What Are the FSSAI Registration Rules in 2026?

Everything that changed under the 2026 amendment: the new ₹1.5 crore threshold, perpetual licences, and exactly which FSSAI category your hotel, restaurant, or cloud kitchen falls into.

Quick Answer: From 1 April 2026, FSSAI Basic Registration applies to any food business with annual turnover up to ₹1.5 crore, up from ₹12 lakh. State Licence covers ₹1.5 crore to ₹50 crore, and Central Licence applies above ₹50 crore or to specific high-risk or pan-India categories regardless of turnover. Licences issued on or after 1 April 2026 are perpetually valid, with no renewal, though the annual fee still applies. Hotels are assessed by star rating, not just turnover: 5-star and above always need a Central Licence. A hotel or restaurant selling through its own website, app, or aggregators such as Zomato or Swiggy still holds its own Restaurant or Hotel licence, because the separate e-commerce category applies to the platform operator, not to each listed outlet. Every food business must hold either a Registration or a Licence: there is no exemption below ₹1.5 crore, only a lighter category.

Last updated: 13 August 2026

Why Does This Guide Matter Right Now?

If you run a food business in India, from a neighbourhood bakery to a five-star hotel chain, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) governs whether you can legally manufacture, store, distribute, or serve food at all. In March 2026, FSSAI notified the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026, and directed licensing authorities to apply the revised rules from 1 April 2026. This is the most significant overhaul of the licensing framework in over a decade, and it changes who needs a Registration, a State Licence, or a Central Licence, and how long that approval stays valid.

This guide breaks down the amended framework in plain language, walks through every category of food business recognised by FSSAI, and then goes deep on the sectors that generate the most confusion: hotels, restaurants, and their online sales channels. LexComply's earlier note on the revised turnover threshold set out the headline change.

What Is FSSAI Registration, and Who Needs It?

FSSAI is the statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act) to regulate and supervise food safety across India. Anyone who manufactures, processes, packages, stores, transports, distributes, sells, or imports food, including hotels, restaurants, caterers, cloud kitchens, street vendors, and e-commerce food sellers, is a Food Business Operator (FBO) and must hold either an FSSAI Registration or an FSSAI Licence before commencing operations.

There is no turnover level at which a food business is exempt from FSSAI altogether. The ₹1.5 crore figure is a category threshold, not an exemption line: below it, you need Basic Registration; above it, you move into State or Central Licensing. Operating without any registration or licence is a criminal offence under the FSS Act, not merely a compliance lapse.

What Changed Under the 2026 Amendment?

The 2026 amendment was informed by NITI Aayog's High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms and is aimed squarely at cutting compliance friction for small and mid-sized food businesses, while tightening oversight where food safety risk is genuinely higher. Four changes matter most.

How Much Did the Turnover Thresholds Rise?

The Basic Registration ceiling has jumped from ₹12 lakh to ₹1.5 crore in annual turnover, a more than 12x increase. State Licence now covers ₹1.5 crore to ₹50 crore, up from bands that typically topped out around ₹20 to 30 crore depending on category, and Central Licence applies above ₹50 crore. This pulls a large number of small restaurants, retailers, and home-based food businesses out of the licensing bracket and into the lighter registration bracket.

Does Perpetual Validity Remove the Renewal Requirement?

FSSAI Registrations and Licences issued on or after 1 April 2026 no longer expire on a fixed date and do not need to be renewed. They remain valid until suspended, cancelled, or voluntarily surrendered. Annual regulatory fees still apply and can be paid in advance for multiple years, and FBOs must continue to file the applicable annual or periodic returns. Perpetual validity removes the renewal paperwork, not the ongoing compliance obligation.

Are Street Vendors Now Deemed Registered?

Vendors already registered under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 are now deemed registered under the FSS Act as well, removing a duplicate registration step for India's street food economy.

What Is the Risk-Based Inspection Framework?

In exchange for lighter entry barriers, FSSAI has moved toward risk-based inspections. Higher-risk categories, such as meat and dairy processing, health supplements and infant food, will see more frequent and rigorous scrutiny, while low-risk small businesses see fewer routine inspections.

What Are the Three FSSAI Approval Types?

FSSAI Basic Registration

For the smallest food businesses, with annual turnover up to ₹1.5 crore, or production up to 100 kg or litre per day for manufacturers. Issued by the state-level Registering Authority. This is the fastest and least document-intensive route, common for home kitchens, small retailers, petty vendors, and small restaurants.

