2019 Small Business Resource Guide 2019 Small Business Resource Guide | Page 18

C I T Y O F A R L I N GTO N – B U S I N E S S LO C AT I O N
Health Permits for Establishments Mobile Food Unit Food Establishments TYPES OF PERMIT APPLICATIONS APPLICATION & OPERATIONAL FEE RANGES
Bars | Childcare Centers | Restaurants | Stationary Pushcarts | Grocery Stores | Convenience Stores Catering Vehicle Permit $225
Mobile Food Unit $450-500 full service, $350-400 limited service
Temporary Mobile Permit $140-190 + $5 per day (single event up to 14 days)
Note: Ongoing operational fees are not included with
application fees. For a full list of fees for your business,
please visit the City’s Health Services website. Home-Based Food Business
TYPES OF PERMIT APPLICATIONS APPLICATION & OPERATIONAL FEE RANGES
Childcare Center Permit $550-925
Food Establishment Permit $550-825
Stationary Pushcart $225
Note: Ongoing operational fees are not included with
application fees. For a full list of fees for your business,
please visit the City’s Health Services website. Any establishments selling alcohol will be required to obtain
a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) Certificate
through the TABC State website. Additionally, businesses
are required to apply for an alcohol permit from the City
Secretary’s Office at ArlingtonPermits.com. There are several
types of alcohol permits depending on the type of alcohol
being sold and fees vary from $37 to $500. Zoning
regulations may apply to new locations.
In order to ensure optimal health and safety for both
a food establishment owner and their patrons, the City
of Arlington requires businesses to apply for a food
establishment permit. All food establishment permits
require a health inspection, grease interceptor and backflow
assembly. A Pre-Operational Inspection Checklist is
available upon request from your Health Inspector
or by calling Health Services at 817-459-6693.
A Food Manager Certification is required to be held
by the managers of a Food Establishment. A Food Handler
Certification is required to be held by each food worker
of a Food Establishment. The Food Manager Certification
must also be registered with the City of Arlington. This
registration may be completed in person at the One Start
Center or may be registered at ArlingtonPermits.com.
Information about accredited food manager and food
handler training courses may be accessed through the
Department of State Health Services website. A link to
this information can be found on the City of Arlington
website under Health Services/Food Manager & Food
Handler Information. Information about accredited food
handler training courses may be accessed through the
Department of State Health Services website under
Accredited Food Handler Classroom Training Programs
or Accredited Food Handler Online Training Programs.
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Grease interceptors (traps) are required at businesses
where there is food preparation and/or cleanup from
food preparation. The interceptors must be installed on
the exterior of the building. The minimum size for a grease
interceptor in the City of Arlington is 250 gallons. The size
and design of the grease interceptor will be determined by
Water Resource Services and is based on potential flow from
the fixtures required to pass through the grease interceptor.
The grease interceptor must be serviced at a minimum of
every 6 months (or more often if determined by a waste
hauler permitted by Water Services).
If the business owner is purchasing or leasing an existing
building operating as a food establishment, a new Certificate
of Occupancy is required. If someone purchases an existing
food establishment and is not changing the name, then a
Change of Ownership application is required. This Change
of Ownership would require a new CO and a new HFEP, as
neither of these permits are transferable. With the change of
ownership, the new business will be required to comply with
current city health code standards.
The Mobile Food Unit Permit Application is based upon
state and local requirements. The Texas Food Establishment
Rules (TFER) defines a Mobile Food Unit (MFU) as a
vehicle-mounted, self or otherwise propelled, self-contained
food service operation, designed to be readily moveable
(including but not limited to catering trucks, trailers,
push carts, and roadside vendors) and used to store,
prepare, display, serve, or sell food. Mobile units must
always completely retain their mobility. A MFU is not a
stand or a booth. A roadside food vendor and pushcart
may be licensed as an MFU.
A MFU must comply with the following to operate in
the city:
1. The MFU has a valid Mobile Food Unit Permit issued
by the City and complies with all applicable laws and
regulations.
2. The MFU is operated on City property at a major sports
complex, in association with a permitted Special Event
with permission from the event organizer or under a
Mobile Food Unit Certificate of Occupancy. Routes
must be pre-approved by the Health Division.
3. MFUs may not park on City right-of-way unless it is
closed with approval of the Arlington Police Department.
4. All food must be prepared or cooked at a central
preparation facility (commissary) or on the mobile unit
at the time of operation. A commissary may provide
anything from a source for obtaining potable water
and disposing of wastewater, storage for food and
supplies, or cooking facilities to prepare the food for
sale and consumption. Home preparation or storage
of food is prohibited.
The Texas Cottage Food Production Operation Law allows
individuals to operate a food-based business from home.
The law is defined as an individual, operating out of the
individual’s home, who: 
• Produces a baked good; candy; coated and uncoated nuts;
unroasted nut butters; fruit butters, a canned jam or jelly;
a fruit pie; dehydrated fruit or vegetables, including dried
beans, popcorn and popcorn snacks; cereal, including
granola; dry mix; vinegar; pickles; mustard; roasted coffee
or dry tea; or a dried herb or dried herb mix. 
• Has an annual gross income of $50,000 or less from the
sale of the described foods; and sells the foods produced
directly to consumers at the individual’s home, a farmers’
market, a farm stand, or a municipal, county, or nonprofit
fair, festival or event.
• Delivers products to the consumer at the point of sale
or another location designated by the consumer.
If you are interested in starting a home-based food business,
please visit the Department of Health and Human Services’
website for a list of requirements to open a home-based
food business.
A Home-Based Business permit is required and may
be applied for at the One-Start Center or online at
ArlingtonPermits.com. The City of Arlington does not
require a health permit for this type of food establishment.
However, the City has authority to act to prevent an
immediate and serious threat to human life or health
through emergency order, recall orders and delegation
of powers or duties.
A full list of requirements can be found on the City’s
website under business, health services.
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