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12 permits · verified 2026-10-08

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

In short

A restaurant in Shelby County Tn, TN has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Shelby County Beer Board charges $250 non-refundable application fee, plus a $100 annual beer privilege tax due January 1 and delinquent after January 31 (prorated for a permit issued after January 1) for the county beer permit (unincorporated areas). 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Shelby County Tn

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Beer Permit (unincorporated areas)only if it applies to youShelby County Beer Board$250 non-refundable application fee, plus a $100 annual beer privilege tax due January 1 and delinquent after January 31 (prorated for a permit issued after January 1)ON and OFF premise permits continue while the same owner operates the business at the same location; a special permit lasts up to 30 days; the $100 privilege tax is annual2026-10-08
Food Service Establishment Permit (including child-care food service)Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program$50–$360 a year — $210 for 0–50 seats, $360 for 51 or more seats; child-care food service $50 (0–50 seats) or $80 (51 or more); state-set fees collected by the Shelby County Health Departmentannual2026-10-08
Temporary Food Service Establishment (Event) Permitonly if it applies to youShelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program$30 per event permit (eating/drinking, sampling, or alcohol products); state-set feeper event2026-10-08
Food Service Establishment PermitTennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program$30–$360 a year — $210 up to fifty seats, $360 above; $30 for a temporary establishmentannual2026-09-03
Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to youTennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health ProgramNo feenot applicable — Tennessee issues no certificate2026-09-03

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 Shelby County Tn

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Building Permit, Plan Review and Certificate of OccupancyMemphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Division of Planning and Development)Varies — formula on the Shelby County Tn pageper permit2026-10-08
County Business Tax License (Standard or Minimal Activity)only if it applies to youShelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division$15 county license per location (county-only); for a Memphis location the Clerk also collects a $15 Memphis city license fee, $30 in total ($15 county + $15 city)continuing; renewed at no fee once the annual state business tax return is filed and paid2026-10-08

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsVaries — formula on the TN pageno expiry, but an annual report on the same per-member scale is due each year2026-09-03
For-Profit Corporation Charteronly if it applies to youTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a $20 annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Standard or Minimal Activity Business Licenseonly if it applies to youTennessee Department of Revenue$15 per jurisdiction per location — charged again by the city if it has enacted the taxannual for a standard license, renewed free when the tax return is filed2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsVaries — formula on the TN pageannual — due the first day of the fourth month after the fiscal year ends2026-09-03
Sales and Use Tax Certificate of RegistrationTennessee Department of RevenueNo feeno expiry stated2026-09-03

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 Shelby County Tn?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a restaurant in Shelby County Tn, TN, 4 apply to every business of this type and 8 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

5 of the 12 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:

Food Service Establishment Permit (including child-care food service): $50–$360 a year — $210 for 0–50 seats, $360 for 51 or more seats; child-care food service $50 (0–50 seats) or $80 (51 or more); state-set fees collected by the Shelby County Health Department

Food Service Establishment Permit: $30–$360 a year — $210 up to fifty seats, $360 above; $30 for a temporary establishment

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Shelby County Tn permits page and the TN state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Shelby County Tn?

Permits for a restaurant in Shelby County Tn, TN come from 7 separate offices: Shelby County Beer Board, Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program, Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Division of Planning and Development), Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division, 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.

What does a restaurant need in Shelby County Tn that other businesses do not?

Temporary Food Service Establishment (Event) Permit

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01-.09(1)(d), effective June 14, 2026, sets the temporary food service establishment fee at $30. The Shelby County Health Department's Temporary Event Booklet (dated October 26, 2021) and application form, both linked from its food program page, list $30.00 for eating and drinking, sampling, and alcohol products permits. The booklet says an application is filed at least two business days before an event with fewer than 10 food vendors; for an event with 10 or more food vendors, the event coordinator submits all vendor applications and fees 10 working days before the event, and permits are not issued on the day before or the day of the event. The Health Department issues these permits countywide as a Tennessee Department of Health food contract county.

Shared with other businesses in Shelby County Tn

  • County Beer Permit (unincorporated areas) — Shelby County Beer Board, $250 non-refundable application fee, plus a $100 annual beer privilege tax due January 1 and delinquent after January 31 (prorated for a permit issued after January 1), ON and OFF premise permits continue while the same owner operates the business at the same location; a special permit lasts up to 30 days; the $100 privilege tax is annual. Also required for retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
  • Food Service Establishment Permit (including child-care food service) — Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program, $50–$360 a year — $210 for 0–50 seats, $360 for 51 or more seats; child-care food service $50 (0–50 seats) or $80 (51 or more); state-set fees collected by the Shelby County Health Department, annual. Also required for coffee shops and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres 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 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Shelby County Tn, TN; what each one involves is set out on the Shelby County Tn 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 Shelby County Tn?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A restaurant also needs County Beer Permit (unincorporated areas). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Shelby County Tn, TN, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops4410
Food trucks4321
Childcare centres2141
Retail stores4143
Auto repair shops2052
Contractors and trades2052
Fitness studios0050
Salons and barbers2052
Veterinary clinics1051

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, childcare centres page and coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Shelby County Tn permits page and the TN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Temporary Event Booklet (dated October 26, 2021)Shelby County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  2. Temporary Event Application FormShelby County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  3. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01 — food service establishments, including the permit fee schedule effective 14 June 2026Tennessee Department of Health · 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.