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10 permits · verified 2026-10-09

What permits do you need to open a restaurant in El Paso County Tx?

In short

A restaurant in El Paso County Tx, TX has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Alarm Permit Officer charges $60 per commercial alarm permit, initial and each renewal, valid three years for the commercial security alarm permit (sheriff). 6 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in El Paso County Tx

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Food Establishment Permit (Food Safety Order, unincorporated area)El Paso County Food Safety Order, enforced by the City of El Paso Department of Public Health food inspection programNo current county food permit fee schedule is published; the County Food Safety Order's 2007 figures are not presented as current. The County states the amount payable.annual; renew at least 30 days before expiry; a temporary event permit lasts at most 14 consecutive days2026-09-29
County Local Fee on TABC Alcohol Permitsonly if it applies to youEl Paso County Tax Assessor-Collector (Ascarate Tax Office)Statutory basis: Alcoholic Beverage Code sections 11.38 and 61.36 allow the county to charge a local fee on each TABC permit for premises in the county, capped at one-half of the state fee. The amount depends on the permit type held; the Tax Assessor-Collector publishes its fee table on its Alcoholic Beverage Tax License page.tied to the underlying TABC permit term2026-09-29
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 El Paso County Tx

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Driveway (Right-of-Way Access) Permit, County Roadsonly if it applies to youEl Paso County Planning & Development DepartmentVaries — formula on the El Paso County Tx pageone permit per access point; not stated as a renewable license2026-10-09
Floodplain Determination and Floodplain Development Permitonly if it applies to youEl Paso County Planning & Development DepartmentVaries — formula on the El Paso County Tx pageconstruction must start within 180 days of issue or the permit is void; up to two six-month extensions on written request2026-10-09
Commercial Security Alarm Permit (Sheriff)only if it applies to youEl Paso County Sheriff's Office, Alarm Permit Officer$60 per commercial alarm permit, initial and each renewal, valid three years3 years2026-09-29
On-Site Sewage Facility (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youEl Paso County Public Works, On-Site Sewage Facility ProgramVaries — formula on the El Paso County Tx pageauthorization to construct valid for one calendar year; a license to operate is issued after final inspection and transfers to a new owner on sale2026-09-29

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 El Paso County Tx?

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 El Paso County Tx, TX, 2 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.

Of the 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $0.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 10 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:

County Food Establishment Permit (Food Safety Order, unincorporated area): No current county food permit fee schedule is published; the County Food Safety Order's 2007 figures are not presented as current. The County states the amount payable.

County Local Fee on TABC Alcohol Permits: Statutory basis: Alcoholic Beverage Code sections 11.38 and 61.36 allow the county to charge a local fee on each TABC permit for premises in the county, capped at one-half of the state fee. The amount depends on the permit type held; the Tax Assessor-Collector publishes its fee table on its Alcoholic Beverage Tax License page.

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

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

Which offices issue these permits in El Paso County Tx?

Permits for a restaurant in El Paso County Tx, TX come from 8 separate offices: El Paso County Planning & Development Department, El Paso County Food Safety Order, enforced by the City of El Paso Department of Public Health food inspection program, El Paso County Tax Assessor-Collector (Ascarate Tax Office), El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Alarm Permit Officer, El Paso County Public Works, On-Site Sewage Facility Program, 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 El Paso County Tx that other businesses do not?

1 of the 3 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in El Paso County Tx: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB).

County Food Establishment Permit (Food Safety Order, unincorporated area)

A food service establishment, retail food store or temporary food event in the unincorporated area of El Paso County needs a permit under the County Food Safety Order, which took effect on 1 January 2008. The Order names the El Paso Health Department as the regulatory authority, and the City of El Paso food inspection program (Open Stop Shop, 811 Texas Ave, (915) 212-6610) takes the applications. Nonprofit-only operations are exempt under section 2(b) of the Order. This record carries no fee figure: there is no current fee schedule published in any source. The 2007 Order's printed figures are not published as current, because the City's adopted FY2026 schedule differs and the Texas DSHS local fee registry has no El Paso County entry. SB 1008 (2025) caps a county food fee at the DSHS maximum. Contact the City food inspection program for the current amount before applying. Mobile food vendors are licensed by Texas DSHS from 1 July 2026, not by the county. Inside the City of El Paso and the other municipalities, their own rules apply instead.

County Local Fee on TABC Alcohol Permits

A business that holds a TABC beer, wine or liquor permit for a location in El Paso County owes a local fee to the County Tax Assessor-Collector (Ascarate Tax Office, 301 Manny Martinez, (915) 771-2325). State law caps the fee at half of the state fee, and a mixed beverage permit is exempt for its first three years. Since SB 1008 took effect on 1 September 2025, Health & Safety Code section 437.01235 bars a county from charging this fee on a food service establishment or retail food store that has already paid a food permit fee to DSHS or to a county, city or health district, so most restaurants and coffee shops that pay a food permit fee are outside its reach. The county page lists amounts but states no period; this record gives the statutory basis only. Contact the Tax Office for the amount that applies to a specific permit.

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.

The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in El Paso County Tx, TX; what each one involves is set out on the El Paso County Tx 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 El Paso County Tx?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Mixed Beverage Permit (MB). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in El Paso County Tx, TX, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops2210
Retail stores2210
Auto repair shops0030
Childcare centres1031
Contractors and trades2032
Fitness studios1031
Food trucks1031
Salons and barbers1031
Veterinary clinics1031

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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the El Paso County Tx permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Food Inspection (City of El Paso food permit program, which takes county and city food permit applications)City of El Paso · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  2. El Paso County Food Safety Order (17 December 2007, effective 1 January 2008)El Paso County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  3. Court Orders (Commissioners Court orders index)El Paso County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  4. Texas DSHS Local Ordinance and Fee Schedule RegistryTexas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-24
  5. 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
  6. SB 1008, 89th Legislature (enrolled) — county food fee cap and alcohol-fee exceptionTexas Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  7. Alcoholic Beverage Tax License (Tax Assessor-Collector)El Paso County Tax Assessor-Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  8. 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
  9. 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.