Statewide Hospitality Fee
Food, Pools, and Lodging Services (FPLS)

PDF version of this webpage formatted for print

• Statewide Hospitality Fee (PDF)

Background

The statewide hospitality fee has been collected from all food, beverage and lodging establishments in Minnesota since 2005. The fee funds statewide food, beverage and lodging program development activities.

The law requires the Minnesota Department of Health to collect a $40 fee each year from every food, beverage and lodging establishment in the state.

• Minnesota Statutes, section 157.16, subd. 3a.

"Every person, firm, or corporation that operates a licensed boarding establishment, food and beverage service establishment, seasonal temporary or permanent food stand, special event food stand, mobile food unit, food cart, resort, hotel, motel, or lodging establishment in Minnesota must submit to the commissioner a $40 annual statewide hospitality fee for each licensed activity. The fee for establishments licensed by the Department of Health is required at the same time the licensure fee is due. For establishments licensed by local governments, the fee is due by July 1 of each year."

How money is used

MDH uses the money collected to ensure a safe and secure hospitality industry by:

• Training state and local agency inspection staff.
• Providing technical assistance to local agencies.
• Maintaining a statewide food safety notification system.

Example activities include:

• Ensuring consistency among inspectors through FDA standardization.
• Providing code interpretations and regular program updates to MDH and locally delegated FPLS staff.
• Developing and sharing publications and a website to promote consistent regulation.
• Promoting uniformity and performance standards through training and outreach such as new employee food code training and the Food Safety Partnership of Minnesota.
• Evaluating food, pools and lodging program performance.
• Rulemaking.
• Maintaining the food and beverage establishment notification database.
• Collecting the fee and record-keeping.

Emergency notifications

License data are also used as part of a statewide safety and security information system. One purpose of the system is to allow us to notify all licensed establishments, in the event of an emergency that may cause illness or injury to customers. Contacts include establishments licensed by MDH, Minnesota Department of Agriculture and local delegated agencies.
For example, in May 2017 MDH notified Brainerd area licensed establishments when a boil water order was issued and then again when the order was lifted.

One fee per licensed establishment

Each licensed establishment is required to pay one $40 fee annually.

• Operators of multiple establishments may be required to pay more than one fee.
• Each special event food stand is required to pay a fee for each licensed stand per year.
• The full fee is collected for each calendar year that an establishment was in operation, including the partial year in which an establishment begins operations.

Billing and payment

MDH collects the hospitality fee from each licensed establishment statewide. MDH bills each establishment directly, using establishment license data.

• Establishments licensed by MDH pay the fee along with their annual license fee.
• Establishments licensed by local delegated agencies pay the fee directly to MDH, separately from their license fee. Invoices are due by July 1 of each year, and are billed for a license issued in the previous year.

If you believe you have received incorrect or duplicate billings, contact MDH by phone (651-201-4500) or email health.foodlodging@state.mn.us with the following:

• Your name
• Address
• Phone
• Email
• Establishment name(s)
• Reason you feel the invoice is incorrect

Resources

• Minnesota Department of Health Food Business Safety
• Minnesota Department of Health District Offices
• Minnesota Statutes, section 157.16, subd. 3a

Go to > top