Food Facility Operating Permit & Inspection — Santa Clara County
Every San Jose restaurant must hold a Santa Clara County food facility operating permit, issued after plan approval and inspection.
What it is. The operating permit (permit to operate) authorizing a fixed food facility to open.
Who issues it. Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health (DEH) (County layer).
When you need it. Before opening and to keep operating; a change of ownership requires a new application.
How to apply. Complete the new food facility application after plan approval; pass inspection and pay fees.
Fees. Per DEH 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
- County of Santa Clara DEH, Restaurant/fixed food facility operating permit — https://deh.santaclaracounty.gov/food-and-retail/compliance-retail-food-operations/restaurant-grocery-store-or-other-fixed-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.