Coffee Shop permits and licenses, by state
A coffee shop is a licensed food service facility, even if all you serve is espresso. Here is every health permit, food handler card, and local license you need to open and pour, broken down by state and city.
These federal credentials apply to every coffee shop in the United States. State, county, and city requirements stack on top of them. Pick your state below to see what your state adds, then drill into your city for the local permits.
Federal requirements for coffee shops
These apply nationwide, so they are the same in every state. Your state and local guides below cover everything that stacks on top.
Federal level
1 credential
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
A nine-digit federal tax ID for your business. Required to hire employees, open a business bank account, file payroll taxes, and apply for state licenses. Apply free at IRS.gov and ignore third-party sites that charge for it.
- Issued by
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Fee
- $0 (free)
- Renewal
- None (one-time)
- Processing
- Immediate online
Select a state
Each state guide covers the statewide credentials every coffee shop needs, plus city-by-city specifics for the cities we cover.
Run a coffee shop across more than one city?
Every jurisdiction has its own renewal calendar. CredentiAlert tracks them all in one dashboard so nothing slips.