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

Food Service / Retail Food Plan Review (new or remodeled)

Before a new food business opens, or an existing one is remodeled, inside the Stark County Health Department's area, its plans go to the Department for review; its food page lists that it 'Reviews facility plans for new and/or remodeled food businesses.' The fee follows the same commercial or non-commercial, floor-area and risk-level grid as the license, at the amounts listed on the Department's sheet headed '2026 Food Service Fees / Effective February 1st', and the Department's 2026 Plan Review Application prints the commercial under-25,000-square-foot figures from Risk Level I $301.00 to Risk Level IV $760.90. The application notes that, under the Ohio Food Code, 'the Stark County Health Department has 30 days' to complete its review, so a plan should go in well ahead of construction. The plan review fee is separate from the license fee, which is paid when the operation is licensed. Scope: the Department's About Us page gives its jurisdiction as '17 Townships, 12 Villages, and the cities of Canal Fulton, Louisville, and North Canton'.

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 Stark County Oh

• Retail Dealer's Cigarette License — Stark County Auditor, $125 a year, for each physical place where cigarettes are sold at retail, set by ORC 5743.15(B); an application filed after June 1 is prorated to the rest of the license year but is never less than $25; a duplicate of a lost, destroyed or defaced license is $5, one year commencing on the first day of June (ORC 5743.15(B)(2)); applications are due annually on or before June 1. Also required for retail stores, coffee shops and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License — Stark County Health Department (Stark County Combined General Health District), As listed on the Health Department's sheet headed '2026 Food Service Fees / Effective February 1st', by risk level 1 / 2 / 3 / 4. Commercial, under 25,000 sq ft: $329.00 / $362.60 / $635.60 / $788.90. Commercial, over 25,000 sq ft: $447.30 / $467.50 / $1,496.00 / $1,582.20. Non-commercial, under 25,000 sq ft: $164.50 / $181.30 / $317.80 / $394.45. Non-commercial, over 25,000 sq ft: $223.65 / $233.75 / $748.00 / $791.10. Late fees, which the sheet applies as of March 2nd: commercial under 25,000 sq ft $75.25 / $83.65 / $151.90 / $190.23; commercial over 25,000 sq ft $104.83 / $109.88 / $367.00 / $388.55; non-commercial under 25,000 sq ft $37.63 / $41.83 / $75.95 / $95.11; non-commercial over 25,000 sq ft $52.41 / $54.94 / $183.50 / $194.28., annual license year; the sheet's late fee 'Applies as of March 2nd', and the Health Department's 2026 vending application gives the renewal deadline as March 1, 2026. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Temporary Food Service Operation / Temporary Retail Food Establishment License — Stark County Health Department (Stark County Combined General Health District), $38.50–$77 per event: commercial $77.00, non-commercial $38.50, as listed on the Health Department's 2026 Food Service Fees sheet, a single event, in one location, for a period of not longer than five consecutive days. Also required for food trucks and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• Sewage Treatment System Permits and Registrations (small flow systems, installers, service providers, septage haulers) — Stark County Health Department (Stark County Combined General Health District), Per Board of Health Resolution #3-2026 (adopted April 8, 2026; effective May 1, 2026), total fees: Small Flow On-site Sewage Treatment System (SFOSTS) application, new construction $450.00, replacement $200.00; SFOSTS permit for new construction $850.00 ($776.00 local + $74.00 state), for replacement $850.00 ($776.00 + $74.00), for alteration $305.00 ($270.00 + $35.00); SFOSTS operation permit $40.00. Registrations: installer $250.00, service provider $165.00, septage hauler $55.00, septage hauler truck $80.00. Late fees: 25% of the established fee., per application or permit; registrations are periodic, and Resolution #3-2026 applies a late fee of 25% of the established fee. Also required for auto repair shops, retail stores, childcare centres, veterinary clinics and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Semi-Public Sewage Treatment System Inspection Fee — Stark County Health Department (Stark County Combined General Health District), Per Board of Health Resolution #7-2019 (adopted June 12, 2019; effective July 1, 2019): Non Mech/Non Discharge $40.00; Non Mech/Discharge $125.00; Mech < 1500 $40.00; Mech 1500 to 5000 $200.00; Mech 5000 to 10000 $275.00; Mech > 10000 $350.00; Certificate of Installation Inspection $200.00., annual; Resolution #7-2019 has the fee 'paid on or before March 1st each year'. Also required for auto repair shops, retail stores, childcare centres and veterinary clinics; 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.