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

Beer License — Seasonal

Weber County Code § 16-3-1 sets a 'Seasonal' beer license, carrying the privileges of a Class C (draft) license for less than a full year, at $150.00 for 3 months, $300.00 for 6 months, or $450.00 for 9 months or any part of a year exceeding 6 months — issued by the Weber County Commission for unincorporated Weber County. This tier suits a restaurant or retail-store operation that only needs draft-beer privileges for part of the year rather than the full annual Class C term. It applies only in unincorporated Weber County — Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, Avon, Causey and Monte Cristo since Ogden Valley City's January 2, 2026 incorporation. Weber County Code Title 8's header note ties the county's beer-licensing power to the state's On-Premises and Off-Premises Beer Retailer Acts (Utah Code § 32B-6-701 et seq. and § 32B-7-101 et seq.).

WMHD Food Establishment Plan Review

Before building, extensively remodeling, or changing ownership of a food establishment anywhere in Weber County, the Weber-Morgan Health Department requires a plan review, priced under the 2026 fee schedule (effective July 1, 2026) by risk category: Risk 1 $425.00, Risk 2 $675.00, Risk 3 $1,050.00, and Risk 4 $1,200.00; an onsite consultation or small remodel is $100.00, and a change-of-ownership review is $230.00. WMHD's own Inspector Jargon Glossary defines 'food establishment' to include, by name, a 'child care center,' which is why a childcare centre's kitchen falls under this same plan-review scheme in addition to the separate WMHD Day Care/Group Home inspection; the specific risk-category fee for a given childcare kitchen depends on its own menu and preparation scope. WMHD serves both Weber and Morgan Counties county-wide, reaching Ogden, every other incorporated city, Ogden Valley City, and the remaining unincorporated area alike.

General Business License — Restaurant

Any restaurant or coffee shop operating in unincorporated Weber County needs this license — Weber County Code § 14-1-2 makes it unlawful to operate a business in the county without first obtaining one, and § 16-4-13's fee table sets $100.00 a year for 'any place where food or drink is prepared, served or offered for sale or sold for human consumption, on or off the premises,' a definition that covers both a restaurant and a coffee shop on its plain wording. The license runs the calendar year, January 1 through December 31, with a mid-year start prorated to year-end; a payment more than 45 days late adds a 25% penalty, and a further 25% applies after three months (§ 14-6-1); no fee is refunded once the license issues (§ 14-4-12). This requirement applies only in unincorporated Weber County — following Ogden Valley City's January 2, 2026 incorporation, that area now covers only Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, Avon, Causey and Monte Cristo; a restaurant inside any incorporated city, including Ogden Valley City, instead needs that city's own license.

Beer License — Class B (Restaurant, On-Premise)

A restaurant serving beer on-premise in unincorporated Weber County needs a Class B beer license from the Weber County Commission, priced at $200.00 a year (Weber County Code § 16-3-1 and § 16-4-3). Class B is reserved for a premises with 'sufficient food and service to amount to a bona fide restaurant business,' per § 16-3-1's own class definition. Weber County Code Title 8's header note ties this county license to the state's On-Premises Beer Retailer License part (Utah Code § 32B-6-701 et seq.) and its local-authority-to-issue provision (§ 32B-6-704). It applies only in unincorporated Weber County — Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, Avon, Causey and Monte Cristo since Ogden Valley City's January 2, 2026 incorporation — every incorporated city issues its own beer license instead. The application is investigated by the Sheriff's Office and the Weber-Morgan Health Department.

Beer License — Class C (Draft, On or Off Premise)

A draft-beer license, usable on or off premise, in unincorporated Weber County is a Class C beer license from the Weber County Commission, priced at $500.00 a year — the highest of the standing annual classes — under Weber County Code § 16-3-1 and § 16-4-3. The Seasonal license, a separate Weber County requirement, carries the same Class C privileges for less than a full year at a lower, prorated price. This license applies only in unincorporated Weber County — Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, Avon, Causey and Monte Cristo since Ogden Valley City's January 2, 2026 incorporation — every incorporated city issues its own beer license instead. Weber County Code Title 8's header note ties the county's beer-licensing power to the state's On-Premises and Off-Premises Beer Retailer Acts (Utah Code § 32B-6-701 et seq. and § 32B-7-101 et seq.); the application is investigated by the Sheriff's Office and the Weber-Morgan Health Department.

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 Weber County

• WMHD Food Worker Permit — Weber-Morgan Health Department, $25 per worker ($15.00 state fee plus $10.00 WMHD training); a duplicate card is $5.00, not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
• WMHD Food Establishment Permit (Restaurant / Coffee Shop) — Weber-Morgan Health Department, $200–$735 a year, by risk category (2026 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2026): Risk 1 $200.00; Risk 2 $400.00; Risk 3 $575.00; Risk 4 $735.00, annual. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops 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.