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

Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License

A restaurant, cafe, grocery or other food business in the Butler County General Health District's area needs this license, and the figure depends on floor area and the risk level the district assigns. The amounts are read from the Butler County General Health District '2026 APPROVED FEE SCHEDULE', approved by the Board of Health on 18 September 2025 (Motion 2025-09-005), which prices the 2026 licensing year and prints every food figure as the local fee plus the $28.00 state portion. The schedule adds 'a mandatory penalty fee of 25% of the renewal fee, for operating a food service operation or retail food establishment after the deadline,' matching ORC 3717.43(D), under which renewal is due by March 1. The district's FSO/RFE plan review packet sets the calendar: 'Licenses issued after March 1, and until November 30th are not pro-rated and will expire on March 1st of each year,' and 'Food licenses issued on or after December 1st are good for 15 months and will expire on March 1st of the next licensing year.' A new operation passes a pre-licensing inspection before the application and fee are accepted, and 'You may only operate once the completed license application and fee are returned to the Health District.' The Butler County General Health District's Board of Health page states that it serves 'residents across Butler County, Ohio—excluding the cities of Hamilton and Middletown, which maintain their own city health departments,' so an address inside either city is licensed by that city's health department and is not priced by this schedule.

Sewage Treatment System Permit (HSTS, SFOSTS, GWRS)

A business on a site that is not served by public sewer, such as a rural restaurant, daycare, clinic or garage, uses a household or small flow on-site sewage treatment system that the Butler County General Health District permits; a site without a private sewage system has no sewage treatment system permit to buy. The amounts are from the Butler County General Health District '2026 APPROVED FEE SCHEDULE', approved by the Board of Health on 18 September 2025 (Motion 2025-09-005), which states that its sewage fees 'are established in accordance with Ohio Administrative Code 3701-29-05' and covers household sewage treatment systems (HSTS), small flow on-site sewage treatment systems (SFOSTS) and gray water recycling systems (GWRS). The install and alter permits each include two inspections and one 12-month follow-up, and septic tank abandonment is bought separately. The schedule states 'Penalty fee of 25% of the permit fee will be assessed if work has commenced prior to a permit being issued for a new installation or alteration per ORC 3709.09.' The Butler County General Health District's Board of Health page states that it serves 'residents across Butler County, Ohio—excluding the cities of Hamilton and Middletown, which maintain their own city health departments,' so an address inside either city is licensed by that city's health department and is not priced by this schedule.

Food Service Operation License

There is no single Ohio restaurant license fee. The state's share is fixed by rule at $28 for a commercial food service operation of any size or risk level, $14 non-commercial and $6 per vending machine location; the rest is set by whichever of roughly a hundred and ten local boards of health licenses your address. Under rule 3701-21-02 the license is issued by the local board of health; the Department of Health approves those boards and binds them to a uniform method, so every district's schedule has the same shape: four risk levels by two floor-area bands, commercial or non-commercial, with non-commercial fixed at exactly half of commercial. Each district must run an annual cost analysis and hold a public hearing before changing its figure. Renewal is due by 1 March and a late application costs a further 25 per cent. Only the vending machine fee is capped against inflation; restaurant and mobile fees are not.

Shared with other businesses in Butler County Oh

• County Vendor's License — Butler County Auditor, $50 one-time, for each fixed place of business in the county — a combined state and county amount under ORC 5739.17(A): $25 goes to the state Organized Crime Commission Fund and $25 to the Butler County general fund; the Auditor's page states there is no annual renewal fee, one-time license that stays in force with no annual renewal fee; a move within the county can be handled by a transfer at no fee, and a change of ownership needs a new license. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, auto repair shops, fitness studios and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the salons and barbers page.
• Retail Cigarette Dealer License — Butler County Auditor, $125 a year, for each physical place of business where cigarettes are sold at retail — a statutory fee under ORC 5743.15(B)(1), prorated when the application is filed after June 1 but never below $25; a duplicate license is $5, one year commencing on June 1 (ORC 5743.15(B)(2)); the Auditor's page states that 'these licenses are valid from June to June', and applications are due annually on or before June 1. Also required for retail stores and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Food Facility Plan Review — Butler County General Health District, Per the BCGHD 2026 Approved Fee Schedule: Level 1 $175.00, Level 2 $225.00, Level 3 $370.00, Level 4 $475.00; Micro Market plan review $175.00., one-time, for each new or remodeled food facility; the packet asks applicants to allow 30 days for review. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Temporary Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License — Butler County General Health District, $75 per event, as printed on the BCGHD 2026 Approved Fee Schedule and the 2026 temporary packet, up to 5 consecutive days at the same location; ORC 3717.43(D) makes a temporary license non-renewable. Also required for food trucks and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Vendor's License — Ohio Department of Taxation, $50 one-time, per fixed location, no renewal — stays in effect until cancelled. 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 retail stores page.
• Manager Certification in Food Protection — Ohio Department of Health, Food Safety Program, No fee, not stated by the Ohio Department of Health. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.