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

Temporary Food Service License

Selling or serving food at a festival, fair, market or other short event in DPHD's district takes a temporary food service license. DPHD's temporary food service application states 'COST FOR TEMPORARY EVENTS = $125 PER DAY', and the same $125 per day appears in DPHD's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule (Board of Health Resolution 2025-09, adopted December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, in effect through December 31, 2026). The application asks for the event address and dates, every food and its supplier, the licensed location where food is prepared if it is not cooked on site, and how hot foods will be held at 135°F or above and cold foods at 41°F or below. Under ORC 3717.43 the license expires at the end of the period for which it is issued and is not renewable, and ORC 3717.43(E)(1) allows a licensor to issue not more than ten temporary licenses per licensing period to the same person for different events within its jurisdiction, and only one per event.

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 Delaware County Oh

• Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License — Delaware Public Health District, Combined DPHD + state fee, 2026 schedule. Commercial under 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $314, Risk II $352, Risk III $646, Risk IV $812. Commercial over 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $443, Risk II $466, Risk III $1,576, Risk IV $1,668. Non-commercial under 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $157, Risk II $176, Risk III $323, Risk IV $406. Non-commercial over 25,000 sq ft: Risk I $221.50, Risk II $233, Risk III $788, Risk IV $834. Each total includes the state fee of $28 (commercial) or $14 (non-commercial), which is not a DPHD charge. A late renewal adds a penalty of 25% of the renewal fee., one licensing period, March 1 to the last day of February (ORC 3717.01(P)); a license issued to a new operation after December 1 runs to the end of the next licensing period (ORC 3717.43(C)(1)(a)). Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, childcare centres and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Food Plan Review — Delaware Public Health District, New facility: $500 under 25,000 sq ft, $900 over 25,000 sq ft. Remodel: $300 under 25,000 sq ft, $600 over 25,000 sq ft. Expedited review (acted on within 5 business days): $1,000 plus the plan review fee. Paid in full at submission., per project; DPHD's Food Safety page states that plans 'will be acted upon within 30 days of receipt' and expedited plans 'within 5 business days'. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Tent Permit — Delaware County Department of Building Safety, Commercial Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2017): tent $75; tent with electric $150; tent plan examination $50 + $1/100 sq ft. Plus the $25 non-refundable application fee and the 3% Ohio Board of Building Standards assessment., per event or installation. Also required for retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Retail Cigarette Dealer's License — Delaware County Auditor, $125 a year for each physical place of business; prorated after June 1 with a $25 minimum; $5 for a duplicate and $5 for a transfer to another location in the county, one year from June 1; apply on or before June 1 each year. Also required for retail stores and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the retail stores 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.