Food business licensing
Who needs a food licence?
Most food businesses are required to have a licence. Licensed food businesses are required by law to display their licence, or a copy of their licence, so that customers can easily see it. The expiry date is shown on the licence so you can see if the licence is current.
Some low‐risk food businesses do not need a licence, although they are still required to comply with the food laws. A food business does not need a licence for the sale of:
- packaged food
- whole fruit and vegetables
- drinks (except fruit and vegetable juice processed on site)
- ice, including flavoured ice
- seeds, spices, dried herbs, tea leaves, coffee or ground coffee
- unpackaged snack food (for example, confectionary, potato chips, corn chips or nuts)
- food sold by non-profit organisations for fundraising (for example, sausage sizzle or cake stall)
- food provided at state government run facilities (for example, a public hospital or state school).
Contact your local council to find out if a food business needs a licence.
Reporting concerns about a food business licence
If you suspect a business should have a licence, or the licence is not clearly displayed, you can:
- use our online form to report a food safety issue
- notify your local council.
Please provide the following details:
- business/trading name
- address/location
- types of food sold
- day and time they were operating
- vehicle registration, if it is a mobile food business.