Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

19 permits · verified 2026-10-09

What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Longview?

In short

A restaurant in Longview, TX has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 16 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Longview Environmental Health Department charges $52 per event for the temporary event permit. 7 of the 19 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 Longview

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Temporary Event Permitonly if it applies to youCity of Longview Environmental Health Department$52 per eventno more than 14 consecutive days for a single event2026-08-25
Farmers Market Vendor Permitonly if it applies to youCity of Longview Environmental Health Department$75 per vendornot stated in the published schedule2026-08-25
Re-Inspection and Personalised Training Feeonly if it applies to youCity of Longview Environmental Health Department$200 per re-inspectionper inspection2026-08-25
City Alcoholic Beverage Licenseonly if it applies to youCity of Longview City Secretary's OfficeSet by the City; under Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code §11.38 (permits) and §61.36 (licenses) a city fee may not exceed one-half of the state statutory fee as of 31 August 2021 for the permit or license heldnot stated in the published fee schedule2026-10-09
Food Service Establishment PermitCity of Longview Environmental Health Department$250–$400 per year, by categoryexpires 31 December each year2026-08-25
Fire Protection System Permit (Fire Alarm, Sprinkler, Type I Hood Suppression)only if it applies to youCity of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection DivisionFire alarm systems, commercial sprinkler systems and Type I hood suppression systems: valuation-based under Schedule A; underground fire sprinkler main: 3% of total job cost; residential sprinkler system: $205per installation2026-10-09
Outdoor Event Permitonly if it applies to youCity of Longview Development Services — Planning and Zoning$50 per event applicationper event2026-10-09
Tent Permitonly if it applies to youCity of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division$30 per permitper tent installation2026-10-09
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 Longview

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Certificate of OccupancyCity of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division$105 per certificateissued per occupancy2026-10-09
Commercial Building Permit (New, Addition, Remodel, Alteration)only if it applies to youCity of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection DivisionVaries — formula on the Longview pageper project2026-10-09
Sign Permitonly if it applies to youCity of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection DivisionVaries — formula on the Longview pageper sign project2026-10-09
Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youCity of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division$640 per applicationper application2026-10-09
On-Site Sewerage Facility (OSSF) Permitonly if it applies to youCity of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division$410 per permit (systems other than single-family dwellings)per installation2026-10-09
Monitored Fire Alarm — False Alarm Service Feeonly if it applies to youCity of Longview Fire Marshal's Office$250 per chargeable false alarm from the 5th in a calendar yearcounted per calendar year2026-10-09
Security Alarm Annual Registrationonly if it applies to youLongview Police Department — Alarm ServicesVaries — formula on the Longview pageannual — renew by the registration anniversary date2026-10-09

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 Longview?

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 Longview, TX, 3 apply to every business of this type and 16 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 $105.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 19 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:

City Alcoholic Beverage License: Set by the City; under Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code §11.38 (permits) and §61.36 (licenses) a city fee may not exceed one-half of the state statutory fee as of 31 August 2021 for the permit or license held

Food Service Establishment Permit: $250–$400 per year, by category

Fire Protection System Permit (Fire Alarm, Sprinkler, Type I Hood Suppression): Fire alarm systems, commercial sprinkler systems and Type I hood suppression systems: valuation-based under Schedule A; underground fire sprinkler main: 3% of total job cost; residential sprinkler system: $205

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 Longview permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Longview?

Permits for a restaurant in Longview, TX come from 9 separate offices: City of Longview Environmental Health Department, City of Longview City Secretary's Office, City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division, City of Longview Development Services — Planning and Zoning, City of Longview Fire Marshal's Office, Longview Police Department — Alarm Services, 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 Longview that other businesses do not?

1 of the 9 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in Longview: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB).

Re-Inspection and Personalised Training Fee

$200, triggered by a health rating of C or below — a published threshold, which is more useful than the fee. On-site training is included in the price rather than charged separately, so the visit is partly remedial rather than purely punitive. The City's Development Services Fee Schedule 2025-2026 lists a separate Environmental Health Re-Inspection fee of $150, and the FY2026-27 fee resolution presented to Council on 17 September 2026 prints the same $150 Re-Inspection Fee; the October 2025 food fee sheet filed with DSHS described a $150 scheduled inspection available to non-profits, daycares and schools.

City Alcoholic Beverage License

The City Secretary's Licenses page states that the office issues Alcoholic Beverage Licenses to retail businesses in Longview, and directs applicants to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for the state permits; the City also publishes an alcohol sales boundary map. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code §11.38 and §61.36 let a city levy a fee for each permit or license for premises inside the city, capped at one-half of the state statutory fee as of 31 August 2021, and a permittee who sells alcohol without paying the local fee commits a misdemeanour. Contact the City Secretary's Office (903-237-1080) for the City's amount.

Tent Permit

$30 per tent permit, listed among the miscellaneous building permits on the City's Development Services Fee Schedule 2025-2026. The FY2026-27 fee resolution presented to City Council on 17 September 2026 prints the same figure. The permit is issued through Building Inspection; an event large enough to need an Outdoor Event Permit also needs that separate $50 permit from Planning and Zoning.

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 Longview

  • Temporary Event Permit — City of Longview Environmental Health Department, $52 per event, no more than 14 consecutive days for a single event. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Farmers Market Vendor Permit — City of Longview Environmental Health Department, $75 per vendor, not stated in the published schedule. Also required for retail stores and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • Food Service Establishment Permit — City of Longview Environmental Health Department, $250–$400 per year, by category, expires 31 December each year. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Fire Protection System Permit (Fire Alarm, Sprinkler, Type I Hood Suppression) — City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division, Fire alarm systems, commercial sprinkler systems and Type I hood suppression systems: valuation-based under Schedule A; underground fire sprinkler main: 3% of total job cost; residential sprinkler system: $205, per installation. Also required for coffee shops and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Outdoor Event Permit — City of Longview Development Services — Planning and Zoning, $50 per event application, per event. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, fitness studios and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

The other 7 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Longview, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Longview 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 Longview?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 6 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Farmers Market Vendor Permit, Tent Permit and Mixed Beverage Permit (MB). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Longview, TX, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops6630
Retail stores6630
Food trucks4361
Fitness studios4272
Contractors and trades4183
Auto repair shops0090
Childcare centres2092
Salons and barbers1091
Veterinary clinics1091

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

  1. City of Longview Food Service Applications, Permits and Fees, 2025 (filed with Texas DSHS 31 October 2025)City of Longview, filed with Texas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-25
  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. Licenses — City SecretaryCity of Longview · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  4. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Chapter 61 (section 61.36, county fees)Texas Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  5. City of Longview Development Services Fee Schedule 2025-2026City of Longview · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  6. City of Longview City Council agenda packet, 17 September 2026 — resolution specifying city fees and charges effective 1 October 2026City of Longview · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  7. 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.