How to get every restaurant permit in Chicago
Inside Chicago city limits, the City of Chicago handles almost everything: BACP issues the Retail Food Establishment, liquor, Public Place of Amusement, tobacco, shared-kitchen, mobile-food and sidewalk café approvals; CDPH inspects food safety and issues air-pollution (hood, boiler, smoker) permits; the Department of Buildings permits construction, signs and certificates of occupancy; the Department of Planning and Development runs zoning, the Zoning Board of Appeals and landmarks review. Cook County's health department does not license restaurants inside the city. The State of Illinois handles entity formation (Secretary of State), sales/withholding tax (Department of Revenue), unemployment insurance and new-hire reporting (IDES), workers' compensation (IWCC), food handler, allergen and BASSET training rules, and the state retailer's liquor license (ILCC), which is issued only after the city license. Suburbs such as Evanston, Oak Park or Cicero have their own rules, so confirm the address is in the City of Chicago first.
48 permits and licenses across 21 agencies, from business setup to opening day.
Answer a few questions about your space and get every permit in order, with a timeline, a cost range, walkthroughs, and every application filled in for you to sign with Open.
Start these early
- Confirm zoning (B1/B2 vs B3/C, special uses) before signing a lease. A special use hearing takes months.
- Check liquor restrictions (dry precinct, ward moratorium, 100-foot rule) before leasing if alcohol is part of the plan.
- Budget at least 6–9 weeks for the city liquor license: a 30-day document deadline, the 35-day objection period, then the state license.
- Building permits through Standard Plan Review need 10+ discipline reviews, so get your architect filing as early as possible.
- Basement restaurants with over 100 occupants need sprinklers; price it before committing to the space.
- Landmark buildings and districts add a design review to permits and signs.
- Signs or awnings over the sidewalk need a Public Way Use permit plus a City Council ordinance.
- Late Hour licenses face moratoriums and aldermanic scrutiny; don't count on 4 a.m. hours until approved.
- Get a City of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate holder in place before the health inspection.
Key facts
- Chicago's Retail Food Establishment license is a 2-year license priced by area: $660 (0–1,000 sq ft), $940 (1,001–2,500), $1,110 (2,501–4,500), $1,320 (4,501–10,000), $1,650 (over 10,000). It is issued only after a passed public health inspection, and at least one employee must hold a City of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate.
- A certified person in charge must be on site whenever TCS food is prepared, held or served, and the original CDPH certificate must be posted where the public can see it. ANSI-accredited CFPM holders can apply for reciprocity.
- City liquor process: the payment date is your application date, and you have 30 days to file all documents. Notices go to voters within 250 feet within 5 days, followed by a 35-day comment/objection period. A license can issue as early as 36 days after payment, with a decision within 60 days of complete documents.
- COP (restaurant) and Tavern liquor licenses each cost $4,400 + $40 publication for 2 years. COP has no moratorium for restaurants. Outdoor Patio is $1,760 + $40 and Late Hour is $6,000 + $40 (open until 4 a.m. Mon–Sat, 5 a.m. Sun).
- Generally no retail liquor license within 100 feet of a church, school (other than a college/university), hospital, home for the aged or indigent, or library (other than the main and regional libraries). Streets, alleys and public ways count in the measurement, and the code has some exceptions for locations near churches. Dry precincts prohibit liquor licenses entirely.
- Illinois issues the state retailer's liquor license ($750) only after the local license; processing is about 3–10 business days. ILCC applications moved from MyTax Illinois to the ILCC Portal (via ILogin) as of Feb. 11, 2026.
- In B1 and B2 zoning districts only a Limited Restaurant (no liquor, or liquor clearly incidental to food) is allowed. A General Restaurant needs B3/C1–C3, a Tavern is a special use in B3, and rooftop patios are special uses in B3/C districts.
- Only an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer, or a City-licensed permit expediter, can start an E-Plan building permit application. At application you pay a $300 building permit deposit plus a zoning review fee (based on square footage for new work, flat for renovation); the balance of the permit fee is due before the permit issues.
- A PPA license isn't needed for music, dancing or other amusement in a venue under 100 persons with no admission fee. Occupancy counts all rooms of the business.
