14 permits · verified 2026-10-26
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Benton County Wa?
In short
A restaurant in Benton County Wa, WA has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Benton County Community Development, Planning Division charges $800 non-refundable application fee (Planning Division fee page); an environmental checklist or addendum may also be required for the conditional use permit (bcc 11.50). 5 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-26 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Benton County Wa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary and Seasonal Temporary Food Establishment Permitonly if it applies to you | Benton-Franklin Health District | $30–$400 per permit by hazard level low/moderate/high (BFHD sheet effective 01/01/24): temporary permit $60/$90/$120; qualified operator at a temporary event $30/$45/$60; seasonal temporary $200/$300/$400; seasonal temporary (caterer) $100/$150/$200; additional event days $15; application less than 14 business days before the event +$50; late changes $30 | per event; a temporary permit runs for the period stated in the application, not more than 21 calendar days (BCC 6.40.050) | 2026-10-26 |
| Food Establishment Permit (food service, by seats and risk level) | Benton-Franklin Health District | $200–$700 a year by seats and risk level 1/2/3: 0-20 seats $200/$300/$400; 21-50 $300/$400/$500; 51-100 $400/$500/$600; 101+ $500/$600/$700 (BFHD sheet effective 01/01/24); plan review for a new establishment $500/$600/$700/$800 by the same seat bands | annual; expires December 31 (BCC 6.40.050) | 2026-10-26 |
| Food Worker Card | Benton-Franklin Health District | $10 per card, set by state rule (WAC 246-217-025(2)); a duplicate card is $5 on the BFHD sheet | per card | 2026-10-26 |
| Liquor License — County Notice and Objection (locations outside city limits)only if it applies to you | Benton County Board of Commissioners | No fee | not applicable — the state license carries its own term | 2026-10-26 |
| Food Establishment Permit | Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program | $240–$1,386 a year, set by the local health jurisdiction — there is no state fee | annual, on a cycle the local jurisdiction sets | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Worker Card | Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program | $10 per card | 2 years first time, 3 on renewal, 5 with extra food safety training | 2026-09-03 |
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 Benton County Wa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditional Use Permit (BCC 11.50)only if it applies to you | Benton County Community Development, Planning Division | $800 non-refundable application fee (Planning Division fee page); an environmental checklist or addendum may also be required | one-time land-use approval; transferable to a new holder after written notice to the Hearings Examiner if the use and location stay the same (BCC 11.50.040) | 2026-10-26 |
| Commercial On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Permitonly if it applies to you | Benton-Franklin Health District | Varies — formula on the Benton County Wa page | per permit | 2026-10-26 |
| Commercial Building Permit and Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Benton County Community Development, Building Division | Varies — formula on the Benton County Wa page | expires 2 years from issuance; one extension of 1 year, requested in writing before expiry, at 25% of the original fee (BCC 3.04.039) | 2026-10-26 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
WA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Reseller Permitonly if it applies to you | Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service | No fee | 4 years, or 2 in defined circumstances | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $70 a year | annual — due the last day of the month the entity was formed or registered | 2026-09-03 |
| Washington State Business License | Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service | $50 to open, plus each endorsement's own fee; $5 a year to renew | annual — one expiration date governs every endorsement on the license | 2026-09-03 |
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 Benton County Wa?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 14 records listed for a restaurant in Benton County Wa, WA, 5 apply to every business of this type and 9 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, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $70.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 14 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Temporary and Seasonal Temporary Food Establishment Permit: $30–$400 per permit by hazard level low/moderate/high (BFHD sheet effective 01/01/24): temporary permit $60/$90/$120; qualified operator at a temporary event $30/$45/$60; seasonal temporary $200/$300/$400; seasonal temporary (caterer) $100/$150/$200; additional event days $15; application less than 14 business days before the event +$50; late changes $30
Food Establishment Permit (food service, by seats and risk level): $200–$700 a year by seats and risk level 1/2/3: 0-20 seats $200/$300/$400; 21-50 $300/$400/$500; 51-100 $400/$500/$600; 101+ $500/$600/$700 (BFHD sheet effective 01/01/24); plan review for a new establishment $500/$600/$700/$800 by the same seat bands
Food Establishment Permit: $240–$1,386 a year, set by the local health jurisdiction — there is no state fee
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Benton County Wa permits page and the WA state page.
