Food Facility Permit & Pre-Opening Inspection — San Diego County
Every San Diego restaurant must hold a San Diego County health permit issued after a passing inspection.
What it is. The health permit (permit to operate) authorizing a food facility to open, issued after a passing inspection.
Who issues it. San Diego County DEHQ — Food & Housing Division (County layer).
When you need it. Before opening and to keep operating; a change of ownership requires a new/updated permit.
How to apply. After plan check (if applicable) and city building approvals, pass the DEHQ final inspection and pay the permit fee.
Fees. Per DEHQ fee schedule — see source (⟢ VERIFY).
Renewal. Annual — see the separate renewal article.
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
- San Diego County DEHQ, Food Program — https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/deh/fhd/food/food.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.