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17 permits · verified 2026-09-28

What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Bexar County?

In short

A coffee shop in Bexar County, TX has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Bexar County Environmental Services charges $45 per food stand, for an event lasting up to 14 days for the temporary food event permit. 9 of the 17 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a coffee shop in Bexar County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Temporary Food Event Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Environmental Services$45 per food stand, for an event lasting up to 14 daysper event (event window up to 14 days)2026-09-28
Flammable/Combustible Liquid & Fuel System Operational Permitsonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeUnderground or aboveground storage tank (UST/AST) installation or removal: $400.00 each. Underground fuel line or dispensing system installation: $250.00. AST annual renewal: $150.00. Fuel-dispensing facility annual inspection/registration: $150.00.per installation/removal event; AST registration/inspection renews annually2026-09-28
TABC County Local Alcohol-Permit FeeBexar County Tax Assessor-Collector's OfficeCapped by Tex. Alco. Bev. Code §11.38 at one-half of the state Alcoholic Beverage Code permit/license fee schedule as it existed on August 31, 2021 — a fixed historical baseline that does not move with any later change to TABC's current state fee schedule. Covers the beer and wine retail permit, the mixed beverage permit, the mixed beverage late-hours permit, and the caterer's permit. A Mixed Beverage Permit holder is billed again in year 3 of the permit term.tied to the underlying TABC permit/license term (commonly 1 or 2 years); a Mixed Beverage Permit holder is billed again in year 32026-09-28
Food Service Establishment (FSE) PermitBexar County Environmental ServicesTiered by employee count: 1-3 employees $175.00 a year; 4-6 employees $225.00 a year; 7 or more employees $300.00 a year.annual2026-09-28

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 Bexar County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) FilingBexar County ClerkVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageTexas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 sets a 10-year term for an assumed name certificate; the Bexar County Clerk's own page does not restate the term separately2026-09-28
Annual Fire/Life-Safety InspectionBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageongoing; the Fire Marshal's Office aims to inspect each commercial occupancy on an annual cycle2026-09-28
Fire Marshal Building/Construction Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageproject-based (not recurring), except a renewal fee if construction lapses before completion2026-09-28
Knox Box / Access-Control Device Registrationonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's Office$30 flat, per Knox Box, Knox Padlock, or siren-operated electric gate registrationone-time registration, unless the device is replaced2026-09-28
Change of Occupancy Permit/InspectionBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageissued once per change of occupancy, business, or ownership event; not a recurring renewal2026-09-28
Floodplain Development Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public Works$50 per activityissued once per qualifying activity2026-09-28
Stormwater Quality Site Development Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public Works$500 flat, per Stormwater Quality Site Development Permit application, payable to the Bexar County Clerkissued once per project; disturbance may not begin until the permit is issued2026-09-28
Right-of-Way Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public WorksVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageissued once per activity or connection2026-09-28
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF/Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Environmental ServicesVaries — formula on the Bexar County pagerenewal every 5 years for an existing standard system; new installation or initial registration is a one-time permit2026-09-28
General Business License — Bexar County Positiononly if it applies to youBexar County ClerkNo feenot applicable — the County Clerk's page states that Assumed Name Certificates are not business licenses and refers license questions to the City of San Antonio2026-09-28

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

TX 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
Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$300 one-time filingno expiry2026-08-20
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$25 one-time filingup to ten years, renewable2026-08-21
Texas Sales and Use Tax PermitTexas Comptroller of Public AccountsNo fee — there is no fee for this permitno expiry while actively engaged in business2026-08-21

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 coffee shop in Bexar County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 17 records listed for a coffee shop in Bexar County, TX, 6 apply to every business of this type and 11 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 6 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $0.00. That is a floor, not a total. 9 of the 17 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Flammable/Combustible Liquid & Fuel System Operational Permits: Underground or aboveground storage tank (UST/AST) installation or removal: $400.00 each. Underground fuel line or dispensing system installation: $250.00. AST annual renewal: $150.00. Fuel-dispensing facility annual inspection/registration: $150.00.

