Business License — City of Chicago (BACP)
Chicago restaurants are licensed through BACP; the operating license is issued by Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
What it is. The City operating license(s) for a restaurant, issued by BACP. For a food establishment the core license is the Retail Food Establishment License (see separate article); additional BACP licenses may apply (e.g., outdoor patio, incidental activity).
Who issues it. City of Chicago — Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) (City layer).
When you need it. Before operating; applies to any operating business.
How to apply. Apply through the BACP license portal; a BACP business consultant can guide the process.
Fees. Per the BACP license schedule — see source (⟢ VERIFY).
Renewal. Per license term (⟢ VERIFY).
What SpoonSeal tracks. The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
References
- City of Chicago BACP, Business Licenses — https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bacp.html — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.