FSSAI State Licence

For mid-sized operations, with turnover between ₹1.5 crore and ₹50 crore. Thresholds vary slightly by category, and manufacturing units are additionally gated by production volume. Issued by the State Food Safety Commissioner. Most standalone restaurants, 1 to 4 star hotels, distributors, and regional manufacturers fall here once they scale past the registration threshold.

FSSAI Central Licence

For large operations, with turnover above ₹50 crore, and for categories FSSAI treats as inherently high-oversight regardless of size: importers, exporters, e-commerce food businesses, 5-star-and-above hotels, proprietary food manufacturers, and health supplement or nutraceutical makers. Issued directly by FSSAI at the central level.

Which FSSAI Category Does Your Business Fall Into?

FSSAI classifies food businesses into seven broad categories, each with its own kind-of-business list and thresholds, set out in the Food Safety and Standards regulations. The tables below summarise the full landscape, useful as a reference regardless of where your business sits today, since these are also the categories you may need as you expand into manufacturing, distribution, or export.

Manufacturing and Processing

Storage

Trade and Distribution

Transportation

Petty Food Business and Government Premises

How Are Restaurants Licensed Under FSSAI?

Restaurants, including quick-service outlets, fine dining, take-out counters, delivery-only operations, and cloud kitchens, are licensed purely on annual turnover:

Cloud kitchens and delivery-only brands are explicitly covered under the same Restaurant kind of business, so a virtual brand operating out of a single kitchen is licensed exactly like a dine-in restaurant of equivalent turnover.

How Are Hotels Licensed Under FSSAI?

Hotels are treated differently from restaurants because FSSAI ties the licence tier to star rating, not just turnover, reflecting the higher food-safety risk profile of large, multi-outlet hospitality operations:

A practical implication: a 5-star hotel with modest food and beverage turnover still needs a Central Licence purely because of its star classification. Turnover does not override the star-rating trigger for top-tier properties.

When Does a Hotel or Restaurant Need More Than One Licence?

Most hotels and restaurants correctly register their core food-service operation, then overlook one or more of the following activities happening under the same brand, each of which can trigger a separate FSSAI category.

Do In-House Bakeries and Packaged Items Need a Separate Licence?

If a hotel or restaurant manufactures bakery products, sauces, packaged snacks, or similar items on-site, whether sold loose at the counter or in sealed packaging, that activity falls under the Manufacturer or Processing Unit category. That category is assessed on production volume in kg per day, not on the food-service turnover threshold. A hotel comfortably inside Registration for its restaurant turnover could still need a State or even Central manufacturing licence if its bakery daily output crosses the volume bands.

What Is the Proprietary Food Risk for Branded In-House Products?

Bakery, confectionery, or packaged items sold under the hotel or restaurant own brand may be classified by FSSAI as Proprietary Food, which is food for which no compositional standard has been prescribed under the FSS Act. Proprietary Food requires a Central Licence irrespective of production scale. This classification is fact-specific. It depends on the exact product and its composition against notified food standards. Hotels and restaurants selling branded packaged food should get each product line individually assessed, rather than assuming their existing State licence covers it.

When Does Repacker Status Apply?

When a hotel or restaurant buys products from third-party manufacturers and repacks or relabels them under its own brand, such as in-room amenities, gift hampers or branded snack packs, that activity falls under the Repacker category. Repacking is assessed the same way as general manufacturing, by production or packing volume or turnover.

What Is the Difference Between a Retailer and a Repacker?

Selling a third party products under that third party own brand, for example a hotel gift shop selling branded snacks or beverages as-is, is Retailer activity, licensed purely on turnover. This is a materially lighter compliance path than Repacker or Proprietary Food status. The difference hinges entirely on whose brand appears on the product.

Do Health and Nutrition Claims Change the Licence?

If any product sold by the hotel or restaurant carries a health claim, such as a protein shake, an immunity-boosting item, or a supplement bar, it falls under the Food or Health Supplements and Nutraceuticals category. That category requires a Central Licence regardless of production scale, along with compliance with the FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals) Regulations, 2016. Marketing teams often add health claims to menu items without realising this triggers a separate, stricter licensing category and labelling regime.

How Are Banquets, Catering and Off-Premises Events Treated?

A hotel that caters weddings, conferences, or off-site events beyond its own restaurant premises is also operating as a Caterer, and a hotel running a banquet hall function falls under the Banquet Hall category. Both are licensed on turnover, with Registration up to ₹1.5 crore and State beyond that, separately from the core hotel food-service licence.

Do You Need an FSSAI E-Commerce Licence to Sell Online?