TABC County Local Alcohol-Permit Fee: Capped by Tex. Alco. Bev. Code §11.38 at one-half of the state Alcoholic Beverage Code permit/license fee schedule as it existed on August 31, 2021 — a fixed historical baseline that does not move with any later change to TABC's current state fee schedule. Covers the beer and wine retail permit, the mixed beverage permit, the mixed beverage late-hours permit, and the caterer's permit. A Mixed Beverage Permit holder is billed again in year 3 of the permit term.

Food Service Establishment (FSE) Permit: Tiered by employee count: 1-3 employees $175.00 a year; 4-6 employees $225.00 a year; 7 or more employees $300.00 a year.

The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Bexar County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Bexar County?

Permits for a coffee shop in Bexar County, TX come from 7 separate offices: Bexar County Clerk, Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office, Bexar County Environmental Services, Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office, Bexar County Public Works, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a coffee shop need in Bexar County that other businesses do not?

Flammable/Combustible Liquid & Fuel System Operational Permits

An auto-repair shop that installs, removes, or operates underground or aboveground fuel storage or dispensing systems in unincorporated Bexar County needs this operational permit from the Fire Marshal's Office: $400.00 for each UST or AST installation or removal, $250.00 for an underground fuel line or dispensing-system installation, and $150.00 a year for AST renewal or for a fuel-dispensing facility's annual inspection/registration. A restaurant, coffee shop, or food truck that stores bulk LPG or propane above the fire code's threshold quantity is conditionally reached by the same permit category. Inside San Antonio or another incorporated city, that city's fire department administers the equivalent permit instead.

Food Service Establishment (FSE) Permit

Any fixed-location food-service establishment operating in unincorporated Bexar County needs this annual permit from Bexar County Environmental Services, which contracts the required inspections to Environmental Health Group, LLC. The fee is tiered by employee count rather than by menu risk: $175.00 a year for 1-3 employees, $225.00 for 4-6, and $300.00 for 7 or more. A retail store that prepares or serves food, such as a deli counter, falls under this same permit and fee table. Inside San Antonio or another incorporated city, this county permit does not apply; the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, or that city's own health department, issues the applicable food permit instead. Contact the FSE program directly at 210-335-3045.

Shared with other businesses in Bexar County

  • Temporary Food Event Permit — Bexar County Environmental Services, $45 per food stand, for an event lasting up to 14 days, per event (event window up to 14 days). Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • TABC County Local Alcohol-Permit Fee — Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office, Capped by Tex. Alco. Bev. Code §11.38 at one-half of the state Alcoholic Beverage Code permit/license fee schedule as it existed on August 31, 2021 — a fixed historical baseline that does not move with any later change to TABC's current state fee schedule. Covers the beer and wine retail permit, the mixed beverage permit, the mixed beverage late-hours permit, and the caterer's permit. A Mixed Beverage Permit holder is billed again in year 3 of the permit term., tied to the underlying TABC permit/license term (commonly 1 or 2 years); a Mixed Beverage Permit holder is billed again in year 3. Also required for restaurants and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.

The other 10 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Bexar County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Bexar County permits page. The 3 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TX and are covered on the TX state page.

How does a coffee shop compare with other businesses in Bexar County?

The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 4 of these permits. A restaurant needs Mass Gathering Permit and Mixed Beverage Permit (MB), which a coffee shop does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Bexar County, TX, compared with a coffee shop
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a coffee shopOnly a coffee shop needsOnly it needs
Restaurants6402
Retail stores3221
Food trucks6224
Auto repair shops2131
Childcare centres3043
Contractors and trades3043
Fitness studios3043
Salons and barbers2042
Veterinary clinics2042

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 food trucks page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Bexar County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Bexar County Fire Marshal Fee Schedule (content dated January 1, 2024) — building/construction, Change of Occupancy, annual fire inspection, childcare inspection, flammable-liquid, Knox Box, and Mobile Food Vendor operational feesBexar County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  2. Food Service Establishment Health Inspections (FSE permit fee tiers, Temporary Food Event fee, and the childcare-facility food-service fee) — unincorporated Bexar CountyBexar County Environmental Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  3. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 437, Regulation of Food Service Establishments, Retail Food Stores, Mobile Food Units, and Roadside Food VendorsTexas Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.