9 permits · verified 2026-08-24
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Carrollton?
In short
A restaurant in Carrollton, TX has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division charges $75 per 14 days for the temporary food establishment permit for change of ownership. 4 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-08-24 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Carrollton
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Food Establishment Permit for Change of Ownershiponly if it applies to you | City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division | $75 per 14 days | 14 days | 2026-08-24 |
| Farmers Market Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division | $100–$150 per year, operator or vendor | 1 year | 2026-08-24 |
| Food Establishment Reinspection Feeonly if it applies to you | City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division | $45 per hour, two-hour minimum | per reinspection | 2026-08-24 |
| Food Establishment Permit | City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division | $250–$770 per year, by establishment type | 1 year | 2026-08-24 |
| Food Handler Certification | City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division | $10 per certification | not stated in the published schedule | 2026-08-24 |
| Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)only if it applies to you | Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission | $2,650–$5,300 per two-year period; $5,300 original, $2,650 renewal | every 2 years | 2026-08-21 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
TX registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $300 one-time filing | no expiry | 2026-08-20 |
| Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $25 one-time filing | up to ten years, renewable | 2026-08-21 |
| Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit | Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts | No fee — there is no fee for this permit | no expiry while actively engaged in business | 2026-08-21 |
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 Carrollton?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a restaurant in Carrollton, TX, 3 apply to every business of this type and 6 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 3 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $10.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Farmers Market Permit: $100–$150 per year, operator or vendor
Food Establishment Reinspection Fee: $45 per hour, two-hour minimum
Food Establishment Permit: $250–$770 per year, by establishment type
Mixed Beverage Permit (MB): $2,650–$5,300 per two-year period; $5,300 original, $2,650 renewal
Which offices issue these permits in Carrollton?
Permits for a restaurant in Carrollton, TX come from 4 separate offices: City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division, 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.
- City of Carrollton Environmental Quality DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Temporary Food Establishment Permit for Change of Ownership, Farmers Market Permit, Food Establishment Reinspection Fee1945 E Jackson Road, Carrollton, TX 75006www.cityofcarrollton.com/departments/departments-a-f/environmental-quality/food-consumer-safety
- Texas Alcoholic Beverage CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)www.tabc.texas.gov
- Texas Secretary of StateIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation, Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)www.sos.state.tx.us
- Texas Comptroller of Public AccountsIssues 1 permit on this page: Texas Sales and Use Tax Permitcomptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit
What does a restaurant need in Carrollton that other businesses do not?
1 of the 6 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in Carrollton: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB).
Food Establishment Permit
Priced by what the premises is, and the ranking is not the one most operators expect: a retail food store is $770 a year, heavy food preparation $450, light food preparation $370 and no food preparation $250. A grocery therefore pays roughly seventy per cent more than a full kitchen. Each additional food service, food store or vending operation inside a structure that already holds a heavy or light preparation permit is a further $320 a year, so a hotel with a restaurant and a lobby shop is paying twice. The establishment types are defined in the Carrollton Food Establishment Policy rather than in the fee schedule, so check which one your site falls into before budgeting. Chapter 31 took effect on 1 October 2025 but the schedule notes that these food permit fees were implemented on 1 January 2026.
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 Carrollton
- Temporary Food Establishment Permit for Change of Ownership — City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division, $75 per 14 days, 14 days. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Farmers Market Permit — City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division, $100–$150 per year, operator or vendor, 1 year. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Establishment Reinspection Fee — City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division, $45 per hour, two-hour minimum, per reinspection. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Handler Certification — City of Carrollton Environmental Quality Division, $10 per certification, not stated in the published schedule. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops 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 Carrollton?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 5 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Mixed Beverage Permit (MB). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 2 | 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 coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Carrollton permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Carrollton Code of Ordinances Chapter 31, Comprehensive Fee Schedule, effective 1 October 2025 — Environmental Quality Division extract filed with Texas DSHS 27 October 2025City of Carrollton, filed with Texas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-24
- 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.