Selling food online, through your own website or app or through aggregators, is now the default channel for most hotels and restaurants, so it deserves its own compliance check. FSSAI treats e-commerce as a distinct kind of business under Schedule 1 of the Licensing and Registration Regulations, but who needs which approval depends on your role in the transaction.

What Applies When Selling on Zomato or Swiggy?

When a hotel or restaurant lists on a food-delivery aggregator, the hotel or restaurant does not need a separate e-commerce FSSAI licence for itself. It continues to operate under its own Restaurant or Hotel category, based on turnover or star rating as set out above. The aggregator owns and operates the online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers, so it is the one required to hold the Central e-commerce Licence. Aggregator platforms must also display each listed outlet FSSAI number and verify it is current before onboarding.

In practice, most aggregators additionally require partner outlets to hold at least a State Licence as a platform policy, even where the outlet turnover would technically qualify it for Basic Registration. This is a commercial condition set by the platform, not a statutory FSSAI requirement, so it is worth confirming current onboarding criteria directly with the aggregator.

What Applies When Selling Through Your Own Website or App?

A hotel or restaurant taking orders directly through its own website or app for its own food is running a single-brand, direct-to-consumer channel. It is generally still licensed under its Restaurant or Hotel category based on turnover, in the same way a phone-order or dine-in sale would be, because it is not operating a marketplace for third-party sellers.

The position changes where the online platform itself functions as a marketplace. An example is a hospitality group app or portal through which multiple independent brands, franchisees, or third-party kitchens transact and where the group facilitates payment and order fulfilment between buyer and seller. That marketplace layer can fall within the FSSAI e-commerce kind of business, which requires a Central Licence regardless of turnover, held by the entity operating the platform, in addition to each participating outlet own licence.

What Should Hospitality Groups Check in Practice?

• Confirm your existing Restaurant or Hotel licence number is correctly displayed and current on every aggregator listing and your own ordering channels. This is now an explicit compliance point under the 2026 framework.
• If your business operates a single-brand website or app selling only your own food, your existing Restaurant or Hotel licence is generally sufficient, subject to the marketplace point below.
• If your group digital platform allows multiple outlets, brands, or third-party sellers to transact through it, have the platform specifically assessed for a separate Central e-commerce Licence requirement.
• Re-verify aggregator-specific onboarding requirements periodically, since platform policies can be stricter than the statutory minimum.

What Is the Practical Takeaway for Hospitality Groups?

1. Map every food-related revenue line separately: restaurant, room service, banquet and catering, in-house bakery, branded retail, online and aggregator sales, and any health-claim products.
2. A single hotel brand can legitimately need more than one FSSAI approval running in parallel. This is normal, not a red flag, as long as each activity is correctly licensed.
3. Star rating determines the hotel core food-service licence tier. It does not determine the tier for manufacturing, repacking, e-commerce, or health-supplement activity under the same roof.
4. Get proprietary food, health-claim and multi-brand e-commerce-platform classifications reviewed activity by activity, before assuming an existing licence covers them.

How Do You Apply for FSSAI Registration or a Licence?

1. Identify your category and threshold. Map your turnover, and for manufacturers your production volume, against the tables above.
2. Create an account on FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System), the FSSAI online licensing portal.
3. Fill in Form A for Registration, or Form B for a State or Central Licence, with business details, ownership structure, and the food categories you intend to deal in.
4. Upload supporting documents, including identity and address proof, business constitution documents, a layout plan of the premises, and category-specific documents such as a NOC from the local municipal body or a water testing report where applicable.
5. Pay the applicable government fee, which varies by category and licence tier. Basic Registration fees are nominal, while State and Central fees scale with licence duration and business size.
6. Track the application through FoSCoS. Registration is typically issued within 7 days if documents are in order. State and Central Licences involve document scrutiny and, for higher-risk categories, a premises inspection.
7. Display the registration certificate or licence number prominently at the business premises, on food packaging, on delivery invoices, and on every aggregator or online listing.
8. Maintain ongoing compliance, including annual returns, fee payments even under perpetual validity, and readiness for risk-based inspections.

Which Documents Are Typically Required?

• Passport-size photograph and government ID proof of the proprietor, partners or directors.
• Proof of possession of premises, such as a rent agreement, NOC from the owner, or property documents.
• Business constitution certificate, such as a partnership deed, incorporation certificate, or equivalent.
• List of food products or categories to be manufactured, stored, distributed, or sold.
• Layout plan of the processing or storage unit, for manufacturing and storage licences.
• Water testing report from a recognised laboratory, for manufacturing units.
• Import Export Code, where applicable, for importers and exporters.
• Declaration form and, for Central Licences, additional technical documents depending on the food category.

