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20 permits · verified 2026-09-30

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

In short

A restaurant in Salt Lake County, UT has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 15 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services charges $150 a year (12-month license term) for the general business license — home-based, with on-site visitors or customers. 8 of the 20 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-30 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a restaurant in Salt Lake County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Seasonal Business Licenseonly if it applies to youGreater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services$120 flat, for a season of 60 days or fewer per yearup to 60 days per year2026-09-30
Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Feeonly if it applies to youGreater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development ServicesOff-Premise Beer Retailer $250.00; Recreational On-Premise Beer Retailer $350.00; Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Limited Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Beer-Only Restaurant $350.00; On-Premise Beer Tavern $350.00; Resort $500.00; Club Liquor $600.00; Banquet and Catering $500.00; Single Event $150.00; Wholesale Beer $300.00; Manufacturing $350.00 — per the FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County, adopted and effective September 22, 2026.not stated in the published fee schedule2026-09-30
Food Establishment PermitSalt Lake County Health Department$275–$770 a year, by risk category, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Risk 1 $275.00; Risk 2 $405.00; Risk 3 $555.00; Risk 4 $770.00annual2026-09-30
HACCP Food Process Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youSalt Lake County Health Department$640 flat, one-time review feeone-time, per process2026-09-30
Microenterprise Home Kitchen Permitonly if it applies to youSalt Lake County Health Department$350.00 for a new permit; $95.00 to renew. Per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026.annual2026-09-30
Temporary Food Establishment Permitonly if it applies to youSalt Lake County Health DepartmentLow Risk: 1-day $70.00, 3-day $90.00, 14-day $330.00, seasonal $330.00. High Risk: 1-day $115.00, 3-day $145.00, 14-day $445.00, seasonal $455.00. A late application or late notification fee of $50.00 applies under either risk tier. Per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026.per event2026-09-30
Food Handler CardUtah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services DivisionFood handler permit fee of no more than $15, uniform statewide, paid to the local health department under rule R392-103; the approved training provider may also charge its own reasonable training fee, and may collect both at once3 years, valid statewide (rule R392-103)2026-09-04
Food Service Establishment Permit (local, not state)Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services DivisionNo feeset locally2026-09-04

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 Salt Lake County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — Home-Based, With On-Site Visitors or Customersonly if it applies to youGreater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services$150 a year (12-month license term)12 months2026-09-30
Building Permitonly if it applies to youGreater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Salt Lake County pageone-time, per permit2026-09-30
Plan Check Feeonly if it applies to youGreater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Salt Lake County pageone-time, per project2026-09-30
Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youGreater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Salt Lake County pageone-time, per application2026-09-30
General Business License — Commercial LocationGreater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services$150 a year (12-month license term)12 months2026-09-30
General Business License — Home-Based, No On-Site Visitors or Customersonly if it applies to youGreater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development ServicesNo fee12 months2026-09-30
General Business License — Per-Employee Feeonly if it applies to youGreater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services$6 per employee, billed alongside the base license feecoincides with the 12-month business-license term2026-09-30

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

UT 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
Sales and Use Tax LicenseUtah State Tax CommissionNo feeongoing — no fixed expiration, with a filing frequency the state assigns and can revisit2026-09-04
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youUtah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code$59 one-time filingperpetual, but a renewal is due every year2026-09-04
Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youUtah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code$59 one-time filingperpetual, but a renewal is due every year2026-09-04
General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration)only if it applies to youUtah Division of Corporations and Commercial CodeNo feeset by the city or county2026-09-04
Annual Renewalonly if it applies to youUtah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code$18 a year; a late renewal adds $10annual — due in the calendar month tied to the entity's own formation anniversary2026-09-04

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 Salt Lake County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 20 records listed for a restaurant in Salt Lake County, UT, 5 apply to every business of this type and 15 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 $150.00. That is a floor, not a total. 8 of the 20 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Fee: Off-Premise Beer Retailer $250.00; Recreational On-Premise Beer Retailer $350.00; Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Limited Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Beer-Only Restaurant $350.00; On-Premise Beer Tavern $350.00; Resort $500.00; Club Liquor $600.00; Banquet and Catering $500.00; Single Event $150.00; Wholesale Beer $300.00; Manufacturing $350.00 — per the FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County, adopted and effective September 22, 2026.

Food Establishment Permit: $275–$770 a year, by risk category, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Risk 1 $275.00; Risk 2 $405.00; Risk 3 $555.00; Risk 4 $770.00

Microenterprise Home Kitchen Permit: $350.00 for a new permit; $95.00 to renew. Per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026.

Temporary Food Establishment Permit: Low Risk: 1-day $70.00, 3-day $90.00, 14-day $330.00, seasonal $330.00. High Risk: 1-day $115.00, 3-day $145.00, 14-day $445.00, seasonal $455.00. A late application or late notification fee of $50.00 applies under either risk tier. Per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026.

