Who needs a food facility permit and plan review in Mississippi?

Issued by Mississippi State Department of Health, Food Protection division, at step 4 of 6 in the opening sequence: get the permits for your kind of business.

9 of the 20 kinds of business in Mississippi

Mississippi permits food at the state level, not through the county. Submit the application with the floor plan, the menu and a copy of the food manager’s certificate before building out or converting a space; the review takes up to 30 days and the facility may not open until the plans are approved and the opening inspection is passed. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bakeries and ice cream shops are all food facilities. Food Protection: 601-364-2832.

Checked Oct 21, 2026 against the agency’s page.

Step 4 of 6: Get the permits for your kind of business

  1. Set up the business
  2. Register for tax
  3. Approve the space
  4. Get the permits for your kind of business
  5. Alcohol permits
  6. Before the first hire

Issued by Mississippi State Department of Health, Food Protection division.

Sources and dates

State Department of Health food permits and fees page; Mississippi Code 41-3-18. Checked against the agency’s page on the date shown; cities add their own fees.

Questions about opening here.