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19 permits · verified 2026-09-28

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

In short

A restaurant in Bexar County, TX has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 13 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. 10 of the 19 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 restaurant 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
Mass Gathering Permitonly if it applies to youOffice of the Bexar County Judge$500 flat, non-refundable, per eventper event; the complete application packet is required at least 45 days before the event2026-09-28
Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)only if it applies to youTexas Alcoholic Beverage Commission$2,650–$5,300 per two-year period; $5,300 original, $2,650 renewalevery 2 years2026-08-21

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

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 restaurant in Bexar County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 19 records listed for a restaurant in Bexar County, TX, 6 apply to every business of this type and 13 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. 10 of the 19 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.

Mixed Beverage Permit (MB): $2,650–$5,300 per two-year period; $5,300 original, $2,650 renewal

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 restaurant in Bexar County, TX come from 9 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, Office of the Bexar County Judge, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, 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 restaurant need in Bexar County that other businesses do not?

1 of the 6 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in Bexar County: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB).

TABC County Local Alcohol-Permit Fee

Any restaurant, coffee shop, or retail store holding a TABC beer, wine, or mixed-beverage permit in Bexar County — countywide, including inside the City of San Antonio — owes this local fee to the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office in addition to the state TABC permit fee paid to TABC directly. The fee is capped by statute at one-half of the Alcoholic Beverage Code's own fee schedule as it stood on August 31, 2021, a fixed historical baseline that TABC's later fee changes do not move. It 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 for it again in the third year of the permit term. The statute's own exemption list excludes local cartage, storage, carrier's, and private carrier's permits from this local fee entirely. New TABC applications are filed with TABC directly; this county portion is paid to or renewed through the Tax Assessor-Collector's Office.

Mass Gathering Permit

A business hosting a qualifying large public event held outside the limits of any city municipality — i.e., in unincorporated Bexar County — needs a Mass Gathering Permit from the Office of the Bexar County Judge, with the application administered through the Fire Marshal's Office. The fee is a flat $500.00, non-refundable, and the complete application packet is required at least 45 days before the event; there is no additional fee for filing closer to the event date. This permit reaches routine restaurant, food-truck, retail, or fitness-studio operations only in the uncommon case where the business itself is hosting a qualifying large event, and does not apply to ordinary day-to-day operation.

Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)

Read directly from the TABC two-year licensing fee schedule: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB) $5,300 original, $2,650 renewal, charged on a two-year cycle. A Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Permit (BG) is $1,900 if you do not need spirits. Note a widely-cited competitor lists $6,006 for this permit, which does not appear in the TABC schedule.

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 coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • Flammable/Combustible Liquid & Fuel System Operational Permits — Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office, 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., per installation/removal event; AST registration/inspection renews annually. Also required for auto repair shops, coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Food Service Establishment (FSE) Permit — Bexar County Environmental Services, 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., annual. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops 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 restaurant compare with other businesses in Bexar County?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Mass Gathering Permit and Mixed Beverage Permit (MB). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Bexar County, TX, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops4420
Retail stores3330
Food trucks6333
Auto repair shops2151
Fitness studios3152
Childcare centres3063
Contractors and trades3063
Salons and barbers2062
Veterinary clinics2062

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 coffee shops 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. Beer & Wine (county local fee on TABC permits/licenses)Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  2. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Chapter 11 (§11.38, local fee on state liquor permits, capped at one-half the fee schedule in effect August 31, 2021)Texas Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  3. Mass Gathering Permit Application (flat $500 non-refundable fee; complete packet required at least 45 days before the event; event must be held outside the limits of a city municipality)Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  4. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 751, Mass GatheringsTexas Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  5. Two-Year Licensing Fees — TABCTexas Alcoholic Beverage Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-22

Related

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