Food Handler Card: Food handler permit fee of no more than $15, uniform statewide, paid to the local health department under rule R392-103; the approved training provider may also charge its own reasonable training fee, and may collect both at once

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

Which offices issue these permits in Salt Lake County?

Permits for a restaurant in Salt Lake County, UT come from 5 separate offices: Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services, Salt Lake County Health Department, Utah State Tax Commission, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division, Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. 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 Salt Lake County that other businesses do not?

1 of the 8 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in Salt Lake County: Microenterprise Home Kitchen Permit.

Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Fee

A business in the MSD footprint (unincorporated Salt Lake County plus Brighton, Copperton, Emigration Canyon, Kearns, Magna, and White City) that sells or serves alcohol pays this local-consent fee to MSD for whichever of the twelve license/permit categories applies, ranging from $150.00 (Single Event) to $600.00 (Club Liquor), per the FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County, adopted and effective September 22, 2026. All categories except Off-Premise Beer Retailer require local consent from the applicable local authority. County Code §6.10.040 also recognizes a Reception Center License and a Temporary Beer Event permit as distinct categories requiring local consent, but the current fee schedule prices no separate line item for either, so no fee is stated here for those two categories. Outside the MSD footprint, each of the county's other 17 municipalities runs its own local-consent process for the same state-issued alcohol licenses.

HACCP Food Process Plan Review

A restaurant or food truck anywhere in Salt Lake County adding a specialized food process to its menu — uncooked or sushi preparation, sous vide, reduced-oxygen packaging, or a dog-friendly patio — needs a HACCP plan reviewed by SLCoHD before offering it, priced at a flat $640.00 on the fee schedule published September 1, 2026. This is separate from the food establishment's own annual permit and standard plan review listed elsewhere here. SLCoHD's coverage is county-wide — all 23 incorporated municipalities plus the unincorporated area.

Microenterprise Home Kitchen Permit

A home-based food business operating as a microenterprise home kitchen anywhere in Salt Lake County needs this permit from SLCoHD: $350.00 for a new permit, or $95.00 to renew, per the fee schedule published September 1, 2026. This is separate from, and an alternative to, the standard Food Establishment Permit listed elsewhere here, which applies to a commercial-location restaurant or coffee shop rather than a home kitchen. SLCoHD's coverage is county-wide — all 23 incorporated municipalities plus the unincorporated area.

Food Handler Card

A food handler card is required, and it must come from a provider on the state's own approved list — the agriculture department publishes that list directly and states plainly that a card from an unapproved source will not be accepted by a local health department. Utah Administrative Code R392-103 sets the food handler permit fee at no more than $15, uniform statewide, payable to the local health department, and states that food handler permits are valid for 3 years statewide; a training provider may charge its own reasonable training fee on top. Confirm the provider's training price before budgeting for it.

Shared with other businesses in Salt Lake County

  • Seasonal Business License — Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services, $120 flat, for a season of 60 days or fewer per year, up to 60 days per year. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
  • Food Establishment Permit — Salt Lake County Health Department, $275–$770 a year, by risk category, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Risk 1 $275.00; Risk 2 $405.00; Risk 3 $555.00; Risk 4 $770.00, annual. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Temporary Food Establishment Permit — Salt Lake County Health Department, Low Risk: 1-day $70.00, 3-day $90.00, 14-day $330.00, seasonal $330.00. High Risk: 1-day $115.00, 3-day $145.00, 14-day $445.00, seasonal $455.00. A late application or late notification fee of $50.00 applies under either risk tier. Per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026., per event. Also required for food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
  • Food Service Establishment Permit (local, not state) — Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division, No fee, set locally. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.

The other 7 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Salt Lake County, UT; what each one involves is set out on the Salt Lake County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across UT and are covered on the UT state page.

How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Salt Lake County?

The closest match is a food truck, which shares 6 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Food Establishment Permit and Microenterprise Home Kitchen Permit. A food truck needs Mobile Food / Food Cart Permit and Simple Land Use Permit, which a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Salt Lake County, UT, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Food trucks8622
Coffee shops6531
Retail stores6264
Auto repair shops3083
Childcare centres3083
Contractors and trades4084
Fitness studios2082
Salons and barbers7087
Veterinary clinics3083

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 retail stores page, coffee shops page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Salt Lake County permits page and the UT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County (Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District), adopted and effective September 22, 2026Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  2. Salt Lake County Health Department Fee Schedule, published September 1, 2026Salt Lake County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  3. SLCoHD Food Protection — Permanent Permits (HACCP-triggering processes, plan-review process, separate city business-license note)Salt Lake County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
  4. Utah Department of Agriculture and Food — list of approved food handler training providers under rule R392-103Utah Department of Agriculture and Food · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.