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

Temporary Food Operation License

Serving food at a festival, fair, market or other short-run event in Summit County takes a temporary license from Summit County Public Health, and this is one of the figures where stale numbers circulate: the amounts are $160.00 commercial and $80.00 non-commercial, stated twice over in the county's own current documents — at EHC 101.05(h)–(i) of the 2026 APPROVED Environmental Health Fee Schedule, the adopted schedule for the 2026 calendar year in effect through 31 December 2026, and again in SCPH's 2026 Temporary Food Operations application, which reads 'A commercial license is $160.00 and a license for non-commercial food operation is $80.00.' Lower figures for both categories circulate from an older SCPH document and are superseded by the 2026 schedule and the 2026 application. The 2026 application sets out the limits in its own words: the license is 'only valid: For a single event · In one location · For a period of no longer than five consecutive days,' it is 'not renewable and may not be transferred,' and 'a regular or catering food service operation license cannot be substituted for a temporary license.' The volume cap restates ORC 3717.43(E)(1): not more than ten temporary licenses per licensing period to the same person or government entity for different events within Summit County, and only one license per licensee per event. A licensed restaurant or retail food establishment that leaves its own premises to operate at another location must obtain a temporary license in the health district where that event is held. SCPH asks for ten business days' lead time and warns that an application arriving fewer than three business days before the event may not be issued in time.

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 Summit County Oh

• Food Service Operation / Retail Food Establishment License — Summit County Public Health, Total = SCPH district fee + state fee, per EHC 101.05(a)–(d). Commercial under 25,000 sq ft: risk 1 $256 + $28 = $284; risk 2 $288 + $28 = $316; risk 3 $552 + $28 = $580; risk 4 $700 + $28 = $728. Commercial 25,000 sq ft and over: risk 1 $370 + $28 = $398; risk 2 $390 + $28 = $418; risk 3 $1,384 + $28 = $1,412; risk 4 $1,468 + $28 = $1,496. Non-commercial under 25,000 sq ft: risk 1 $128 + $14 = $142; risk 2 $144 + $14 = $158; risk 3 $276 + $14 = $290; risk 4 $350 + $14 = $364. Non-commercial 25,000 sq ft and over: risk 1 $185 + $14 = $199; risk 2 $195 + $14 = $209; risk 3 $692 + $14 = $706; risk 4 $734 + $14 = $748. The $28 and $14 components are the state fee, not a county charge. Late payment adds 25% of the district fee from 2 March., annual, keyed to 1 March; ORC 3717.43(C)(1)(a) provides that a license issued to a new operation after the first day of December does not expire until the end of the next succeeding licensing period. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, childcare centres and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Fire Suppression and Fire Alarm Permits — Summit County Department of Building Standards, §1307.07: sprinkler, alternative automatic fire-extinguishing and standpipe systems, new construction and alterations alike, $102.00 plus $1.50 per 100 sq ft; fire alarm systems, new construction and alterations alike, $102.00 plus $1.00 per 100 sq ft. Added to every permit: the $2.00 non-refundable technology fee under §1307.15 and the 3% Ohio Board of Building Standards surcharge on commercial fees under §1307.04(e), a state pass-through., per project; §1307.02 requires new permit fees on all expired permits, and §1307.10 charges re-inspections at $30.00, $30.00, $60.00 and $80.00 for the first through fourth. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, childcare centres, fitness studios and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
• Food Plan Review — Summit County Public Health, $550 each occurrence, at all risk levels and for both commercial and non-commercial food operations, per occurrence, tied to the project rather than a license year; SCPH asks for plans about 60 days ahead of construction. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Food Protection Certified Training, Level 2 — Summit County Public Health, $100 per person plus materials; the Level 1 course on the same schedule is $0, per person, per course — the certification runs on the state food protection cycle rather than on the operation's license year. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Commercial Accessory Structure Permit (signs, canopies, awnings, kiosks, tents, decks, retaining walls) — Summit County Department of Building Standards, §1307.08 commercial: $67.00 non-refundable application fee plus $72.00 per accessory structure. Added to the permit: the $2.00 non-refundable technology fee under §1307.15 and the 3% Ohio Board of Building Standards surcharge on commercial fees under §1307.04(e), a state pass-through. Plan review of an accessory structure listed in §1307.08 is a further $60.00 under §1307.04(c), and a sign including electrical is $60.00 on that same plan review line., per structure; a temporary structure or tent permit under §1307.08 covers 30 days. Also required for retail stores, coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
• Retail Cigarette Dealer's License — Summit County Fiscal Office, Services Department, $125 a year, for each physical place where the retail business of trafficking in cigarettes is carried on; $5 for a duplicate license and $5 to transfer a license to another location in the same county, annual; the license year commences 1 June and the application is due on or before the first day of June each year, with a license issued later in the year prorated but not below $25. Also required for retail stores, coffee shops and auto repair 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.