SERVICE
Get a health permit to open a restaurant, bar, or other retail food location
You must have a permit with the health department to open and run your retail food facility in San Francisco.
What to know
Get this 6 to 8 weeks before you open a:
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Food market
- Bakery
- Liquor store
- School cafeteria
- Vending machine
- Catering facility
New owners have to get a new permit
- If a new owner takes over the business, they have to apply for a new health permit.
- You can not keep or transfer your existing permit.
- The new owner must get a new permit at least 30 days before opening.
What to do
1. Have your business information ready
Getting your health permit is only one step in the process to open a restaurant in San Francisco.
Before you apply for your health permit, you should already have:
- A location
- Registered your business
- Prepared for necessary inspections
- Applied for other City permits and services
To view these steps, go to the City's guide to opening a restaurant.
2. Get your food safety certifications
Your team can get certified online after taking a course and test. You need the following:
- At least 1 person has to be certified as a food safety manager.
- Almost all others who work with food should get a food handler card.
3. Fill out the online health permit application
Have ready your:
- Business account number, or BAN
- Location ID number, or LIN
- Federal taxpayer ID
(Find your BAN or LIN numbers.)
You might need to show other documents, too, like a menu or floor plan. It depends on the type of business you have. You can save and return to this application at any time.
Supporting information
Special cases
Cottage food permits
Mobile food facility permits
Go to our steps for opening up a food truck or other mobile food facility:
Food "pop-up" vendor permits
If your business has closed
You need to close out your health permit.
Fill out and return our business closure form to:
Environmental Health Branch
49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 600
San Francisco, California 94103
Get help
Partner agencies
What to know
Get this 6 to 8 weeks before you open a:
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Food market
- Bakery
- Liquor store
- School cafeteria
- Vending machine
- Catering facility
New owners have to get a new permit
- If a new owner takes over the business, they have to apply for a new health permit.
- You can not keep or transfer your existing permit.
- The new owner must get a new permit at least 30 days before opening.
What to do
1. Have your business information ready
Getting your health permit is only one step in the process to open a restaurant in San Francisco.
Before you apply for your health permit, you should already have:
- A location
- Registered your business
- Prepared for necessary inspections
- Applied for other City permits and services
To view these steps, go to the City's guide to opening a restaurant.
2. Get your food safety certifications
Your team can get certified online after taking a course and test. You need the following:
- At least 1 person has to be certified as a food safety manager.
- Almost all others who work with food should get a food handler card.
3. Fill out the online health permit application
Have ready your:
- Business account number, or BAN
- Location ID number, or LIN
- Federal taxpayer ID
(Find your BAN or LIN numbers.)
You might need to show other documents, too, like a menu or floor plan. It depends on the type of business you have. You can save and return to this application at any time.
Supporting information
Special cases
Cottage food permits
Mobile food facility permits
Go to our steps for opening up a food truck or other mobile food facility:
Food "pop-up" vendor permits
If your business has closed
You need to close out your health permit.
Fill out and return our business closure form to:
Environmental Health Branch
49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 600
San Francisco, California 94103