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

Food Service Establishment Permit (restaurants, bakeries and delicatessens)

A restaurant, bakery or delicatessen in Onondaga County needs a food service establishment permit from the Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section, before it operates. The annual permit fee depends on seating capacity under Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2 (adopted February 3, 2026; effective January 1, 2026 under its §5): $217 for 0 to 25 seats of capacity, $236 for 26 to 50, $273 for 51 to 100, $329 for 101 to 150 and $360 for more than 150. The law's scope wording is 'Restaurants, etc.'; the county fee schedule page describes the same category as restaurants, bakeries and delicatessens. A late fee of $60 applies to annual permits, per the same §2 fee table.

Food Service Establishment Permit

Delegated, so there is no statewide fee and none is shown here. The permit comes from the county or city health department with jurisdiction; where a county has no health department the state's own regional or district health director issues it instead, and in those cases the state portal lists a band of $75 to $175. New York City is a separate regime under the city health department. The term is unusual and worth planning around: up to two years rather than a fixed annual cycle, with the permit-issuing official setting the length based on your compliance record, the risk your operation presents, and whether you run an acceptable self-inspection programme — so a good record literally buys you a longer permit. One statutory fee does exist statewide and is easy to miss: $25 a year to manufacture frozen desserts for retail sale, collected alongside whatever the local permit costs. Approved day care centres, hospitals and nursing homes need no separate food service permit unless a third party runs the food service.

Shared with other businesses in Onondaga County

• Temporary Food Service Establishment Permit — Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section, $130 per unit (Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2); late fee $30 for temporary permits, per event; the county application form states a maximum of 14 days at one location. Also required for food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Special Promotional Food Permit — Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section, $62 per special promotional food permit, as listed in Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2 ('Special Promotions $62.00'), per promotional event; applications are due 10 days before operation, per the county food protection page. Also required for food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Food Worker Training — Local Option under 10 NYCRR 14-1.73 (New York) — New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection, No fee, set by the permit-issuing official where one is imposed. Also required for food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.