FSSAI licence for a restaurant, dhaba or fast-food outlet.
A restaurant needs an FSSAI Registration at ₹100 a year up to ₹1.5 crore turnover, a State Licence at ₹5,000 from ₹1.5 crore to ₹50 crore, and a Central Licence at ₹7,500 above that. Dhabas sit on a different row that stops at the State Licence, and each outlet needs its own licence.
Restaurants, fast-food outlets and bar-restaurants apply under the Restaurants kind of business: Registration ₹100 a year up to ₹1.5 crore turnover, State Licence ₹5,000 up to ₹50 crore, Central Licence ₹7,500 above. A dhaba applies under Food Vending Establishment: Registration up to ₹1.5 crore, State Licence above, with no Central tier.
Which FSSAI licence a restaurant needs.
| Annual turnover | You need | Government fee (to FSSAI) | Our filing fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to ₹1.5 crore | Registration | ₹100 a year | ₹4,500 |
| ₹1.5 crore – ₹50 crore | State Licence | ₹5,000 a year | ₹12,500 |
| Above ₹50 crore | Central Licence | ₹7,500 a year | ₹19,500 |
Per FSSAI’s kind-of-business table updated 01.04.2026. Our fee is one-time plus GST. Operating in two or more States/UTs adds a head-office Central Licence (₹7,500 a year).
What to choose on FoSCoS
- Restaurants, under Food Services, as listed on FoSCoS — sit-down, fast food, bar-restaurants; the definition includes take-out and delivery
- Food Vending Establishment — the row that names Dhaba (and banquet halls), for freshly prepared food with temporary or no seating
- Caterer — only if you also cook for events; that row has no Registration tier
2026 tablePer FSSAI’s table updated 01.04.2026. We confirm your kind of business before filing.
What a restaurant has to get right.
Each point comes with the regulation, order or FSSAI document behind it. Where FSSAI hasn’t spelt something out, we say it’s our reading.
Turnover decides the tier
Since 1 April 2026 the Restaurants row runs Registration up to ₹1.5 crore, State Licence from ₹1.5 crore to ₹50 crore, and Central above ₹50 crore. Seating capacity and kitchen size no longer matter.
KoB table 01.04.2026, Restaurants rowOutdoor catering needs the Caterer row
Cooking for weddings and parties is catering, and caterers cannot use a Registration at any turnover. A small restaurant on a ₹100 Registration that takes event orders needs a State Licence that lists catering.
KoB table 01.04.2026, Caterer row; reg. 1.2.1(4) as substituted 10.03.2026Calories on the menu for chains and Central licensees
Menu labelling binds food service establishments that hold a Central Licence or have outlets at 10 or more locations. A 25% deviation on declared nutrition is tolerated.
Labelling & Display Regulations 2020, food service establishment display provisionsThe restaurant display board
Every premises must display the Food Safety Display Board with its licence number. FSSAI publishes a restaurant-specific board, and it belongs where customers can see it.
FSSAI order 19.09.2018; FSSAI sector display board — RestaurantMedicals and trained supervisors
On a State or Central Licence, food handlers need a medical fitness certificate every year. Every outlet needs one FoSTaC-trained supervisor for each 25 food handlers, at all times.
Schedule 4, Part II 10.1.2; FSSAI order 02.11.2017Water testing every six months
Schedule 4 Part II asks for potable water tested at regular intervals. FSSAI's FSMS guidance documents put that at every six months for kitchens. Keep the latest report on file.
Schedule 4, Part II 4.1; FSMS guidanceNo recall plan, unless you're a chain that manufactures
The Recall Regulations require a recall plan from manufacturers, importers and wholesale suppliers. Food service is exempt unless it is a multi-outlet chain with an integrated manufacturing and distribution network, such as a central kitchen supplying outlets.
Food Recall Procedure Regulations 2017, reg. 7(1)Inspection roughly every two years
FSSAI's risk-based order expects food service premises to be inspected every two years. That is an expectation, not a date you can plan around, so keep the file ready.
FSSAI order RCD-02001/9/2021, 02.05.2022What you’ll be asked for.
On top of the owner’s photo ID and address proof. FoSCoS asks per kind of business, so we send you the exact list for yours before you gather anything.
Full documents checklist- Form B, signed by the proprietor, a partner or a director (State or Central Licence)
- Proof of possession of the restaurant premises — lease, ownership papers or the owner's NOC
- Constitution of the business — partnership deed, MoA/AoA or incorporation certificate
- List of food categories you prepare and serve
- Food Safety Management System (FSMS) plan
- Nomination of a responsible person, Form IX, for a company
- For a small outlet on Registration: photograph, photo ID, proof of premises and a list of items
The authorities around this business.
FSSAI isn’t the only door you’ll knock on. These are the bodies that usually matter for this kind of business — each links to what it does and when you’ll meet it.
