Catering Business Permit Requirements in Cedar Rapids, IA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Iowa Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

   Required for businesses selling taxable goods or services in Iowa. The state rate is 6%, and local option sales tax of up to 1% may apply. Iowa taxes about 75 enumerated services, so check whether your service is taxable before assuming you need a permit. Register with the Iowa Department of Revenue online.

   Official government source

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit·Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit

   Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

2. Certified Food Protection Manager (Iowa DIAL)

   Iowa follows FDA Food Code 2-102.12: the person in charge of a food establishment must be a certified food protection manager who has passed a test from an accredited program. Certification is earned through ANSI-accredited providers such as ServSafe (offered through the Iowa Restaurant Association) and other approved online or in-person courses; the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing lists the accepted programs but does not itself run the training.

   Official government source

   No state fee — course and exam prices are set by the private ANSI-accredited providers·Most providers run the course and exam in one or two days

   No state fee — course and exam prices are set by the private ANSI-accredited providers

   Most providers run the course and exam in one or two days

1. Linn County Public Health — Food Service Establishment License

   Catering businesses in Cedar Rapids need a Food Service Establishment license, which covers restaurants, caterers, and commissaries. Linn County Public Health inspects and licenses food establishments in Linn and Jones counties under contract with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, so the county — not Cedar Rapids Development Services — issues this license. A licensed commercial kitchen (commissary), plan review, and a pre-opening inspection are required.

   Official government source

   Tiered by annual gross sales under the state fee schedule, ranging from $150 to $400; applicants with no prior sales history pay the $400 maximum·Apply at least 30 days before the intended opening date; the license must be issued before operations begin

   Tiered by annual gross sales under the state fee schedule, ranging from $150 to $400; applicants with no prior sales history pay the $400 maximum

   Apply at least 30 days before the intended opening date; the license must be issued before operations begin

2. No General Business License Required in Cedar Rapids

   Cedar Rapids Development Services does not issue an annual business license. Development Services and Building Services handle zoning, building and trade permits, and Certificates of Occupancy — required when you build, remodel, or change the use of a space, not as a recurring license. The City Clerk licenses only narrow categories: alcohol and tobacco, transportation, vendors, after-hours businesses, business close-out sales, and pawnbrokers. Otherwise your obligations are your state trade license (for example cosmetology or contractor registration) and a Certificate of Occupancy if you take over or change commercial space.

   Official government source

   $0 — no general business license exists·Not applicable

   $0 — no general business license exists

   Not applicable

Official Sources

• Linn County Health Department
• Iowa Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

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