FSSAI State and Central Licence for Food Businesses in India
An FSSAI licence is the Form B approval granted under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to food businesses that have outgrown petty-operator registration. It comes in two tiers — a State licence issued by the State Licensing Authority, and a Central licence issued by the Central Licensing Authority — and the tier is decided by annual turnover together with the kind of business you actually carry on.
The 2026 reform reset the bands. Under the FSSAI order effective 1 April 2026, the State licence band runs from roughly ₹1.5 crore to about ₹50 crore of annual turnover, and the Central licence applies above that. Certain activities override turnover entirely: importers, exporters, specified e-commerce food operators, specified nutraceutical businesses and businesses operating across multiple states are placed under Central licensing whatever their revenue.
This guide covers how the State and Central tiers differ, the Form B document pack including layout plans, equipment lists, water test reports and the Form IX nominee, the Schedule 4 hygiene obligations that come attached, the conditions of licence such as six-monthly product testing, and the penalty exposure. If your turnover sits below the band, start with FSSAI basic registration.
What is an FSSAI licence?
A licence under Section 31 of the FSS Act is the authorisation a mid-sized or large food business needs to manufacture, process, store, distribute, transport, import, export or sell food. Unlike basic registration, a licence is granted only after the Licensing Authority examines your premises layout, process flow, equipment, water source, product categories and the competence of the person supervising production.
The application is Form B on the FoSCoS portal for both tiers. What changes between the tiers is who decides it, the fee, the depth of the pack and the intensity of inspection and audit that follows. A single 14-digit number is issued per premises, and it must appear on every label and on the display board at the unit.
A licence also brings a standing set of conditions rather than a one-time approval. Product testing, hygiene standards, record keeping, trained supervision and annual returns all flow from holding the licence, and failure on any of them is actionable even if the licence itself is current.
Who needs a State licence and who needs a Central licence?
Work through two tests in order. First, does your kind of business appear in a category that FSSAI reserves for Central licensing? If yes, that decides it. Only if the answer is no do you fall back on the turnover band.
| Test | State licence | Central licence |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative turnover band | Above about ₹1.5 crore up to about ₹50 crore | Above about ₹50 crore |
| Geography | Operations within one state | Head office of a multi-state business; units in more than one state |
| Import and export | Not permitted on this tier | Required for importers and exporters |
| E-commerce food operators | Not available for specified platforms | Required for specified e-commerce food operators |
| Nutraceuticals and health supplements | Limited categories only | Required for specified nutraceutical businesses |
| 100% export-oriented units | Not applicable | Required |
| Catering at central government premises | Not applicable | Required — railways, airports, defence, seaports |
| Deciding authority | State Licensing Authority / Designated Officer | Central Licensing Authority / regional FSSAI office |
| Indicative annual fee | Commonly quoted around ₹5,000 | Commonly quoted around ₹7,500 |
The turnover figures reflect the revised thresholds effective 1 April 2026 and the fee levels commonly quoted after that reform; both are set by order and can change, so we verify them on the live FoSCoS eligibility matrix and fee calculator before filing. Some categories — grain, cereal and pulse milling units, for instance — require a licence with no turnover floor at all.
What are the documents required for an FSSAI licence?
Form B is a genuine technical submission. Manufacturers carry the heaviest pack; traders, transporters and storage operators carry less. Expect the authority to read the layout plan and the water report closely.
- Form B completed and signed by the proprietor, partner or authorised signatory
- Photo identity and address proof of the proprietor, partners or directors
- Proof of possession of premises — ownership document, rent agreement or lease with owner NOC
- Blueprint or layout plan of the processing unit showing dimensions and area allocation
- List of plant and machinery with installed capacity and horsepower
- List of food products or categories proposed to be handled
- Potability test report for the water used in processing from a notified laboratory
- Name, qualification and appointment letter of the technically qualified person supervising production
- Constitution proof — partnership deed, MOA and AOA, or board resolution as applicable
- Food safety management plan or a hygiene and sanitation undertaking
- Form IX nomination of the person responsible for compliance, where required
- Source declarations for milk, meat or other sensitive raw materials
- Import export code for importers and exporters
- NOCs from the local body, pollution control board or fire service where the category calls for them
The water potability report is the item most often missing or stale. It must come from an appropriately accredited and notified laboratory — see water testing for the parameters and the sampling discipline.