See the full regulatory map
Food Safety and Standards Authority of IndiaFoSCoSCommissioner of Food SafetyDesignated Officer and Food Safety Officers
FSSAI-notified, NABL-accredited food laboratoriesFoSTaC training partnersFSSAI-recognised auditing agenciesAdjudicating Officer and Food Safety Appellate TribunalMunicipal corporation or local bodyCommon mistakes with restaurant licences.
Event catering is its own kind of business with no Registration tier. Adding it means moving to a State Licence, not just ticking a box.
Each outlet is a premises and needs its own licence. Outlets in two or more states also need a head-office Central Licence.
Licences issued with an expiry date are now perpetual. The annual fee is what keeps them valid. Miss it and the licence is deemed suspended, which is why owners search "restaurant license suspended".
After a modification or a new licence, the board must show the current number. It is one of the first things an officer checks.
Your restaurant licence in three steps.
Most of the work is ours. Where something needs you, it says so — and nothing is filed without your approval.
- 1
Book a free 10-minute check
Tell us what you do. We confirm the exact kind of business, the licence and the full cost — including the exceptions most people miss.
Free · no obligation - 2
We file it on your login
You get a checklist for your business, we check every document, and we file on your own FoSCoS account. The government fee goes from you to FSSAI.
Fixed fee, in writing - 3
We keep you licensed
Fees, returns, tests, medicals, labels and inspections — dated, tracked and handled, with a short status note each month.
Ready any day
Our promises, in writing
You get the fee before we start. If the scope changes, you hear it from us before it costs you.
We file on your own FoSCoS account with your approval. Nothing to hand back if you ever leave.
Straight to FSSAI on FoSCoS. It never passes through us.
Each requirement comes with the regulation behind it — and our readings are marked as ours.
FSSAI licence for restaurant: questions
Is FSSAI license mandatory for a restaurant?
Yes. Every restaurant needs at least an FSSAI Registration, and a licence once turnover passes ₹1.5 crore. Running a food business that needs a licence without one can draw up to six months' imprisonment and a fine up to ₹5 lakh under s.63 of the FSS Act. The licence number must also be on your display board.
What is the FSSAI license fee for a restaurant in India?
FSSAI's fee is the same in every state: ₹100 a year for a Registration up to ₹1.5 crore turnover, ₹5,000 a year for a State Licence up to ₹50 crore, ₹7,500 a year for a Central Licence above that. You pay it directly to FSSAI. Our fee is ₹4,500 for a Registration, ₹12,500 for a State Licence and ₹19,500 for a Central Licence, one-time plus GST.
Which FSSAI category is right for a restaurant?
Restaurants, under Food Services on FoSCoS. The table defines it as a food service operation that prepares and serves food and drinks for money, and includes take-out and delivery. A dhaba belongs in Food Vending Establishment. If you also cook for events, add Caterer, which needs at least a State Licence. Then pick the food categories you serve.
What documents are required for a restaurant FSSAI license?
For a State or Central Licence: Form B, proof of possession of the premises, the constitution of the business, a list of food categories, an FSMS plan and, for a company, a Form IX nomination. For a small restaurant on Registration: a photograph, photo ID, proof of premises and a list of items. FoSCoS shows the list for your kind of business.
Which FSSAI license does a dhaba need?
The 01.04.2026 table lists Dhaba under Food Vending Establishment, for freshly prepared food with temporary or no seating. It needs a Registration at ₹100 a year up to ₹1.5 crore turnover and a State Licence at ₹5,000 above that. That row has no Central tier. A highway dhaba follows the same Schedule 4 hygiene rules as any other outlet.
Do I need an FSSAI license for a bar and restaurant?
Yes, for the food and drink you prepare and serve. FSSAI treats it like any restaurant, tiered by turnover. Liquor permissions are a separate matter under state excise law, and costs vary by state. We don't cover those. FSSAI publishes a separate display board for liquor retail, but a bar-restaurant uses the restaurant board.
Does a restaurant FSSAI license need renewal?
No longer. The amendment of 10 March 2026 made licences and registrations perpetual, and FSSAI's FAQ of 27.03.2026 says businesses are not required to renew. What remains is the annual fee and any return you're required to file. Missing the fee deems the licence suspended without notice, and you may not trade until it's put right.
Is there an FSSAI audit checklist for restaurants?
FSSAI publishes inspection checklists by sector, including one for catering, which is the closest fit for a restaurant kitchen. There is also safety and hygiene guidance for catering and food service establishments. Our mock inspection works from those sheets, clause by clause, so you see what an officer would mark before one arrives.
Get your restaurant licensed — and keep it that way.
Book a free 10-minute check. A person — not a bot — calls you back within working hours, tells you exactly which licence you need and what it costs, before you commit to anything.
- Government fee paid by you, directly to FSSAI
- Filed under your own FoSCoS login
- Fixed fee, confirmed in writing before we start
Not ready to talk? Get the free 2026 checklist or find your licence yourself.