Basic registration, State or Central licence — applied for in the right category the first time.
Every food business in India — manufacturing, processing, packing, storing, transporting, distributing or selling food — needs an FSSAI registration or licence before it starts operating. That includes cloud kitchens, home bakers selling online, small provision stores, caterers and food importers. The category you fall into is driven by turnover and by the nature of the operation, and applying in the wrong category means a rejection and a fresh application. We assess the category, file through the FoSCoS portal and handle the queries.
Which category applies to you
Category
Who it covers
Issued by
Basic Registration
Petty food business operators with annual turnover up to ₹12 lakh — small retailers, hawkers, home-based sellers, small caterers
State authority, Form A
State Licence
Turnover above ₹12 lakh and up to ₹20 crore, and manufacturers within prescribed capacity limits; most restaurants, cloud kitchens, mid-size traders and processors
State authority, Form B
Central Licence
Turnover above ₹20 crore, importers and exporters of food, e-commerce food operators, businesses operating in two or more states, and units at ports, airports and railway premises
FSSAI head office, Form B
Importers always need a Central licence regardless of turnover, and the FSSAI licence number must match the IEC holder's details. If you are setting up an import business, apply for the Import Export Code and the Central FSSAI licence together — the customs clearance depends on both.
Documents required
Photo identity and address proof of the proprietor, partners or directors
Proof of premises — rent agreement with the owner's No Objection Certificate, or the property tax receipt
Constitution proof: partnership deed, certificate of incorporation, MOA and AOA, or the Udyam certificate
List of food products or categories to be handled
For State and Central licences: a layout plan of the processing unit with dimensions, list of equipment with capacity, water test report from a recognised laboratory, and a food safety management plan
For manufacturers: source of raw material, and where applicable the recall plan
Form IX — nomination of the person in charge, for companies and partnerships
Process and timeline
Category assessment. Turnover, nature of operation and product list determine Basic, State or Central. Getting this wrong is the main cause of rejection.
FoSCoS application. Form A or Form B filed with the annexures and the fee, for a chosen tenure of one to five years.
Scrutiny and query. The designated officer may raise a query; it has to be answered within the stipulated period or the application lapses.
Inspection. For State and Central licences, a food safety officer may inspect the premises before grant.
Grant. Basic registration is generally issued quickly; a State licence typically takes a few weeks and a Central licence longer, depending on inspection scheduling.
After the licence — what people forget
Display. The licence must be displayed prominently at the place of business, and the FSSAI number printed on labels and, for restaurants and e-commerce sellers, on bills and menus.
Renewal. Apply before expiry. A licence not renewed before it expires attracts a late fee per day of delay, and once it has lapsed the business is operating unlicensed.
Annual return in Form D1. Manufacturers, importers, packers and labellers must file by 31 May for the preceding financial year. Milk and milk product units file Form D2 half-yearly. There is a per-day penalty for late filing.
Modification. Any change in products, premises, capacity or the person in charge needs a modification application, not a fresh licence.
Hygiene rating and FoSTaC. Larger operations are expected to have at least one trained and certified food safety supervisor for every set of food handlers.
Food businesses also carry the GST and bookkeeping load that comes with high-volume, low-margin trading — see GST registration and bookkeeping services.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Selling food through any platform makes you a food business operator. If your annual turnover is within the petty operator limit, a Basic registration is enough, and the aggregator will ask for the number before listing you. Selling without it is an offence and the platform will delist you when the check runs.
Operating a food business without a licence attracts imprisonment and a fine under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act. In practice, the more common consequence for small operators is delisting by aggregators, seizure of stock during an inspection, and refusal of the licence application until the unlicensed period is regularised.
No. Each premises needs its own registration or licence. If you operate multiple outlets or a central kitchen plus outlets, each location is licensed separately, and operating across two or more states pushes you into the Central licence category.
One to five years is available. A longer tenure costs proportionally more upfront but reduces the risk of a lapsed licence and the daily late fee, which is the more common and more expensive failure. Five years is usually the better choice for an established operation.