There are three FSSAI licence types: basic registration, a State licence and a Central licence. Since 1 April 2026, the choice turns mainly on annual turnover (registration up to ₹1.5 crore, State licence up to ₹50 crore, Central above that), but some activities, such as importing and e-commerce, always need a Central licence. This guide explains which FSSAI licence you need, how FSSAI registration vs State vs Central licence differs in paperwork, the FSSAI licence fees, and how to apply on FoSCoS.
How to work out which FSSAI licence you need
Check three things in order: whether your activity always needs a Central licence, whether your kind of business has its own rule, and then your annual turnover. FSSAI's order of 13 March 2026 sets the turnover bands, and FoSCoS's eligibility table, updated on 1 April 2026, sets the exceptions.
- Always Central, at any turnover: importers, e-commerce food businesses, merchant exporters and exporter-manufacturers, 100% export oriented units, proprietary food, health supplements and nutraceuticals, non-specified (novel) food, Ayurveda Aahara, radiation processing, food businesses at airports and seaports, storage, wholesale and retail at Central Government premises, the head office of a business operating in two or more states, and 5-star hotels.
- Own rule: caterers have no registration tier, so even a small caterer needs a State licence (a Central licence above ₹50 crore). Grain, cereal and pulses mills never move to a Central licence. Dhabas, home-based canteens, boarding houses, clubs and canteens get registration up to ₹1.5 crore and a State licence above it, with no Central tier.
- Everyone else, by turnover: manufacturers, dairy, meat and fish units, restaurants, wholesalers, retailers, storage and transport.
Use expected annual turnover if you are just starting, as the calculator does.
Worked examples: which FSSAI licence do these businesses need?
The same turnover can lead to different licences depending on the activity. These made-up businesses show what the calculator returns.
| Business (example) | Annual turnover | Licence | Fee a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud kitchen | ₹80 lakh | Basic registration | ₹100 |
| Packaged biscuit maker | ₹4 crore | State licence, plus Form D-1 return | ₹5,000 |
| Small wedding caterer | ₹60 lakh | State licence | ₹5,000 |
| Olive oil importer | ₹90 lakh | Central licence, plus Form D-1 return | ₹7,500 |
| Rice mill | ₹70 crore | State licence, plus Form D-1 return | ₹5,000 |
| Hawker | ₹5 lakh | Basic registration | Waived |
Example. Bluepeak Foods Private Limited, a made-up company, runs a cloud kitchen in Andheri (₹80 lakh) and starts importing olive oil through an office in Navi Mumbai (₹90 lakh). The kitchen premises needs only a registration at ₹100 a year. The import business needs a Central licence at ₹7,500 a year, taken at the address on its Importer Exporter Code, because importers have no turnover threshold.
What a State or Central licence asks for that registration does not
Registration is a short application in Form A with a photo, ID and address proof, decided within 7 days. A State or Central licence is a fuller application in Form B, with company documents, a nominated person and, for manufacturers, plant details, decided within 60 days. Licensed manufacturers and importers also file an annual return.
| Requirement | Basic registration | State or Central licence |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | Registering Authority | State or Central Licensing Authority |
| Core documents | Photo, government photo ID, address proof if different | Directors or partners list, ID and address proof, premises proof, constitution documents |
| Extra for manufacturers | Hygiene self-declaration (Schedule 4, Part I) | Layout plan, equipment list, water test report |
| Nominee | Not in the document list | Form IX nomination (not for proprietors) |
| Every year | Annual fee | Annual fee; Form D-1 return by 31 May for manufacturers, importers and manufacturer-exporters |
The Form D-1 penalty is ₹100 a day from 1 June, up to five times the annual licence fee, and a missed return now makes the licence deemed suspended until it is filed.
FSSAI licence fees in 2026 and how they are paid
FoSCoS charges ₹100 a year for basic registration, ₹5,000 a year for every State licence and ₹7,500 a year for a Central licence, plus GST as applicable. Hawkers and Anganwadi centres pay no registration fee. Schedule 3 of the 2011 Regulations still lists State licence fees of ₹2,000 to ₹5,000, so confirm the figure FoSCoS shows when you apply.
- Paying ahead. You can pay for any number of years at once and at any time of year, per FSSAI's FAQ of 27 March 2026. Five years of a State licence is ₹25,000, and of a Central licence ₹37,500, before GST.
- Moving down a category. A business that becomes eligible for registration under the new limits has the State licence fee it already paid adjusted against the registration fee.
- Special Central categories. Catering at Central Government establishments, and caterers, restaurants, canteens, hawkers and petty retailers at railway stations, pay ₹2,000 for a Central licence above ₹1.5 crore, or ₹100 for a Central registration up to ₹1.5 crore.
- No refunds. Fees are not refunded when a licence is surrendered.
How to apply for an FSSAI licence on FoSCoS
Apply online on FoSCoS: choose your kind of business, upload the documents, pay the fee and answer any query within 30 days. A registration is decided within 7 days, or 30 days if an inspection is ordered; a licence within 60 days of the application ID.
- Check your kind of business and turnover band against the FoSCoS eligibility table.
- Prepare the documents listed above, self-attested.
- File Form A for registration or Form B for a licence on FoSCoS, with the self-declaration and fee.
- Watch for a query: the authority scrutinises a licence application within 15 days, and you have 30 days to reply or the application stands rejected.
- Allow for an inspection, if ordered.
- Once issued, display the licence or registration number prominently at every premises; a registered petty business also displays its certificate and photo ID card.
If a licence is not issued, and no defect is pointed out, within 60 days of a complete application, you may start business under regulation 2.1.6. The 2026 amendment also lets FSSAI grant a registration instantly on submission of the required documents.
What changed in FSSAI licence types in 2026
The 13 March 2026 order replaced every earlier turnover and capacity test from 1 April 2026. Before that, registration was limited to turnover of ₹12 lakh and to small production capacities, such as 100 kg or litres of food a day or 500 litres of milk a day.
- The definition of a petty food business operator was rewritten on 10 March 2026 and no longer carries a turnover limit; the ₹1.5 crore threshold now decides registration.
- Licences and registrations issued from 1 April 2026 have no expiry, subject to the annual fee.
- Existing businesses migrate on FoSCoS by self-declaration, with no fee and no change of number.
- FSSAI expects more than 98% of food businesses to fall under State Government supervision.
- High-risk manufacturers of dairy, meat, packaged drinking water, infant food and fishery products must still meet the same hygiene, safety and testing requirements.
Common mistakes when choosing an FSSAI licence
Most wrong applications come from using pre-2026 limits or ignoring the activity rules. Check these before you file.
- Applying the old ₹12 lakh registration limit instead of ₹1.5 crore.
- Assuming a small importer or online marketplace can register; both need a Central licence.
- Registering a catering business, which has no registration tier.
- Using one licence for premises in different areas; the FSS Act requires a separate licence for each.
- Forgetting the head office Central licence when you operate in two or more states. Each unit still needs its own licence or registration.
- Missing the Form D-1 return, which now triggers a deemed suspension as well as the daily penalty.
Once registered, check the number with the FSSAI Licence Check. Importers also need an IEC registration, and the business registration checklist lists the rest.
How Ofin can help with your FSSAI licence
Ofin confirms your licence type, prepares the documents and files your FSSAI registration or State or Central licence on FoSCoS from ₹1,899. See FSSAI registration.
