Catering license in the US: the permits a catering business actually needs

What a catering license means in practice

Food safety in the US is regulated mainly by states, which adopt versions of the FDA Food Code and then enforce it themselves or through local health departments. So the permit that lets you cater comes from whoever regulates food businesses where your kitchen is. In some states that is a state agency, in many it is the county, and in large cities it is often the city.

The common thread is the kitchen. Regulators license a place where food is stored and prepared, then let you take food from that place to the event. That is why the first question any health department asks a new caterer is where the food will be made.

Step by step

1. 1

   Secure an approved kitchen

   Lease or build a commercial kitchen, rent time in a licensed shared kitchen, or work from a licensed commissary. Check its license before you sign anything.

2. 2

   Apply for the food permit

   Apply to the agency that covers that kitchen. New or remodeled spaces often need a plan review before the permit is issued.

3. 3

   Register the business and tax accounts

   Register your business name and entity with the state, and get the sales tax account your state requires for taxable catering sales.

4. 4

   Certify your people

   Put a certified food protection manager in charge and get food handler cards for staff in states that require them, within the state deadline.

5. 5

   Plan event permits

   For public events, the organizer or vendor applies for a temporary food permit before the deadline, and anyone serving alcohol arranges the state liquor permit.

6. 6

   Keep the paperwork with each event

   Store the permit numbers, certificates and event approvals with each booking so you can show them to a venue, a client or an inspector.

Florida: a named catering license from DBPR

Florida is one of the few states with a license actually called a catering license. It is issued by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to a business that only caters. The food safety requirements are the same as for other fixed food service licenses.

All food storage and preparation must take place in an approved, licensed food service establishment. If you build or use a space that has never been licensed by the division, has been closed for more than a year, or has been remodeled, a plan review comes first. If you rely on a commissary or a shared kitchen, the division advises checking that kitchen's license before you make an agreement. License fees are set in rule 61C-1.008 of the Florida Administrative Code.

Florida also requires food service employees to complete approved food safety training within 60 days of employment, valid for three years, under section 509.049 of the Florida Statutes.

Can you cater from a home kitchen?

Usually not. Florida's rule that catering storage and preparation happen in a licensed establishment is typical, and many event permits say the same thing directly: Austin's temporary event rules state that no home-prepared foods are allowed. Cottage food laws exist in many states, but they are built for low risk foods sold directly to consumers, not for cooked meals served at weddings and corporate events.

The usual route for a new caterer is a licensed shared or commissary kitchen. You rent time, use their permitted space and equipment, and list that kitchen on your permit application. It costs less than building out a kitchen and gets you licensed faster.

Temporary food permits for public events

When you serve food at a festival, fair, market or other public event, the local health department usually wants a temporary food permit on top of your kitchen permit. Deadlines and fees are set locally, so treat the examples below as a guide to what to expect, and check your own county.

In King County, Washington, applications are due at least 14 days before the event, with a 50 dollar late fee 3 to 5 days before and 100 dollars 2 days before; a single event permit costs 126 dollars for minimal food handling, 315 dollars for moderate and 441 dollars for complex. At least one person with a valid food worker card must be present at all times. In Austin, Texas, the organizer applies at least 10 calendar days before, at 62 dollars per booth for 1 to 14 days, plus 120 dollars for a late or expedited application.

Certificates your staff and managers need

Most states adopt the Food Code rule that the person in charge is a certified food protection manager. Texas requires at least one certified food manager per establishment with the original certificate posted. California requires an owner or employee with an accredited food safety certificate within 60 days of opening, renewed every five years.

Staff food handler cards depend on the state. California, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Oregon and Florida have statewide rules with deadlines between 30 and 60 days after hire. Our food handler certificate guide lists them side by side.

What inspectors check on a catering job

Temperature is the first thing. The Food Code and local event rules expect hot food held at 135 degrees F or above and cold food at 41 degrees F or below, from your kitchen through transport to service. Insulated carriers, chafing dishes with working fuel and a probe thermometer at every station are the basics.

Handwashing comes next: event permits usually require a handwashing station with warm water, soap, paper towels and a catch bucket. Then come your permit, your manager certificate and proof of staff training, which is why it pays to keep them together for each event.

• Hot holding at 135 degrees F or above, cold holding at 41 degrees F or below
• A handwashing station at every food station
• Food from your licensed kitchen only, never from a home
• Permit, manager certificate and staff cards available on request

Keeping permits with each booking

Permits are easier to manage when they sit next to the event they belong to. In the Venura catering app each booking carries the date, venue, guest count, quotation, invoice and payments, alongside your staff and event schedule. Add the temporary permit number and deadline to the event so nothing is missed in a busy week. Venura works on web, Android and iOS, with a free 30-day trial.

Catering license: questions from the United States