Miami-Dade GDO Permit: Everything Restaurant Owners Need to Know

If you run a food service operation in Miami-Dade County, you've probably heard the term "GDO permit" thrown around — maybe from your hauler, maybe during an inspection, maybe because you got a notice and have no idea what it means. This post breaks it down without the bureaucratic runaround.

What Is a GDO Permit?

GDO stands for Grease Disposal Operation. In Miami-Dade, any food service establishment that generates fats, oils, and grease (FOG) is required to obtain a GDO permit from the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD). This covers restaurants, cafeterias, food trucks with fixed locations, bakeries, delis — basically anyone cooking commercially.

The legal basis is Miami-Dade County Code Chapter 32, which governs the use of the county's water and sewer system. Discharging grease into the sewer without proper controls violates that code, and the GDO permit is how the county tracks and manages that.

Who Needs One?

If your operation:

• Prepares food for public consumption
• Connects to the Miami-Dade sewer system
• Generates any meaningful amount of FOG in the cooking process

...you need a GDO permit. There's no minimum size exemption. A small taco counter needs one just like a full-service restaurant does.

Home-based food businesses operating under Florida's Cottage Food Law are typically exempt, but anything operating commercially in a commercial kitchen is not.

What Does the Permit Require?

Getting a GDO permit isn't a one-time checkbox. It ties you into an ongoing compliance framework that includes:

1. A grease trap or interceptor

You must have an approved grease interceptor installed — either an outdoor in-ground unit or, in some cases, an indoor hydromechanical unit. The size is determined by your operation's flow rate and FOG load. Miami-Dade WASD sets the sizing requirements, and your unit must be permitted through the county.

2. Regular pump-outs

Miami-Dade requires that grease traps be pumped when they reach 25% capacity (the "25% rule"). In practice, most inspectors want to see a consistent pumping schedule with documentation. For most restaurants, that means monthly or quarterly pump-outs depending on volume.

3. Manifests from licensed haulers

Every pump-out must be done by a licensed grease hauler, and they're required to leave you a waste manifest (a receipt, essentially). You are required to keep those manifests on file. WASD inspectors will ask for them.

4. Record keeping

You must keep pump-out manifests and maintenance records. Miami-Dade inspectors can request records going back at least two years. More on what they actually check in a separate post.

How to Apply

Applications go through Miami-Dade WASD. You'll need:

• Proof of business address and operation type
• Grease trap/interceptor information (size, location, installation date)
• Sometimes: a site plan showing the interceptor location

You can apply online through the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer portal or in person at a WASD customer service location. Processing times vary but expect 2–4 weeks if everything is in order.

The permit has an annual renewal requirement. Missing renewal doesn't just lapse your permit — it can trigger a compliance violation.

What Happens If You Don't Have One?

Operating without a GDO permit puts you at risk of:

• Fines from Miami-Dade WASD
• Compliance orders requiring immediate remediation
• In serious cases, referral to Miami-Dade's code enforcement for sewer use violations
• Potential impact on your state food service license (DBPR can be notified of county violations)

The county does periodic sweeps, and haulers are required to report the businesses they service — so there's a paper trail whether you create it or not.

Common Mistakes

Getting the permit but ignoring the maintenance requirements. The permit is the beginning, not the end. Plenty of operators get the permit and then fail inspections because their pump-out records are missing.

Using an unlicensed hauler. Cheaper, but their manifests don't count. You need a hauler licensed with Miami-Dade WASD.

Not tracking capacity. The 25% rule means you should actually know how full your trap is. Most operators find out at inspection that they've been overdue.

The Short Version

Get the permit. Keep your trap pumped by a licensed hauler. Keep every manifest. Renew annually. That's the framework.

The compliance part isn't complicated — it's the organization and consistency that trips people up.

Calicut Labs helps Miami-Dade and Broward restaurant operators stay on top of GDO permit requirements, pump-out schedules, and manifest records — all in one place. If the paperwork side of FOG compliance is what's tripping you up, that's exactly what we built it for.