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Utah opening guide

Open a food business under the Salt Lake County Health Department

Permit steps, plan review and contact details for Salt Lake County, read from the department's own pages.

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Food permit steps

The permit steps,
in order.

  • Plan Review to confirm physical facilities meet current regulations; construction/remodel may begin only after plans are approved.
  • Health department inspections during construction.
  • Submit official city letters proving sewer and culinary water connections (newly constructed facilities only).
  • Check with the local sewer district about grease trap requirements.
  • Apply for a business license in the city where the business will be located.
  • Submit the completed Food Service Permit application and permit application fee.
  • Register the Certified Food Safety Manager ('ServSafe' or equivalent) with the health department.
  • Preopening inspection by the health department and other required authorities (possibly fire marshal and municipal building inspector).

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Print it and tick each step as you finish it, so nothing is missed on inspection day.

Plan review

Send your plans
before you build.

Plans go in before you build, convert, remodel or change the type of a food place. The department asks for at least 10 working days to approve plans, and you may not start work before you have approval. Send one set of plans. The department works out the fee from your application when you submit it.

Forms and guides from the department

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The checklist shows what an inspector can check, so your plans match it.

Fees

What the department
has published.

Salt Lake County does not publish dollar amounts on its permit pages. The Food Protection Bureau works out the fee from your application when you submit it.

Fees change, and this list may not cover every case. For any fee not listed here, ask the department for the current fee, and read its food permit page.

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See the daily checks that fill your binder while you wait on your permit.

Trucks and home kitchens

Not a restaurant?
Ask first.

Food trucks and carts

  • Contact the city business licensing division where you want to operate to see if your business type is allowed.
  • Register for the Mobile Food Service Class by calling 385-468-3845 (usually a Thursday 10:00 am, not every Thursday; the Plan Review Application is handed out at the class).
  • Complete a Commissary Agreement with an approved local commissary (a residential kitchen is not allowed).
  • Complete a Restroom Agreement with a local business.
  • Complete plan review, then apply for the permit.

Read on September 29, 2026 at saltlakecounty.gov/health/food-protection/permits/mobile.

Home kitchens

The department's food permit page says to contact it at 385-468-3845 for more information about micro-enterprise home kitchen permits. We did not read a fee or steps page. Utah Code 26B-7-416 says a local health department "may grant" one.

Read the guides

Each guide shows the rule behind a check, so you know why it is asked.

Food handler permits

Every worker needs one
within 30 days.

No in-person classes in Salt Lake County; use one of the online state-approved providers listed by the department. Cards come from a course approved by Utah DHHS.

Replacement card: 15 dollars.

Utah Code 26B-7-413: finish approved training within 14 days of starting, and get the food handler permit within 30 days.

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CleanCleaver keeps each worker's 14 and 30 day dates on one board, so nobody's permit slips.

City business licenses

The city license
is a separate step.

Salt Lake City

Apply online only, through the city Business Licensing portal. The city asks for licensing fees, required inspections, your Utah business registration, your state sales tax number and a federal tax ID where they apply. The licensing office is at 451 South State Street. For a food business, the Salt Lake County plan review comes first. City business license page (read September 29, 2026).

West Valley City

Use the city's Business Licensing page, online or in person at City Hall. The health department step is with Salt Lake County. City business license page (read September 29, 2026).

West Jordan

When a business needs Salt Lake County Health Department approval (the Bureau of Food Protection), the city sends the department a copy of your application. You still have to contact the department and meet its requirements. City business license page (read September 29, 2026).

Sandy

The city's Business Licensing page covers commercial locations, home occupations and mobile food vendors. It also has a Pre-Application Information page and a forms page. City business license page (read September 29, 2026).

Get the free checklist

The checklist puts the city license and the health permit in one order.

Contact

Who to call,
and who they cover.

The Salt Lake County Health Department covers Salt Lake County.

Your county health department has the final word.

Get the free checklist

Bring the checklist to your first call, so you ask the right questions.

Local suppliers (for information only)

Local suppliers
for information only.

Listed for information. Not a recommendation, and not a partnership.

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Sources and access date

Where each fact
came from.

Every fact on this page was read from the pages below. Rules and fees change, so check the department's page before you act.

The final word

Your county health department
has the final word.

This page is information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, and the Salt Lake County Health Department decides what applies to your place. Call before you build or buy.

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Questions

Before you
start.

Do I need plan review before I build in Salt Lake County?

Plans go in before you build, convert, remodel or change the type of a food place. The department asks for at least 10 working days to approve plans, and you may not start work before you have approval. Send one set of plans. The department works out the fee from your application when you submit it.

Which counties does the Salt Lake County Health Department cover?

The Salt Lake County Health Department covers Salt Lake County. Phone: 385-468-3845. Its food permit page is https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/health/food-protection/permits/permanent/.

How do I get a food handler permit in Salt Lake County?

No in-person classes in Salt Lake County; use one of the online state-approved providers listed by the department. Cards come from a course approved by Utah DHHS. Utah Code 26B-7-413 says to finish approved training within 14 days of starting and to get the food handler permit within 30 days.

What does a food permit cost in Salt Lake County?

We could not confirm a published food permit fee for this department. Ask the department for the current fee: 385-468-3845.

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