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

A restaurant and a coffee shop in Washoe County, NV need exactly the same 6 permits beyond the ones every business needs.

Permits particular to each business type in Washoe County, NV, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops6600
Food trucks7601
Retail stores3241
Childcare centres3152
Auto repair shops1061
Contractors and trades1061
Fitness studios1061
Salons and barbers2062
Veterinary clinics1061

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 food trucks page and coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Washoe County permits page and the NV state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Master Liquor License Fee Schedule (Liquor and Gaming Board resolution adopted January 14, 2014; technology fee effective October 31, 2016)Washoe County Community Services Department, Business License · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  2. Washoe County Code Chapter 30, Intoxicating Liquor (§§30.110, 30.150, 30.152, 30.223, 30.255)Washoe County / Municode · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  3. NRS Chapter 244, Counties: Government (§§244.335, 244.350)Nevada Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  4. EHS Fees FY27 (Environmental Health Services fee schedule, 'Effective 7/1/2026' column)Northern Nevada Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  5. Environmental Health Services Fees page (links 'CLICK HERE FOR FY26/27 FEES')Northern Nevada Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  6. Schedule of Fees page ('Sept. 23, 2026 Update': proposed EHS fees, public hearing December 17, 2026)Northern Nevada Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09

Related

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