Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

14 permits · verified 2026-10-31

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

In short

A restaurant in Kaufman County, TX has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 12 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office charges $200 per new Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance for a new business or change of ownership in the same occupancy class; occupying a building without obtaining a new C.O. adds $100 on top of the new C.O. fee for the certificate of occupancy / certificate of compliance (new business or change of ownership). 8 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-31 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Kaufman County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Fire Operational Permits — Places of Assembly; High-Piled Storageonly if it applies to youKaufman County Fire Marshal's OfficePlaces of assembly $100; high-piled storage (> 500 sq. ft.) $100.annual2026-10-31
County Clerk Signature and Wet/Dry Certification for TABC Applicationsonly if it applies to youKaufman County ClerkThe license or permit fee is set by TABC commission rule and paid to TABC (Alcoholic Beverage Code section 61.31(c) for an original license). Contact the County Clerk's office about any charge for the clerk's signature or certification.per application; the clerk certifies within 30 days of a request, and once a permit or license is issued the wet-area certification stands until a later local option election (Alcoholic Beverage Code sections 11.37 and 61.37)2026-10-31
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 Kaufman County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Fire Code Building Permit (unincorporated Kaufman County)only if it applies to youKaufman County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper project2026-10-31
Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance (new business or change of ownership)Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office$200 per new Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance for a new business or change of ownership in the same occupancy class; occupying a building without obtaining a new C.O. adds $100 on top of the new C.O. feerenewed annually after a fire inspection ("renewed for a period of one year", Certificate of Occupancy page)2026-10-31
Fire Construction Permits (hood suppression, sprinkler, alarm, tenant finish-out)only if it applies to youKaufman County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper permit (each installation or modification)2026-10-31
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permitonly if it applies to youKaufman County Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper system; aerobic system maintenance contracts must be submitted 30 days before the previous contract expires2026-10-31
Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Kaufman County)only if it applies to youKaufman County Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper project2026-10-31
Stormwater Management Permit and Stormwater Maintenance Permit (commercial)only if it applies to youKaufman County Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Kaufman County pageper project for the Stormwater Management Permit; the Stormwater Maintenance Permit is renewed2026-10-31
Culvert (Driveway) Permit — County Right-of-Wayonly if it applies to youKaufman County Development Services$75 per culvert permit ("Total Amount due: $75.00", Development Services Payments page)expires 12 months from the date of issuance2026-10-31
911 Address Applicationonly if it applies to youKaufman County Development Services$40 per address application ("Total Amount Due: $40.00", Development Services Payments page)one-time, per new address2026-10-31

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 Kaufman County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 14 records listed for a restaurant in Kaufman County, TX, 2 apply to every business of this type and 12 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, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $200.00. That is a floor, not a total. 8 of the 14 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:

Fire Operational Permits — Places of Assembly; High-Piled Storage: Places of assembly $100; high-piled storage (> 500 sq. ft.) $100.

County Clerk Signature and Wet/Dry Certification for TABC Applications: The license or permit fee is set by TABC commission rule and paid to TABC (Alcoholic Beverage Code section 61.31(c) for an original license). Contact the County Clerk's office about any charge for the clerk's signature or certification.

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

The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Kaufman County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Kaufman County?

Permits for a restaurant in Kaufman County, TX come from 6 separate offices: Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office, Kaufman County Development Services, Kaufman County Clerk, 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 Kaufman County that other businesses do not?

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

Fire Operational Permits — Places of Assembly; High-Piled Storage

Two fire operational permits in unincorporated Kaufman County apply only to some businesses. A restaurant or fitness studio whose premises is classed as a place of assembly under the fire code needs the places of assembly operational permit, and a retail store with high-piled storage of more than 500 square feet needs the high-piled storage operational permit. The Fire Marshal's Operational Permits page states that an operational permit application is required to conduct any operation permitted under the fire code. Per the operational permit table in the county's adopted fire code, places of assembly is $100 and high-piled storage (> 500 sq. ft.) is $100, each with the period "Annual". A business that is not an assembly occupancy and has no high-piled storage is outside these two lines. Ask the Fire Marshal's Office whether the premises is classed as an assembly occupancy. Contact the Fire Marshal's Office, 469-376-4122. The figures are as printed in the fee tables of the county's adopted fire code, published on the Fire Marshal's Helpful Resources page as "2024 IFC Amendments" and headed "Kaufman County Fire Marshal Permit Fee approved Oct 29, 2024". This applies in unincorporated Kaufman County: the fire code states that it "applies to the unincorporated areas of Kaufman County, Texas". A business inside Forney, Terrell, Kaufman, Crandall or another city should contact that city about its own requirements.

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 Kaufman County

  • County Clerk Signature and Wet/Dry Certification for TABC Applications — Kaufman County Clerk, The license or permit fee is set by TABC commission rule and paid to TABC (Alcoholic Beverage Code section 61.31(c) for an original license). Contact the County Clerk's office about any charge for the clerk's signature or certification., per application; the clerk certifies within 30 days of a request, and once a permit or license is issued the wet-area certification stands until a later local option election (Alcoholic Beverage Code sections 11.37 and 61.37). Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

The other 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Kaufman County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Kaufman 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 Kaufman County?

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

Permits particular to each business type in Kaufman County, TX, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Retail stores2210
Coffee shops1120
Fitness studios2121
Auto repair shops1031
Childcare centres2032
Contractors and trades1031
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 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 Kaufman County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. 2024 IFC Amendments (Fire Code of Kaufman County)Kaufman County Commissioners Court / Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  2. Operational PermitsKaufman County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  3. Helpful ResourcesKaufman County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  4. 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.