How to apply for an FSSAI licence on FoSCoS?
- 1.Establish the correct tier from the kind-of-business eligibility matrix and declared turnover
- 2.Create or log in to the FoSCoS account at foscos.fssai.gov.in
- 3.Select state, district, premises and the precise kind of business — this drives tier, fee and document list
- 4.Prepare the layout plan, machinery list, product list and water test report before starting the form
- 5.Appoint the technically qualified person and, where required, the Form IX nominee
- 6.Complete Form B with premises, process, product and capacity details
- 7.Upload the document pack, checking that every scan is legible and complete
- 8.Pay the prescribed annual fee for the number of years applied for
- 9.Note the 17-digit reference number and track the application on the portal
- 10.Facilitate the inspection by the Food Safety Officer and keep records ready on site
- 11.Clear any deficiency listed in the inspection report within the time allowed
- 12.Download the licence once granted, display it at the unit and add the number to labels
Inspection is the real gate at this tier. Manufacturing applications are commonly inspected before grant, and the officer looks for what Schedule 4 requires in practice — pest control records, potable water, separation of raw and finished goods, worker hygiene and calibrated equipment.
What is Schedule 4 and why does it matter?
Schedule 4 of the licensing regulations sets the sanitary and hygienic requirements for food businesses, graded by category — general requirements for petty operators through to detailed good manufacturing and hygiene practice for manufacturers, caterers, transporters, retailers and milk handlers.
It is a condition of every licence, not optional guidance. Inspections score against it, and an improvement notice under the Act is typically framed on a Schedule 4 failure. Businesses that map Schedule 4 into a written food safety management plan pass inspections with far fewer deficiencies.
Schedule 4 also underpins the trained-supervisor expectation: licensed businesses are expected to have food handlers supervised by a person trained under the FSSAI food safety training and certification programme, with the ratio of trained supervisors linked to headcount.
What are the conditions of an FSSAI licence?
- 1.Display the licence prominently at the premises and print the 14-digit number on labels
- 2.Comply with Schedule 4 hygiene and sanitary requirements for your category
- 3.Test relevant chemical and microbiological contaminants at least once in six months through an own, NABL-accredited or FSSAI-notified laboratory
- 4.Upload or link the six-monthly test reports on FoSCoS for the applicable half-year
- 5.Keep daily production, raw material and sales records available for inspection
- 6.Ensure production is supervised by a technically qualified person for the relevant category
- 7.Use only potable water meeting the prescribed standard in processing
- 8.File the annual return in Form D1 where you manufacture, import, pack or relabel
- 9.Report and act on any improvement notice issued by the Food Safety Officer
- 10.Intimate FoSCoS of changes in premises, products, constitution or nominee
- 11.Pay the annual fee to keep a perpetual licence in force
- 12.Cooperate with risk-based inspection and food safety audit
The six-monthly testing obligation is aligned to the financial year — April to September and October to March, with a gap of at least three months between the two tests. Reports are expected to be uploaded within roughly a month of each half-year closing; see food testing for how the sampling and reporting is run in practice.
How much does an FSSAI licence cost?
Government cost is a per-year fee that depends on tier and kind of business, multiplied by the number of years you pay for. The real budget at this tier, though, sits in the technical work — layout drawings, lab testing, hygiene upgrades and trained supervision.
| Cost head | Charged by | Indicative position |
|---|---|---|
| State licence annual fee | FSSAI | Commonly quoted around ₹5,000 per year post-reform |
| Central licence annual fee | FSSAI | Commonly quoted around ₹7,500 per year |
| Water potability test | Notified laboratory | Per sample; depends on parameter set |
| Six-monthly product testing | Notified laboratory | Per product per half-year; driven by parameter count |
| Layout plan and process drawings | Architect or consultant | Varies with unit size and complexity |
| Food safety supervisor training | FSSAI training partner | Per candidate; number of candidates linked to headcount |
| Professional fees | CA or consultant | Scoped after a short discovery call |
Fee schedules are notified by order and were revised as part of the 2026 reform, so these figures are indicative only and confirmed on the FoSCoS fee calculator for your kind of business before payment.
How long does an FSSAI licence take and how long is it valid?
A clean State licence application is commonly decided in roughly 30 to 60 days; Central licence applications often take longer because the pack is deeper and the inspection more detailed. Deficiencies raised on inspection reset the timeline until they are closed.
