10 permits · verified 2026-08-27
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Montgomery County?
In short
A restaurant in Montgomery County, TX has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Texas Secretary of State charges $300 one-time filing for the certificate of formation. 7 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-08-27 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Montgomery County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial On-Site Sewage Facility Permitonly if it applies to you | Montgomery County Environmental Health Services | $210–$560 per permit, by scope and floodplain status | per permit | 2026-08-27 |
| Temporary Event and Farmers Market Food Permitonly if it applies to you | Montgomery County Environmental Health Services | $52–$800 per event or per year, by type | 14 days for a single event; 1 year for a multiple-event permit | 2026-08-27 |
| Retail Food Establishment Permit | Montgomery County Environmental Health Services | $250–$500 per year, banded by gross annual food sales | 1 year | 2026-08-27 |
| 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Montgomery County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Structure Permit | Montgomery County Permitting Department | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County page | per permit; recertification costs half the original fee | 2026-08-27 |
| Fire Code Permit | Montgomery County Fire Marshal | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County page | per permit | 2026-08-27 |
| Floodplain Development Permitonly if it applies to you | Montgomery County Permitting Department | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County page | per permit | 2026-08-27 |
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 Montgomery County?
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 Montgomery County, TX, 4 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 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $0.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 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:
Commercial On-Site Sewage Facility Permit: $210–$560 per permit, by scope and floodplain status
Temporary Event and Farmers Market Food Permit: $52–$800 per event or per year, by type
Retail Food Establishment Permit: $250–$500 per year, banded by gross annual food sales
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 Montgomery County permits page and the TX state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Montgomery County?
Permits for a restaurant in Montgomery County, TX come from 6 separate offices: Montgomery County Permitting Department, Montgomery County Fire Marshal, Montgomery County Environmental Health 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.
- Montgomery County Permitting DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Commercial Structure Permit, Floodplain Development Permit501 N Thompson, Suite 101, Conroe, TX 77301www.mctx.org/departments/departments_d_-_f/environmental_health/permitting/commercial.php
- Montgomery County Fire MarshalIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Code Permit1520 Lake Front Circle, The Woodlands, TX 77380www.mctx.org/departments/departments_d_-_f/fire_marshal/index.php
- Montgomery County Environmental Health ServicesIssues 3 permits on this page: Commercial On-Site Sewage Facility Permit, Temporary Event and Farmers Market Food Permit, Retail Food Establishment Permit501 N Thompson, Suite 101, Conroe, TX 77301www.mctx.org/departments/departments_d_-_f/environmental_health
- 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 Montgomery County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 4 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in Montgomery County: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB).
Temporary Event and Farmers Market Food Permit
$52 for a single event of up to 14 days and $200 for a multiple-event permit covering a year. A farmers market is $100. The two lines worth knowing are the mass gathering fees: $400 under 5,000 people and $800 above, which are charged to the organiser and are the largest single food-side figures on the schedule.
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 Montgomery County
- Commercial On-Site Sewage Facility Permit — Montgomery County Environmental Health Services, $210–$560 per permit, by scope and floodplain status, per permit. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, auto repair shops, veterinary clinics, childcare centres and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres page.
- Retail Food Establishment Permit — Montgomery County Environmental Health Services, $250–$500 per year, banded by gross annual food sales, 1 year. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Montgomery County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Montgomery 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 Montgomery County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 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 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 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 childcare centres page and retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Montgomery County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Montgomery County Permitting Fee Schedule, effective 2 June 2025 — fire code, commercial structure, residential structure, health and septicMontgomery County · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-27
- 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.