- Restaurants and bars where more than 100 people gather must post a DOB Maximum Capacity Sign at the main entrance.
- Every existing and new basement restaurant or nightclub with an occupancy over 100 persons must have an approved automatic sprinkler system.
- Grease-laden fixtures in commercial kitchens (pot and prerinse sinks, floor drains, wok stations, kettles, hood wash units, dishwashers without prerinse) must drain to a grease interceptor or automatic grease removal device.
All Chicago restaurant permits
Questions owners ask
Is my address under the City of Chicago or Cook County?
If the property is inside Chicago city limits, the City (BACP, CDPH, DOB) licenses and inspects your restaurant. Suburban Cook County towns have their own rules. Confirm the municipality on your tax bill or with BACP (312-744-6249) before leasing.
Can I open in a B1 or B2 zoning district if I want to serve cocktails?
Only as a 'Limited Restaurant', where liquor is clearly incidental to food. A General Restaurant (liquor with meals plus enclosed entertainment) needs B3 or a C district, and a tavern is a special use in B3. Check the Zoning Map and use table before you sign.
Which comes first, the city or state liquor license?
The city. The ILCC requires a copy of your current Chicago liquor license, your IDOR sales tax account ID and liquor liability insurance, then issues the $750 state license in about 3–10 business days.
How long does a Chicago liquor license take?
At minimum about 36 days from paying the application fee, because of the 35-day public comment period. BACP decides within 60 days of receiving all documents. Objections, inspections and missing paperwork are what stretch it.
Do I need a PPA license for a DJ or live band?
Only if your venue (all rooms combined) holds 100 or more people or you charge admission. Private events at a restaurant and instrumental music of up to 8 pieces with no dancing and no fee are exempt.
What will the health inspector look for?
A posted Food Service Sanitation Certificate with the certified manager present, a 3-compartment sink with drainboards and backflow device, a separate handwashing sink, a utility sink, working refrigeration with thermometers, a working hood, proper restrooms, and pest control and garbage contracts. BACP runs free monthly inspection workshops.
Who can file my building permit?
Standard Plan Review permits in E-Plan must be started by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer or a City-licensed permit expediter. You can check each one in DOB's Building Permit Professionals lookup.
Does Chicago license permit expediters?
Yes. Expediters who help clients get city permits or licenses for pay must be licensed (Municipal Code 4-6-260). You can look up licensed expediters through the City's Third Party/Expediter Databases page.
Can I put tables on the sidewalk on day one?
Usually not. The Sidewalk Café permit requires an issued Retail Food (or Tavern) license, insurance, a site plan with a 6-foot pedestrian path and the ward alderman's recommendation, and it is approved by City Council ordinance. Apply as soon as your food license issues and talk to your alderman's office early.
Who handles grease and backflow?
The Chicago plumbing code requires grease interceptors on grease-laden fixtures, and backflow devices must be tested yearly by a licensed CCCDI who reports to the Department of Water Management. MWRD regulates the regional sewer system; ask your engineer whether any MWRD rule applies to your project.
Is there a cheaper licence if I only serve beer and wine?
No. Chicago's Consumption on Premises–Incidental Activity licence ($4,400 + $40, 2 years) and the Illinois retailer's licence ($750) each cover beer, wine and spirits — there is no beer-and-wine class, so the fee, public-notice period and timeline are the same whatever you pour.
Do I need a separate licence for a soft-serve or ice-cream machine?
No. Illinois exempts frozen-dessert retail establishments from the dairy-plant rules and regulates them under the food-service sanitation code, so the machine is covered by your Retail Food Establishment licence and CDPH inspection. Keep the mix refrigerated and the machine on a cleaning schedule — inspectors check it as TCS food.
Can I offer valet parking?
Yes, through a BACP-licensed Valet Parking Operator. If you contract a licensed valet company you need nothing extra; if you employ your own attendants, your business needs the $600-per-location licence plus $1M insurance, a loading zone and off-street parking for 15% of your occupancy.
Can I run a happy hour?
Yes, within Illinois limits: discounted drinks for up to 4 hours a day and 15 hours a week, no 2-for-1s, no all-you-can-drink deals, no drinking games, and no advertising of any of those. Price the whole menu honestly and keep the special's hours posted.