Is Benton County Wa expensive for a restaurant?
Comparing like with like — only the permits charged as a single flat fee, since a valuation formula has no figure to rank — Benton County Wa sits where the table below puts it against every other WA jurisdiction covered here that publishes the same permit.
Food Worker Card: Benton County Wa charges $10. Across 5 jurisdictions it runs from $10 in Seattle to $10 here, with a median of $10. 4 charge exactly the same.
Read the spread rather than the rank. Food Worker Card varies by $0 between the cheapest and dearest jurisdiction here, which is the sort of gap worth knowing before you sign a lease on one side of a city line rather than the other.
Which offices issue these permits in Benton County Wa?
Permits for a restaurant in Benton County Wa, WA come from 7 separate offices: Benton-Franklin Health District, Benton County Community Development, Planning Division, Benton County Community Development, Building Division, Benton County Board of Commissioners, Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division, Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service, Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Benton-Franklin Health DistrictIssues 4 permits on this page: Temporary and Seasonal Temporary Food Establishment Permit, Food Establishment Permit (food service, by seats and risk level), Food Worker Card, Commercial On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Permit7102 W. Okanogan Place, Kennewick, WA 99336 · 509-460-4200 (Food Safety 509-460-4205)www.bfhd.wa.gov/programs_services/food_safety/applications
- Benton County Community Development, Planning DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Conditional Use Permit (BCC 11.50)www.bentoncountywa.gov/departments/community_development/planning_division/applications_and_fees.php
- Benton County Community Development, Building DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Commercial Building Permit and Plan Review102206 E. Wiser Parkway, Kennewick, WA 99338 · 509-735-3500www.bentoncountywa.gov/departments/community_development/building_division/fee_schedule.php
- Benton County Board of CommissionersIssues 1 permit on this page: Liquor License — County Notice and Objection (locations outside city limits)www.bentoncountywa.gov
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation (LLC), Annual ReportPO Box 40234, Olympia, WA 98504-0234 · (360) 725-0377www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/business-entities
- Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing ServiceIssues 2 permits on this page: Reseller Permit, Washington State Business LicensePO Box 9034, Olympia, WA 98507-9034 · (360) 705-6705dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license
- Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment Permit, Food Worker Card(360) 236-4700doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/food
What does a restaurant need in Benton County Wa that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in Benton County Wa
- Temporary and Seasonal Temporary Food Establishment Permit — Benton-Franklin Health District, $30–$400 per permit by hazard level low/moderate/high (BFHD sheet effective 01/01/24): temporary permit $60/$90/$120; qualified operator at a temporary event $30/$45/$60; seasonal temporary $200/$300/$400; seasonal temporary (caterer) $100/$150/$200; additional event days $15; application less than 14 business days before the event +$50; late changes $30, per event; a temporary permit runs for the period stated in the application, not more than 21 calendar days (BCC 6.40.050). Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
- Food Establishment Permit (food service, by seats and risk level) — Benton-Franklin Health District, $200–$700 a year by seats and risk level 1/2/3: 0-20 seats $200/$300/$400; 21-50 $300/$400/$500; 51-100 $400/$500/$600; 101+ $500/$600/$700 (BFHD sheet effective 01/01/24); plan review for a new establishment $500/$600/$700/$800 by the same seat bands, annual; expires December 31 (BCC 6.40.050). Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Worker Card — Benton-Franklin Health District, $10 per card, set by state rule (WAC 246-217-025(2)); a duplicate card is $5 on the BFHD sheet, per card. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Liquor License — County Notice and Objection (locations outside city limits) — Benton County Board of Commissioners, No fee, not applicable — the state license carries its own term. Also required for coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Food Establishment Permit — Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program, $240–$1,386 a year, set by the local health jurisdiction — there is no state fee, annual, on a cycle the local jurisdiction sets. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Worker Card — Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program, $10 per card, 2 years first time, 3 on renewal, 5 with extra food safety training. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Benton County Wa, WA; what each one involves is set out on the Benton County Wa permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across WA and are covered on the WA state page.
How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Benton County Wa?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 6 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Mobile Food Unit Permit (per unit) and Retail Food (Grocery Store) Permit, which a restaurant does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the food trucks page, coffee shops page and retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Benton County Wa permits page and the WA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.