On validity, the 2026 amendment introduced perpetual validity for licences granted under the revised framework, subject to payment of the annual fee, continued compliance and risk-based inspection. That removes the earlier one-to-five-year renewal cycle for new grants.
Licences issued before the reform run to their printed expiry until migrated, so many businesses still have a renewal in hand — FSSAI renewal covers the transition, the late-fee position and what happens when a licence has already lapsed.
What is the technically qualified person requirement?
For manufacturing categories, the person supervising the production process must hold a prescribed qualification — typically a science degree with chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology or food and nutrition, or a degree or diploma in a discipline relevant to the business such as food technology, dairy technology, oil technology, veterinary science, or hotel management and catering technology.
The appointment is evidenced in the application through qualification documents and an appointment letter. It is a substantive requirement, not paperwork: a manufacturing licence granted on the strength of a named supervisor who is not actually present at the unit is vulnerable on inspection.
Some categories go further. Vegetable oil and edible oil producers are required to have their own analytical laboratory facility for sample testing, which cannot be substituted by outsourcing alone.
What is Form IX and when is a nominee needed?
Form IX nominates the person responsible for compliance within a company, firm or association. It fixes accountability under Section 66 of the Act, which otherwise looks to every person in charge of the business at the time of an offence.
The nomination must be kept current. If the nominated person resigns or moves roles, the business should file a fresh nomination promptly, because an outdated Form IX leaves the default position in place and exposes directors and partners generally.
What is the FSSAI annual return in Form D1?
Licensed manufacturers, importers, packers and relabellers file an annual return in Form D1 reporting quantities handled, product categories and value for the financial year. Milk and milk product businesses have additionally filed a half-yearly return in Form D2 under the historic framework.
Returns are filed on FoSCoS and late filing has historically attracted a per-day late fee. Because return formats and due dates are amended from time to time, we confirm the applicable form and date for your category each year — the mechanics are covered in FSSAI return filing.
What is the penalty for operating without an FSSAI licence?
Section 63 penalises carrying on a food business without the required licence. After the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 took effect on 1 August 2024, the provision was recast as a monetary penalty extending to ₹10 lakh, in place of the earlier imprisonment up to six months with a fine up to ₹5 lakh.
Licence-specific failures carry their own consequences. Operating outside the endorsed product categories, failing the six-monthly testing condition, ignoring an improvement notice or falling short of Schedule 4 can lead to improvement notices, suspension or cancellation of the licence, and separate penalties for substandard or misbranded food. Unsafe food causing injury remains among the gravest offences under the Act.
Penalty ceilings are amended periodically and adjudication outcomes depend on the facts, so read these as statutory maxima rather than expected amounts.
How do you modify, migrate or transfer an FSSAI licence?
- Adding or dropping products — file a modification on FoSCoS with revised product endorsement
- Change of premises — usually a fresh application, since the licence is premises-specific
- Change in constitution, such as proprietorship to company — fresh licence in the new entity name
- Turnover crossing a band — migration through FoSCoS on self-declaration, designed to keep the same 14-digit number
- Change of nominee or technically qualified person — modification with the new appointment documents
- Death of a licensee — transfer to the legal representative or family member for the prescribed period
- Voluntary closure — surrender the licence rather than letting it lapse silently
Under the reformed framework, category migration on turnover is intended to happen automatically on the strength of self-declaration, without a modification fee or a change in the licence number. The simplification only works if the declaration is accurate — a stale self-declaration is an enforcement risk, not a saving.
What other approvals go alongside an FSSAI licence?
A licensed unit rarely runs on FSSAI alone. Manufacturing premises usually need a municipal trade licence and, above the prescribed occupancy thresholds, a fire licence. Exporters add an import export code and often an RCMC.
On the commercial side, packaged products need barcode registration for retail and marketplace listing, buyers increasingly ask for an ISO 22000 or FSSC-type certification, and meat exporters to notified destinations need a halal certificate under the i-CAS scheme.
Why choose Arjun Filings for FSSAI license?
Arjun Filings runs FSSAI license as a checklist-first engagement: a qualified CA or CS scopes the work, tells you exactly which documents are needed, and reviews every form before it is signed and submitted. You get a named specialist, a status update at each stage, and a compliance calendar for whatever comes next.
- End-to-end help for FSSAI license
- Department-ready document pack
- Application tracking updates
- Renewal calendar starter