Licenses and permits to open a grocery store in San Francisco
Selling packaged food adds food rules on top of a store's usual registrations. Here are the 10 filings, in the order they're made.
Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Internal Revenue ServiceUS federal
Owners with an SSN or ITIN apply online. A company whose responsible party has neither (most China-based owners) faxes or mails Form SS-4, or calls the IRS international line.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Paper form, faxed or mailed
- Takes
- Fax: about 4 business days. Mail: about 4 to 5 weeks. Phone: issued on the call.
Articles of Organization (California LLC)
California Secretary of StateCalifornia
Filed online in bizfile Online.
- Fee
- $70
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Online filings are currently reviewed about 3 days after receipt (mail about 8 days), per the Oct 8, 2026 queue.
- Renews
- Statement of Information (LLC-12, $20) within 90 days, then every two years.
Seller's permit
California Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationCalifornia
Register online before your first sale; one permit for each location.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Often issued the same day.
- Renews
- Does not expire.
San Francisco Business Registration Certificate
San Francisco Office of the Treasurer and Tax CollectorSan Francisco
Apply online, sign the DocuSign email within 15 days, then pay the fee when asked.
- Fee
- $55
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- The certificate is mailed within 10 to 15 business days after payment.
- Renews
- Every year, by the last day of February.
Formula retail (chain store) affidavit
San Francisco Planning DepartmentSan Francisco
A chain with 11 or more other locations worldwide files this with the building permit. Many neighborhood districts then require a Conditional Use hearing, and a few ban chains.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed on the agency's portal
- Takes
- The affidavit itself isn't reviewed separately, but where neighborhood notification is required, neighbors get 30 days to respond, and districts that need Conditional Use go to a Planning Commission hearing.
Registration Form for Commercial Employers
California Employment Development DepartmentCalifornia
Register in e-Services for Business within 15 days of paying over $100 in wages.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Mail-in registration takes about 10 to 14 days; online is faster.
Health permit to operate a food facility
San Francisco Department of Public HealthSan Francisco
Apply online at least six weeks before opening, with your business account, location ID and federal tax ID, once a certified food safety manager is on staff.
- Fee
- $470
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Apply for the health permit at least 1 month before you open.
Sign and awning permit
San Francisco Department of Building InspectionSan Francisco
Online only through PermitSF since June 29, 2026 (Forms 4 and 7 retired): submit drawings, answer plan review, pay, then book the final inspection. Lit signs also need an electrical permit.
- Fee
- Varies
- Filed
- Filed on the agency's portal
- Takes
- DBI doesn't publish a review time for sign or awning permits; you apply online with construction drawings, and the sign must meet the zoning rules for your district.
LLC annual tax ($800)
California Franchise Tax BoardCalifornia
Paid every year by every LLC registered or doing business in California.
- Fee
- $800
- Filed
- Filed online
- Takes
- Paying the $800 LLC tax online through Web Pay is immediate; it's due by the 15th day of the 4th month of the LLC's tax year.
- Renews
- Every year, by the 15th day of the 4th month of the tax year.
Proposition 65 warning labels
California Office of Environmental Health Hazard AssessmentCalifornia
Nothing is filed. Businesses with 10 or more employees warn before exposing Californians to listed chemicals, including online at checkout.
- Fee
- Free
- Filed
- Nothing to file
- Takes
- Nothing is filed with or approved by OEHHA, so there's no processing time; the business decides whether a warning is needed and must have it in place itself.
More on opening in San Francisco
Questions people ask
- How do I get an EIN without an SSN or ITIN?
- How long does it take to get an EIN?
- Does a foreign-owned single-member LLC have to file Form 5472?
- How do I become an importer of record in the US?
- Do I need a seller's permit in California?
- Does a new California LLC have to pay the $800 tax in its first year?
Other businesses in San Francisco
Agency requirements change. Check each agency's page before you file.
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This guide covers the city. Your exact address decides the county, the health district and the zoning. Placetta maps every filing for it, fills the official forms from your details, adds the deadlines and puts them up for your approval.
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