How to get every restaurant permit in Philadelphia
The City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia County are one consolidated government, so every address in the city uses the same city agencies with no separate county layer: L&I issues zoning, building, trade and fire-protection permits plus the business licenses (all through eCLIPSE); the Department of Public Health's Office of Food Protection does food plan review and inspections; the Water Department, Streets Department, Department of Sanitation, Historical Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment cover their pieces. Pennsylvania handles entity formation (Department of State), state sales and employer taxes (Department of Revenue, myPATH), workers' comp rules (Department of Labor & Industry) and all liquor licensing (PLCB). If your address is outside city limits (e.g. Cheltenham, Upper Darby, Bensalem), none of the Philadelphia-specific rules here apply.
47 permits and licenses across 22 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
- Liquor license: Philadelphia is at quota, so finding and transferring an R license takes months — start before you sign the lease.
- PDPH plan review: up to 30 + 30 business days. Submit as soon as zoning is approved, and don't start interior work or install equipment before you submit (that adds a $250 fee).
- ZBA appeals: if your zoning/use permit is refused you have 30 days to appeal, then an RCO meeting and hearing — often several months.
- Food Safety Certificates: City certificates can take up to 30 business days; certify managers early (a copy is required for plan review).
- Special Assembly Occupancy License: post the notice (kept up 30+ days) and allow up to 45 days of review if you'll have music/DJs and 50+ occupants.
- Sidewalk café: Streets plan review plus a 10-day posting — non-compliant plans face a 90-day review, so file well before the season.
- PGW gas service: a new gas line needs PGW involvement at least 12 weeks ahead — call when the mechanical drawings are done.
- Food truck: PDPH mobile plan review (30 business days) plus L&I mobile and vending licenses; special vending districts are waitlisted or by lottery.
Key facts
- Philadelphia's Food Preparing and Serving License costs $415 for establishments with 30+ seats or $299 for smaller ones (a $20 non-refundable application fee is applied to it), is reviewed within five business days in eCLIPSE, and requires a PDPH License Eligibility Report dated no more than 30 days before you apply.
- PDPH plan review fees run $375 (≤1,000 sq ft), $875 (1,001–5,000), $1,500 (5,001–10,000) and $2,125 (10,000–14,000), plus $15 per additional 100 sq ft above 14,000; the pre-operating inspection is $190, expediting is +$380, and starting interior work or installing food equipment before submitting plans adds a $250 fee.
- PDPH's initial plan review takes 30 business days, with a decision up to 30 business days after fees are paid; pre-operating inspections are usually scheduled within 10 business days.
- Every Philadelphia food business must have at least one City-certified food safety person on site at all times; the City certificate costs $30 and can take up to 30 business days to arrive.
- The Commercial Activity License is free, issued automatically, and never needs renewal, but you need a Philadelphia Tax ID (BIRT account) first.
- A use-change zoning permit costs $189 per use (plus a $100 filing fee credited toward it) and expires after six months if the use doesn't start; a refusal must be appealed to the ZBA within 30 days, with no extensions.
- The ZBA filing fee for non-residential properties is $811 (effective August 1, 2026); an accelerated hearing costs $995 per property.
- For ZBA cases the applicant must contact RCOs within 20 days and mail notice to properties within 250 feet; the RCO meeting must happen within 45 days of filing, with the summary due 5 days before the hearing.
- A Special Assembly Occupancy License ($253, renewed every two years) is required for restaurants and bars with dancing, live or recorded music or DJs and a lawful occupancy of 50 or more; notice must be posted 30 days, and review can take up to 45 days.
- Philadelphia eliminated the Amusement License (Bill No. 250572), but the 5% Amusement Tax on admission charges still applies.
- Sidewalk Café License: $227 a year, Streets Department plan pre-approval, a 10-day public posting before applying, and $1,000,000 per-occurrence liability insurance naming the City as additional insured.
- A PLCB Restaurant (R) license requires at least 400 sq ft of service area, 30 seats and food for 30 patrons; Philadelphia County has met its quota, so R licenses must come by transfer or auction.
All Philadelphia restaurant permits
Questions owners ask
Can I open before the Health Department inspects me?
No. You need a passed PDPH pre-operating inspection (which produces the License Eligibility Report) and then the L&I Food Preparing and Serving License before you serve the public.
The space used to be a restaurant — do I still need a zoning permit?
