Get a health permit to open a restaurant, bar, or other retail food location

Getting your health permit is only one step in the process to open a restaurant in San Francisco. 

Before you apply for your health permit, you should already have:

• A location
• Registered your business
• Prepared for necessary inspections
• Applied for other City permits and services

To view these steps, go to the City's guide to opening a restaurant.

Your team can get certified online after taking a course and test. You need the following:

• At least 1 person has to be certified as a food safety manager.
• Almost all others who work with food should get a food handler card. 

Have ready your:

• Business account number, or BAN 
• Location ID number, or LIN 
• Federal taxpayer ID 

(Find your BAN or LIN numbers.)

You might need to show other documents, too, like a menu or floor plan. It depends on the type of business you have. You can save and return to this application at any time.