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  • Change in Concept or Menu
  • Extensive Remodel of an Existing Kitchen
  • New Construction

Steps Toward Obtaining an Annual Health Permit

The following steps apply to food or drink establishments or mobile units. Keep in mind that our plan review and inspection process is separate from city/village inspections, permits, codes and liquor licenses. Contact the applicable city/village government for their requirements.
Step 1 – Plan Review Packet
Step 2 – Submittal of Plans
Step 3 – While Waiting for Plans to be Reviewed
Step 4 – Plan Review
Step 5 – Pre-operational Inspections
Step 6 – Health Permit

Step 1 – Plan Review Packet

  1.  Download or view the following documents, or call our office to request a packet. If the physical location of your facility or commissary is/will be within Champaign or Urbana city limits, download or view the C-U1 documents. For other areas of Champaign County2, use the County documents.

Forms:

Plan Review Application (C-U or County)
Commissary Agreement (mobile units only)
Toilet Facilities Agreement (mobile units only)

Additional Documents for Review:

Plan Review Construction Guide (C-U or County / Spanish / Chinese) – note: 27 pages / read carefully
Fee Schedule (C-U or County)
General Information (C-U or County)
Food Code
Mobile Food Service Requirements (English / Spanish / Chinese)
Mobile Unit FAQs
Water Heater Worksheet - Instantaneous Heater (Excel file)
Water Heater Worksheet - Storage Heater (Excel file)

  1. Complete the plan review application and gather all related documents (paper copies, please). For a list of documents to be submitted, please see the plan review application.

Note: If the facility will use a private septic system or private water well, the septic system or well must be approved before a health permit will be issued.

Step 2 – Submittal of Plans

  1. Submit your complete plan review packet to our office. Please be sure that you submit all requested documents. Incomplete packets will not be processed and will be returned due to missing information.
  2. Upon receipt, your packet will be date-stamped and placed on our plan review waiting list. Plan review packets are reviewed in the order they are received. There are no exceptions. Note that the waiting time for your plans to be reviewed is approximately 30 business days. Please plan accordingly.

Step 3 – While Waiting for Plans to be Reviewed

  1. As noted above, contact the city or village where your facility is/will be located and/or operated. They may have building/code inspections, permits or other requirements that must be met. Here are links to the building safety departments at the city of Champaign and the city of Urbana.
  2. Get certified. Before your health permit will be issued, you must provide proof of at least one person on staff who has obtained a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certificate. This applies to Category 13and Category 24 facilities. All CFPM staff in Category 1 restaurants5 will also need to complete Allergen Awareness training. See our food worker training page for information about certification classes and allergen training.
  3. All other staff members that are considered food handlers4 must obtain Food Handler Certificates (FHC). Learn about food handler training.
  4. Complete a Standard Operating Procedures Worksheet (CU or County / Spanish / Chinese). Please submit the completed worksheet within 30 days after you submit your plan review packet. Failure to submit the worksheet within the specified timeframe will result in a delay of the review of your plans.
  5. You will need an Illinois Business Tax (IBT) number. Contact the Illinois Department of Revenue to obtain an IBT number. If your organization is not-for-profit, you may need to apply for tax exempt status. Health permit fees are waived for organizations that can provide proof of Illinois sales tax exemption.
  6. If you will be located and/or operating in Champaign or Urbana, contact their finance departments regarding food and beverage taxes.
  7. You may need to register your business with Champaign County.

Step 4 – Review of Plans

  1. Once your project reaches the top of the waiting list, your plans will be reviewed. After your plans have been reviewed, you will receive one of two letters:

Plans Approved:

If your plans were approved as submitted, with no changes needed, you will be sent a Letter of Design Approval indicating that you may proceed with construction or remodeling of your facility.

Plans Not Approved; Changes Required:

If there are changes that will be required, you will receive a Letter of Plan Review Comments indicating the changes to your plans that need to be made. You must respond in writing to each item noted in the letter, indicating how you will resolve the problems with your plans. After all issues have been resolved, you will be issued a Letter of Design Approval indicating that you may proceed with construction or remodeling of your facility.

No construction or remodeling should take place until after you receive the Letter of Design Approval. Otherwise, the possibility exists that modifications to the facility may have to be made in order to meet code standards, resulting in wasted time and money.

Step 5 – Pre-operational Inspections

  1. After final approval has been granted, your health permit and city food license (if applicable) will be issued. To obtain your permit, you must submit a fully completed health permit application, proof of CFPM staff (if applicable) and fee(s). Health permit fees are waived for not-for-profit organizations that can provide proof of Illinois sales tax exemption.

    Annual health permit application (C-U or County)
    Vehicle identification form (C-U or County) – additional form for mobile units only.
  2. Once your health permit has been issued, and you have met all city/village requirements, you may accept delivery of food/beverage products and open for business.

Definitions

C-U or County

C-U means any food service establishment (like a restaurant) within the city limits of Champaign or Urbana, Illinois.

County means any food service establishment in Champaign County, Illinois, that is outside of the city limits of Champaign and Urbana.

Restaurants

A "restaurant" means any business that is primarily engaged in the sale of ready-to-eat food for immediate consumption. "Primarily engaged" means having sales of ready-to-eat food for immediate consumption comprising of at least 51% of the total sales, excluding the sales of liquor.

Food Handler

A "food handler" means an individual working with unpackaged food, food equipment or utensils or food-contact surfaces. "Food handler" does not include unpaid volunteers in a food establishment, whether permanent or temporary.


Category 1

"Category 1" means a food establishment that presents a high relative risk of causing food-borne illness, based on the large number of food handling operations typically implicated in food-borne outbreaks and the type of population served by the facility, or both. Category I facilities include those where the following operations occur:

  • Potentially hazardous* foods are cooled, as part of the food handling operation at the facility.
  • Potentially hazardous* foods are prepared hot or cold and held hot or cold for more than 12 hours before serving.
  • Potentially hazardous* cooked and cooled foods must be reheated.
  • Complex preparation of foods or extensive handling of raw ingredients with hand contact for ready-to-eat foods occurs as part of the food handling operations at the facility.
  • Vacuum packaging, other forms of reduced oxygen packaging, or other special processes that require a HACCP plan; or
  • Immunocompromised individuals such as the elderly, young children under age four and pregnant women are serves, where these individuals compose the majority of the consuming population.

* Potentially hazardous foods are now referred to as time-temperature control for safety (or TCS) foods.

Category 2

"Category II" means a food establishment that presents a medium relative risk of causing food-borne illness, based upon few food handling operations typically implicated in food-borne illness outbreaks. Category II facilities include those where the following operations occur:

  • Hot or cold foods are held at required temperatures for no more than 12 hours and are restricted to same-day services;
  • Foods are prepared from raw ingredients, using only minimal assembly; and
  • Foods that require complex preparation (whether canned, frozen or fresh prepared) are obtained from approved food-processing plants, high-risk food service establishments or retail food stores.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
HOURS AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Phone: 217-373-7900 or 217-363-3269
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
201 W. Kenyon Rd., Champaign, IL 61820

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