Catering Business Permit Requirements in Bellevue, NE

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. Nebraska Department of Revenue — Sales and Use Tax Permit

   Any business selling taxable goods or taxable services in Nebraska must hold a sales tax permit from the Nebraska Department of Revenue and collect tax at the combined state and local rate for the delivery location. Register online through the Department's business registration service or by filing paper Form 20; NebFile is the separate system used to file returns once you are registered, not the registration tool. Local city sales and use taxes are layered on top of the state rate and change by quarter, so use the Department's Sales Tax Rate Finder for the exact rate at each address rather than assuming a flat figure.

   Official government source

   $0 — the Nebraska Department of Revenue charges no fee to register for a sales and use tax permit, online or by paper Form 20.·Registering online, you are either assigned a Nebraska ID number at the time of registration or contacted by the Department within five business days for additional information. Allow about two weeks for a paper Form 20.

   $0 — the Nebraska Department of Revenue charges no fee to register for a sales and use tax permit, online or by paper Form 20.

   Registering online, you are either assigned a Nebraska ID number at the time of registration or contacted by the Department within five business days for additional information. Allow about two weeks for a paper Form 20.

2. Certified Food Protection Manager (ANSI-accredited certification)

   Nebraska has adopted the FDA Food Code by reference as part of the Nebraska Pure Food Act, which requires food establishments to have a certified food protection manager. The certification itself is not issued or priced by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture — you earn it by passing an exam from an ANSI-CFP accredited program (for example ServSafe, Prometric, National Registry of Food Safety Professionals or 360training) and the provider sets the course and exam price. In Douglas County, the Douglas County Health Department separately enforces Omaha Municipal Code sections 11-264 through 11-273 covering Certified Food Protection Managers and food handler permits, so Omaha operators should check its requirements as well.

   Official government source

   Set by the private ANSI-accredited exam provider you choose, not by any Nebraska agency — the state charges no certification fee. Budget for the provider's course and proctored exam separately.·Exams are offered on demand by accredited providers; certificates are typically issued shortly after passing and are usually valid five years. NDA does not publish a processing time because it does not issue the certificate.

   Set by the private ANSI-accredited exam provider you choose, not by any Nebraska agency — the state charges no certification fee. Budget for the provider's course and proctored exam separately.

   Exams are offered on demand by accredited providers; certificates are typically issued shortly after passing and are usually valid five years. NDA does not publish a processing time because it does not issue the certificate.

1. Nebraska Department of Agriculture — Retail Food Establishment Permit (catering)

   A catering business based in Bellevue is permitted by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, not a local health department. NDA administers retail food establishment permitting directly across Nebraska except in Lancaster, Douglas and Hall counties, which run their own programs; Sarpy County is not one of them, so a Bellevue caterer's request for permit is handled by NDA. Complete NDA's Request for Permit and email it to [email protected]. A food establishment may not operate without a valid permit, and an inspection must take place before you open — operating beforehand adds a $60 penalty fee. Permits are non-transferable and lapse automatically on a change of ownership or location. You will need a licensed commercial kitchen (commissary) that holds its own food establishment permit.

   Official government source

   NDA does not publish its food establishment fee schedule online. The amount owed is shown on your annual food permit renewal notice, and annual fees are due by August 1. Confirm the current fee for your establishment type with NDA Food Safety and Consumer Protection at 402-471-3422 or [email protected]. Add a $60 penalty if you operate before the permit is issued.·Submit the request for permit at least 60 days before your target opening date. NDA confirms receipt within 10 business days, and within 30 days an inspector contacts you to schedule the pre-opening inspection or request more information.

   NDA does not publish its food establishment fee schedule online. The amount owed is shown on your annual food permit renewal notice, and annual fees are due by August 1. Confirm the current fee for your establishment type with NDA Food Safety and Consumer Protection at 402-471-3422 or [email protected]. Add a $60 penalty if you operate before the permit is issued.

   Submit the request for permit at least 60 days before your target opening date. NDA confirms receipt within 10 business days, and within 30 days an inspector contacts you to schedule the pre-opening inspection or request more information.

2. Bellevue Business Licensing — no general business license required

   Bellevue does not require a general business license for businesses operating within city limits, and there is no annual license that must be renewed and displayed at your place of business. The City Clerk's page enumerates every license and permit that office issues — fireworks permits, handicapped parking permits, liquor licenses, tobacco licenses, trash hauler licenses, pawnbroker licenses, vendor/solicitor licenses, event/event-participation licenses, hunting waiver permits, and annual occupation tax stickers for vending machines and distributors — and a general or all-purpose business license is not among them. Check whether your specific business type falls into one of those regulated categories; if it does not, no city license is required. State-level obligations still apply: register your entity or trade name with the Nebraska Secretary of State, register with the Nebraska Department of Revenue if you sell taxable goods or services, and obtain any state professional license your trade requires.

   Official government source

   $0 — Bellevue charges no general business license fee because no such license exists. The specific regulated licenses the City Clerk does issue are priced individually; contact the Clerk's office for those.·Not applicable — there is no general business license application to file.

   $0 — Bellevue charges no general business license fee because no such license exists. The specific regulated licenses the City Clerk does issue are priced individually; contact the Clerk's office for those.

   Not applicable — there is no general business license application to file.

Official Sources

• Sarpy County Health Department
• Nebraska Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

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