9 permits · verified 2026-10-27
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Licking County?
In short
A restaurant in Licking County, OH has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Ohio Department of Taxation charges $50 one-time, per fixed location for the vendor's license. 5 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-27 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Licking County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License | Licking County Health Department | The Licking County Board of Health approved new Food Safety Program fees on January 20, 2026; the amounts are not published on the health department's website. Contact LCHD Environmental Health at (740) 349-6475 for the current license fee. | annual license year; LCHD's Board of Health minutes state that 'Food service renewals are due by March 1' | 2026-10-27 |
| Temporary Food Service Licenseonly if it applies to you | Licking County Health Department | The Licking County Board of Health approved new Food Safety Program fees on January 20, 2026; the amounts are not published on the health department's website. Contact LCHD Environmental Health at (740) 349-6475 for the current temporary license fee. | per event; LCHD's Temporary Food Application Packet states that an operation 'can receive a maximum of 10 temporary food licenses per licensing year' | 2026-10-27 |
| Vendor's License | Ohio Department of Taxation | $50 one-time, per fixed location | no renewal — stays in effect until cancelled | 2026-09-03 |
| Manager Certification in Food Protectiononly if it applies to you | Ohio Department of Health, Food Safety Program | No fee | not stated by the Ohio Department of Health | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Service Operation License | Ohio Department of Health, Food Safety Program | $28 state fee for a commercial operation ($14 non-commercial, $6 per vending machine location), plus a license fee set independently by the local board of health | 1 March to the last day of February | 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 Licking County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit / Certificate of Plan Approval | Licking County Building Code Department | Varies — formula on the Licking County page | per project | 2026-10-27 |
| Development Review (Business/Commercial Use in Townships)only if it applies to you | Licking County Planning Commission | Varies — formula on the Licking County page | per project | 2026-10-27 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
OH registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $99 one-time filing | no expiry — Ohio requires no annual report | 2026-09-03 |
| Initial Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $99 one-time filing, minimum — see notes on authorised shares | no expiry — Ohio requires no annual report | 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 restaurant in Licking County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a restaurant in Licking County, OH, 4 apply to every business of this type and 5 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 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License: The Licking County Board of Health approved new Food Safety Program fees on January 20, 2026; the amounts are not published on the health department's website. Contact LCHD Environmental Health at (740) 349-6475 for the current license fee.
Temporary Food Service License: The Licking County Board of Health approved new Food Safety Program fees on January 20, 2026; the amounts are not published on the health department's website. Contact LCHD Environmental Health at (740) 349-6475 for the current temporary license fee.
Food Service Operation License: $28 state fee for a commercial operation ($14 non-commercial, $6 per vending machine location), plus a license fee set independently by the local board of health
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Licking County permits page and the OH state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Licking County?
Permits for a restaurant in Licking County, OH come from 6 separate offices: Licking County Building Code Department, Licking County Health Department, Licking County Planning Commission, Ohio Department of Taxation, Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Ohio Department of Health, Food Safety Program. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Licking County Building Code DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Commercial Building Permit / Certificate of Plan Approval675 Price Rd., Newark, OH 43055 · (740) 349-6671lickingcounty.gov/depts/building/application.htm
- Licking County Health DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License, Temporary Food Service License675 Price Rd., Newark, OH 43055 · (740) 349-6475lickingcohealth.org/environmental-health
- Licking County Planning CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Development Review (Business/Commercial Use in Townships)20 S. 2nd St., Newark, OH 43055 · (740) 670-5200lickingcounty.gov/depts/planning/zoninginfo/default.htm
- Ohio Department of TaxationIssues 1 permit on this page: Vendor's Licensetax.ohio.gov
- Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Initial Articles of Incorporation22 North Fourth Street, Columbus, OH 43215 · (877) 767-6446bsportal.ohiosos.gov
- Ohio Department of Health, Food Safety ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Manager Certification in Food Protection, Food Service Operation License246 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/food-safety-program
What does a restaurant need in Licking County that other businesses do not?
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 Licking County
- Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License — Licking County Health Department, The Licking County Board of Health approved new Food Safety Program fees on January 20, 2026; the amounts are not published on the health department's website. Contact LCHD Environmental Health at (740) 349-6475 for the current license fee., annual license year; LCHD's Board of Health minutes state that 'Food service renewals are due by March 1'. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Temporary Food Service License — Licking County Health Department, The Licking County Board of Health approved new Food Safety Program fees on January 20, 2026; the amounts are not published on the health department's website. Contact LCHD Environmental Health at (740) 349-6475 for the current temporary license fee., per event; LCHD's Temporary Food Application Packet states that an operation 'can receive a maximum of 10 temporary food licenses per licensing year'. 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.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Licking County, OH; what each one involves is set out on the Licking County permits page. The 2 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across OH and are covered on the OH state page.
How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Licking County?
A restaurant and a coffee shop in Licking County, OH need exactly the same 5 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 5 | 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 retail stores page and coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Licking County permits page and the OH state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- OAC 3701-21-02 — the state amounts a licensor collects and remits: twenty-eight dollars for food service and retail food licenses, fourteen dollars for the mobile-discount category and six dollars for vending machine locationsOhio Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.