Who needs a retail food facility license in Pennsylvania?

Issued by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety (in Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, the county health department), 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 Pennsylvania

Send the plan review application and plans at least 60 days before preparing or selling food; the Department answers within 15 business days, and the license fee is collected after a passing inspection. Restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and ice cream shops are all retail food facilities. In the seven county health department counties, apply to the county instead.

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 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety (in Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, the county health department).

Sources and dates

Department of Agriculture retail food facilities and restaurants page (plan review and license fees). Checked against the agency’s page on the date shown; cities add their own fees.

Questions about opening here.