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

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 Lorain County

• Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License — Lorain County Public Health, Combined LCPH + state fee, printed as Health Department fee + State fee = Total. Commercial under 25,000 sq ft: risk 1 $170 + $28 = $198; risk 2 $190 + $28 = $218; risk 3 $360 + $28 = $388; risk 4 $454 + $28 = $482. Commercial over 25,000 sq ft: risk 1 $242 + $28 = $270; risk 2 $256 + $28 = $284; risk 3 $890 + $28 = $918; risk 4 $944 + $28 = $972. Non-commercial under 25,000 sq ft: risk 1 $85 + $14 = $99; risk 2 $95 + $14 = $109; risk 3 $180 + $14 = $194; risk 4 $227 + $14 = $241. Non-commercial over 25,000 sq ft: risk 1 $121 + $14 = $135; risk 2 $128 + $14 = $142; risk 3 $445 + $14 = $459; risk 4 $472 + $14 = $486. Micro Market $170 + $28 = $198 (RFE, Risk 1). Late fee: 25% of the local (Health Department) fee. The $28 and $14 parts are the state fee., not stated on the LCPH food safety page or in its 2026 fee schedule; contact LCPH at 440-322-6367 for the license period and renewal date. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, childcare centres and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Food Plan Review — Lorain County Public Health, $100–$200 per plan submission — $100 for facilities under 25,000 sq ft, $200 for facilities 25,000 sq ft or greater; no state part is printed; the mobile application states "There is no plan review fee for mobile operations.", per project; LCPH's application states that approved plans are valid for one year unless additional time is requested in writing. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Temporary Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License — Lorain County Public Health, $22.50–$45 per day of the event — $45.00 a day commercial, $22.50 a day non-commercial; the schedule prints the state fee as N/A, so the whole amount is the LCPH fee, per event, charged by the day. Also required for food trucks and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Regular Vendor's License (form ST-1) — Lorain County Auditor, $50 one-time, for each fixed place of business in the county that is the situs of retail sales; ORC 5739.17(A) sends $25 of each fee to the state organized crime commission fund and credits the remaining $25 to the county general fund, no annual renewal, per the auditor's licensing page ('Application fee of $50.00 – No Annual Renewal'); a change in ownership requires a new license. Also required for retail stores, coffee shops, salons and barbers, fitness studios and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Retail Cigarette Dealer's License — Lorain County Auditor, $125 a year, for each physical place where the retail business of trafficking in cigarettes is carried on; prorated when the application is filed after June 1, but not less than $25 in any one year; $5 to transfer to another place of business in the same county, one year commencing on June 1; the application is due annually on or before June 1 (ORC 5743.15(B)(1)-(2)). Also required for retail stores; 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.