Maybe not. L&I accepts a food license issued for the same space and the same type of business within the last 3 years as proof of occupancy. Otherwise you need a zoning approval for restaurant use; if that approval is more than 3 years old, add an Affidavit of Continuous Use. If the space was never zoned for a restaurant, file a zoning/use permit.
How long does Philadelphia permitting take for a typical restaurant?
Plan on 4–9 months: PDPH plan review alone can take up to 60 business days, L&I building review is 20 business days (5 accelerated), and a ZBA appeal or liquor-license transfer can add months.
Can I get a brand-new liquor license in Philadelphia?
Not normally. Philadelphia County is at its Restaurant (R) license quota, so you buy an existing license and transfer it, or win one when the PLCB auctions expired licenses for Philadelphia.
I'm only serving beer — what license do I need?
Beer only: an Eating Place (E) license covers malt/brewed beverages and needs 300 sq ft with a working kitchen. E licenses are also under the quota, so in Philadelphia you buy and transfer an existing one (PLCB auctions are for R licenses only). If you'll serve any wine or spirits — even beer and wine only — you need a Restaurant (R) license.
Do I need a special license for live music?
If you have music, DJs or dancing and lawful occupancy of 50 or more, you need a Special Assembly Occupancy License from L&I. If you hold a liquor license you also need a PLCB Amusement Permit. Philadelphia's separate Amusement License has been eliminated, but a cover charge owes the 5% Amusement Tax.
Who can file permits for me?
Owners can file most L&I applications. Agents can be design professionals, attorneys, contractors or L&I-licensed expediters. Construction drawings must be sealed by a PA-registered design professional, and trade work must be done by Philadelphia-licensed contractors.
Does the City pick up restaurant trash?
Usually not. Small commercial properties can get City collection for a $500/year Commercial Trash Fee if they set out no more than six 32-gallon cans or twelve bags of trash. Most restaurants exceed that, so they contract a private hauler. Either way you file a Commercial Waste & Recycling Plan with the Department of Sanitation, and any dumpster needs an L&I license.
What certification do my managers need?
A City of Philadelphia Food Safety Personnel Certificate ($30, valid five years) issued after passing an approved course. One certified person must be on site at all times.
What taxes will I owe the City?
BIRT (annual), City Wage Tax withholding for employees, the 10% Liquor Tax if you sell alcohol, and the 5% Amusement Tax if you charge admission — all through the Philadelphia Tax Center.
I cater from my restaurant — do I need a separate Philadelphia caterer license?
No. L&I says you do not need a separate Food Caterer License ($275) for catering that is part of a restaurant or banquet hall; your Food Preparing and Serving License covers it. If you serve alcohol at off-site events you need the PLCB Off-Premises Catering Permit ($500/yr) and must file each event 14 days ahead.
Is there a late-night or after-hours permit in Philadelphia?
Not from the City. Hours come from the Pennsylvania Liquor Code: alcohol 7 a.m.–2 a.m. (Sunday from 9 a.m. with a Sunday Sales Permit). A liquor-licensed restaurant that wants to keep serving food after 2 a.m. buys the PLCB Extended Hours Food Permit ($50). A restaurant with no liquor license has no state or city hours limit beyond its zoning and the SAOL rules if it has entertainment.
Can I offer valet parking?
Yes, with two PPA approvals: a valet parking zone permit for the curb space (PPA Loading Zone program, application on philapark.org/permits) and the Valet Parking Permit under Philadelphia Code § 9-601. The operator must carry liability, theft and workers' comp insurance at levels set by the Office of Risk Management, give pre-numbered receipts, accept cards, and park cars only in a licensed off-street lot.
Do I need a frozen dessert license for soft-serve or house-made ice cream?
No. Pennsylvania repealed the Frozen Dessert Law (SB 152, 2023). List the soft-serve or batch freezer and its cleaning/sanitizing procedure on your PDPH plan review; the Health Department inspects it under the normal food regulations.
I'm opening a bakery or café — is there a different license?
No separate class. A retail bakery or café that sells to the public uses the same PDPH plan review and L&I Food Preparing and Serving License ($299 under 30 seats, $415 at 30+). Only if you sell packaged goods wholesale to other businesses do you add the Food Manufacturer License. Whether you need a Type I hood depends on the equipment — PDPH and L&I decide that in plan review, not by concept.
Is there a 'quick service' or fast-food license category?
No. Philadelphia licenses food businesses by what they do (prepare/serve, cater, manufacture, mobile) and seats (30+ = large), not by service style. The one quick-service-specific rule is Fair Workweek, which applies only to chains with 250+ employees and 30+ locations.