North Dakota: official links to open a restaurant or bar
Last verified 2026-10-17. Links come from federal agency directories (TTB, FDA, IRS, U.S. DOL). City and county permits are separate; see the local reminder below.
1. Alcohol licensing (bar or restaurant serving alcohol)
From the agency page: The state retail alcoholic beverage license is issued by the Attorney General, and the application asks for a copy of the beer and/or liquor license issued by the local city, county or tribal authority, plus recent health and fire inspection reports. The page asks applicants to submit forms four to six weeks before they want to begin retail sales. Source: ND Attorney General: Retail Alcoholic Beverage License (read 2026-10-18). Rules change; confirm with the agency.
Source: TTB: Alcohol Beverage Authorities (verified 2026-10-17). Some states list tax or enforcement divisions here; start at the authority that issues on-premise retail licenses.
2. Food service licensing, plan review and food code
Who issues the permit: The state Health and Human Services food and lodging program licenses restaurants; its page asks for the application and plans at least 30 days ahead. Source: ND HHS: Retail food service (read 2026-10-17). Compare states.
Source: FDA: State Retail and Food Service Codes and Regulations by State (verified 2026-10-17). In many states the county or city health department issues the actual permit; ask the state program who does.
3. State business and tax registration
- IRS: North Dakota state government websites for businesses (links to the state's tax, business-registration and employer pages)
Source: IRS: State government websites (verified 2026-10-17).
4. Tipped-employee wage rules (for bar and restaurant staffing)
| Combined cash + tip minimum | $7.25 |
|---|---|
| Maximum tip credit | 33% of minimum wage ($2.39) |
| Minimum cash wage for tipped employees | $4.86 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees, document revised 2026-07-01, checked 2026-10-19. Local minimums and recent state changes may not be reflected. Confirm with your state labor agency.
Compare with other states: tipped minimum wage by state (all 50 states and D.C.).
State restaurant association
The National Restaurant Association lists this as the state restaurant association for North Dakota. Source: National Restaurant Association, State Restaurant Associations (read 2026-10-18). Associations are private membership groups; this listing is informational and is not an endorsement, referral or recommendation, and membership is not required to get a permit.
Local reminder
Zoning, building, fire and occupancy approvals, local alcohol hearings and sometimes the health permit are handled by your city or county. Owners report that these steps depend on each other and that guidance is hard to find; see the opening roadmap.
General information only, not legal, tax, financial or licensing advice. Check each agency's current rules before you rely on a page.