10 permits · verified 2026-09-05
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Memphis?
In short
A restaurant in Memphis, TN has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division charges $30 combined $15 city plus $15 county remittance, per application; must register within 20 days of starting business for the business tax license. 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-05 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Memphis
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permit | Memphis & Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement | $1.25 per square foot for erection, construction, relocation, alteration or maintenance of a sign, with a $25.00 minimum fee, plus a $4.00 administrative charge and a $5.00 commercial surcharge ($9.00 total added to the commercial fee). An annual reinspection fee is $25.00 (up to 150 sq ft) or $50.00 (over 150 sq ft). Installing a sign before the permit issues triples the fee. | annual — every sign permit must be renewed, contingent on inspection | 2026-09-05 |
| Food Establishment Permit | Shelby County Health Department, Food Inspection Program | $210–$360 a year — $210 for 50 seats or fewer, $360 for 51 or more | annual, permit year July 1 – June 30 | 2026-09-05 |
| Food Service Establishment Permit | Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program | $30–$360 a year — $210 up to fifty seats, $360 above; $30 for a temporary establishment | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program | No fee | not applicable — Tennessee issues no certificate | 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 Memphis
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Tax License | Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division | $30 combined $15 city plus $15 county remittance, per application; must register within 20 days of starting business | the underlying state business tax return is filed annually via TNTAP | 2026-09-05 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
TN 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 | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations | Varies — formula on the TN page | no expiry, but an annual report on the same per-member scale is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| For-Profit Corporation Charteronly if it applies to you | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but a $20 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Standard or Minimal Activity Business Licenseonly if it applies to you | Tennessee Department of Revenue | $15 per jurisdiction per location — charged again by the city if it has enacted the tax | annual for a standard license, renewed free when the tax return is filed | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations | Varies — formula on the TN page | annual — due the first day of the fourth month after the fiscal year ends | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration | Tennessee Department of Revenue | No fee | no expiry stated | 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 Memphis?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a restaurant in Memphis, TN, 5 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 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $30.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Sign Permit: $1.25 per square foot for erection, construction, relocation, alteration or maintenance of a sign, with a $25.00 minimum fee, plus a $4.00 administrative charge and a $5.00 commercial surcharge ($9.00 total added to the commercial fee). An annual reinspection fee is $25.00 (up to 150 sq ft) or $50.00 (over 150 sq ft). Installing a sign before the permit issues triples the fee.
Food Establishment Permit: $210–$360 a year — $210 for 50 seats or fewer, $360 for 51 or more
Food Service Establishment Permit: $30–$360 a year — $210 up to fifty seats, $360 above; $30 for a temporary establishment
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Memphis permits page and the TN state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Memphis?
Permits for a restaurant in Memphis, TN come from 6 separate offices: Memphis & Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement, Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division, Shelby County Health Department, Food Inspection Program, Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations, Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program, Tennessee Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Memphis & Shelby County Office of Construction Code EnforcementIssues 1 permit on this page: Sign Permit2714 Union Avenue Extended, Suite 100, Memphis, TN 38112 · 901-636-6711develop901.com
- Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Business Tax License150 Washington Ave, 2nd Floor, Memphis, TN 38103 · (901) 222-3059www.shelbycountytn.gov/559/Business-Tax-Division
- Shelby County Health Department, Food Inspection ProgramIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment Permit1826 Sycamore View Road, Memphis, TN 38134 · 901-222-9158www.shelbytnhealth.com/186/Environmental-Health-Food-Safety-Program
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), For-Profit Corporation Charter, Annual Report312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-1102 · (615) 741-2286tncab.tnsos.gov
- Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service Establishment Permit, Certified Food Protection Manager710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243 · (615) 741-7206www.tn.gov/health/eh.html
- Tennessee Department of RevenueIssues 2 permits on this page: Standard or Minimal Activity Business License, Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration500 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN 37242 · (800) 342-1003www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/business-tax/registration-and-licensing.html
What does a restaurant need in Memphis that other businesses do not?
Food Establishment Permit
Shelby County Health Department, not the City of Memphis, is the sole food-permitting authority. Retail food stores and meat markets are priced separately by square footage, $57.50–$622.50 a year.
Shared with other businesses in Memphis
- Sign Permit — Memphis & Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement, $1.25 per square foot for erection, construction, relocation, alteration or maintenance of a sign, with a $25.00 minimum fee, plus a $4.00 administrative charge and a $5.00 commercial surcharge ($9.00 total added to the commercial fee). An annual reinspection fee is $25.00 (up to 150 sq ft) or $50.00 (over 150 sq ft). Installing a sign before the permit issues triples the fee., annual — every sign permit must be renewed, contingent on inspection. 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 fitness studios page.
- Food Service Establishment Permit — Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program, $30–$360 a year — $210 up to fifty seats, $360 above; $30 for a temporary establishment, annual. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program, No fee, not applicable — Tennessee issues no certificate. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Memphis, TN; what each one involves is set out on the Memphis permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TN and are covered on the TN state page.
How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Memphis?
A restaurant and a coffee shop in Memphis, TN need exactly the same 4 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
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 fitness studios page and coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Memphis permits page and the TN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Shelby County Health Department — environmental health and food safety programme feesShelby County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.