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15 permits · verified 2026-09-28

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

In short

A restaurant in Travis County, TX has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 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. 11 of the 15 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Special Event / Mass Gathering Permitonly if it applies to youTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeSet through TCFMO's event-permit process based on event size, duration and required staffing; contact the Travis County Fire Marshal's Office, or see the event-permit page, to confirm the current amount for a specific event.per event2026-09-28
TABC County Local Alcohol-Permit SurchargeTravis County Tax Assessor-CollectorStatutory cap: one-half of the state Alcoholic Beverage Code fee schedule as it existed on August 31, 2021, a fixed historical baseline unaffected by later TABC fee changes. Travis County's own confirmed two-year local fee table: Wine and Beer Retailer's Permit $175.00; Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Off-Premise Permit $60.00; Malt Beverage Retail Dealer's On-Premise License $150.00; Package Store Permit $500.00; Wine-Only Package Store Permit $75.00; Brewer's License $1,500.00. A Mixed Beverage Permit is exempt from this local fee for its first three years, then billed at one-half the state fee starting in year three.two-year cycle, tied to the underlying TABC permit term; a Mixed Beverage Permit holder is billed again starting the third year after issuance2026-09-28
Food Establishment Operational Permit (Ch. 247)Austin Public Health, Environmental Health Services Division — administering Travis County's Chapter 247 program under an interlocal cooperation agreement$250–$300 a year, risk-based, for a fixed food establishment in unincorporated Travis County (effective October 1, 2025)annual, per Travis County Code Chapter 247; the permit expires one year from the date of issuance2026-09-28
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 Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — Travis County Positiononly if it applies to youTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionNo feenot applicable — Travis County issues no general business license2026-09-28
Building PermitTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project/permit2026-09-28
Development Permit (floodplain / stormwater)only if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project2026-09-28
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler / Suppression System Construction Permitsonly if it applies to youTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project, issued alongside or separately from the Building Permit above2026-09-28
Fire Code Operational Permit (hazard-specific)only if it applies to youTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageannual; the published Operational Permits fee schedule does not itemize a distinct renewal cadence beyond 'annual' for each hazard category2026-09-28
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF/Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per installation or change of use2026-09-28
Driveway, Fence, Site-Development, Demolition/Clearing and Subdivision Permitsonly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per permit/project2026-09-28
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) FilingTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionVaries — formula on the Travis County pageTexas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 sets a 10-year term for an assumed name certificate statewide; the Travis County Clerk's own DBA page does not separately restate this term2026-09-28

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 Travis County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 15 records listed for a restaurant in Travis County, TX, 5 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $0.00. That is a floor, not a total. 11 of the 15 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Special Event / Mass Gathering Permit: Set through TCFMO's event-permit process based on event size, duration and required staffing; contact the Travis County Fire Marshal's Office, or see the event-permit page, to confirm the current amount for a specific event.

TABC County Local Alcohol-Permit Surcharge: Statutory cap: one-half of the state Alcoholic Beverage Code fee schedule as it existed on August 31, 2021, a fixed historical baseline unaffected by later TABC fee changes. Travis County's own confirmed two-year local fee table: Wine and Beer Retailer's Permit $175.00; Wine and Malt Beverage Retailer's Off-Premise Permit $60.00; Malt Beverage Retail Dealer's On-Premise License $150.00; Package Store Permit $500.00; Wine-Only Package Store Permit $75.00; Brewer's License $1,500.00. A Mixed Beverage Permit is exempt from this local fee for its first three years, then billed at one-half the state fee starting in year three.

Food Establishment Operational Permit (Ch. 247): $250–$300 a year, risk-based, for a fixed food establishment in unincorporated Travis County (effective October 1, 2025)

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

The other 7 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Travis County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Travis County?

Permits for a restaurant in Travis County, TX come from 8 separate offices: Travis County Clerk, Recording Division, Travis County Fire Marshal's Office, Travis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting Center, Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector, Austin Public Health, Environmental Health Services Division — administering Travis County's Chapter 247 program under an interlocal cooperation agreement, 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 Travis 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 Travis County: Mixed Beverage Permit (MB).

TABC County Local Alcohol-Permit Surcharge

A restaurant, coffee shop, or retail store holding a TABC beer, wine, or liquor permit for a Travis County location owes this local fee to the Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector, countywide, including inside the City of Austin — it is a state-statute county surcharge on a state permit, not a county ordinance limited to the unincorporated area, so it applies the same way as the DBA filing below regardless of which city or unincorporated area the business sits in. The fee is capped at one-half of the Alcoholic Beverage Code's own fee schedule as it stood on August 31, 2021. The Travis County Tax Office's website is in the middle of a domain migration and its Beer/Wine/Liquor Licenses fee-table page is not currently reachable; the six figures above are the office's own two-year fee table as published. Call the Tax Office directly to reconfirm the current figures before an application, and expect this record's application link to change once the migration completes.

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 Travis County

  • Special Event / Mass Gathering Permit — Travis County Fire Marshal's Office, Set through TCFMO's event-permit process based on event size, duration and required staffing; contact the Travis County Fire Marshal's Office, or see the event-permit page, to confirm the current amount for a specific event., per event. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks, retail stores and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
  • Food Establishment Operational Permit (Ch. 247) — Austin Public Health, Environmental Health Services Division — administering Travis County's Chapter 247 program under an interlocal cooperation agreement, $250–$300 a year, risk-based, for a fixed food establishment in unincorporated Travis County (effective October 1, 2025), annual, per Travis County Code Chapter 247; the permit expires one year from the date of issuance. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.

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

Permits particular to each business type in Travis County, TX, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops3310
Retail stores3310
Fitness studios4133
Food trucks4133
Auto repair shops1041
Childcare centres3043
Contractors and trades2042
Salons and barbers2042
Veterinary clinics2042

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 fitness studios page and retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Travis County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Travis County Tax Office — Beer/Wine/Liquor Licenses sectionTravis County Tax Assessor-Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  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. TABC License & Permit Fees Chart (current state fee schedule, the baseline the county local fee is capped against)Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  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.