Retail Food Establishment License — Denver
Denver restaurants need a Retail Food Establishment License issued by Excise & Licenses after DDPHE plan review and inspection.
What it is. The city license to serve food to the public (informally the "restaurant license").
Who issues it. City and County of Denver — Department of Excise and Licenses issues the license; the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) performs plan review and inspections (City layer). Excise & Licenses issues once DDPHE signs off.
When you need it. Before opening. Plan for ~120 days from complete application to issuance.
How to apply. Apply through Excise & Licenses; complete DDPHE plan review and inspection.
Fees. $150 new application fee plus an annual license fee based on food-process categories (+$25 per category) — see source (⟢ 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 and County of Denver, Retail Food — https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Business-Licensing/Business-licenses/Retail-Food — 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.