What Are the Penalties for Non-Compliance?

The FSS Act, 2006 treats operating without a valid FSSAI Registration or Licence as an offence, not merely an administrative gap. Key provisions relevant to hotels and restaurants include the following.

These offence provisions sit in the FSS Act itself and were not altered by the 2026 amendment, which deals with licensing thresholds and validity under subordinate regulations, not the underlying penal framework. The compliance stakes for operating unlicensed, or misclassifying a business category, remain exactly as serious as before.

What Are the Common Mistakes in FSSAI Classification?

Each point below is the inverse of a rule set out above:

1. Reading ₹1.5 crore as an exemption line rather than as the boundary between Registration and Licensing.
2. Licensing a 5-star hotel on turnover, when star classification governs the tier regardless of food and beverage revenue.
3. Assuming the restaurant licence covers the in-house bakery, which is assessed on daily production volume instead.
4. Adding a health claim to a menu item without realising it triggers the Central-only nutraceutical category.
5. Applying for an e-commerce licence merely because the outlet lists on an aggregator, when that obligation sits with the platform operator.
6. Treating perpetual validity as the end of compliance, when the annual fee and periodic returns continue.

Getting Your FSSAI Classification Right the First Time

The 2026 amendment genuinely lightens the compliance load for most small and mid-sized food businesses. For hotels, restaurants, and multi-format hospitality groups, it also raises the cost of misclassification. A single property can legitimately need parallel approvals across food service, manufacturing, repacking, e-commerce, and health-supplement categories, and getting even one of them wrong exposes the business to penalties that have nothing to do with actual food safety and everything to do with paperwork.

Food service also sits alongside local licensing, as LexComply's note on the Delhi eating house licence shows, and tracking all of it together across entities and locations is what a compliance management platform is built to do.

How Can LexComply Help?

LexComply's regulatory compliance team helps hotels, restaurants, and F&B businesses map every revenue line to the correct FSSAI category. The team also handles end-to-end Registration, State and Central Licence applications through FoSCoS, and keeps businesses audit-ready under the new risk-based inspection regime. Reach out to LexComply to get your FSSAI classification and applications reviewed before your next audit or expansion.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is intended for general informational purposes. It reflects the FSSAI Licensing and Registration (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 as notified and implemented from 1 April 2026, and the relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, based on publicly available regulatory sources as of the date of publication. It is not a substitute for a case-specific legal or regulatory opinion. Food business operators should have their exact product and business mix reviewed before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every hotel and restaurant need FSSAI registration, even a small dhaba or home-based caterer?

Yes. Every food business operator, regardless of size, must hold either FSSAI Basic Registration or a Licence. Small operations with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore need Basic Registration, the cheapest and simplest tier, not an exemption.

Is FSSAI registration now permanent, and do I never need to renew it?

Registrations and licences issued on or after 1 April 2026 have perpetual validity and do not need periodic renewal. You still pay the annual regulatory fee, which can be prepaid for multiple years, and must keep filing required returns.

My restaurant has a State Licence, so does that cover my in-house bakery and packaged snacks?

Not necessarily. In-house manufacturing such as bakery, packaged sauces and snacks is assessed under the separate Manufacturer or Processing Unit category, based on production volume. Branded packaged items may additionally qualify as Proprietary Food, which needs a Central Licence regardless of scale.

What licence does a 5-star hotel need if its food and beverage turnover is under ₹50 crore?

Still a Central Licence. For hotels, FSSAI ties the licence tier to star classification, not turnover, so 5-star and above always requires Central Licensing regardless of revenue.

Do I need a separate FSSAI e-commerce licence to sell on Zomato or Swiggy, or through my own restaurant app?

Generally no. Your restaurant continues to operate under its own Restaurant or Hotel Registration or Licence based on turnover or star rating. The separate Central e-commerce Licence is required for the entity operating the marketplace platform itself, whether that is the aggregator or your own multi-brand platform.

Can I run a cloud kitchen under FSSAI Basic Registration?

Yes, if annual turnover is up to ₹1.5 crore. Cloud kitchens are licensed exactly like dine-in restaurants, on turnover, moving to a State Licence beyond ₹1.5 crore and a Central Licence beyond ₹50 crore.

What happens if I operate a food business without any FSSAI registration or licence?

It is a punishable offence under Section 63 of the FSS Act, 2006: imprisonment up to 6 months and a fine up to ₹5 lakh for operating without a valid registration or licence, independent of any product safety issue.

Do street food vendors need a separate FSSAI registration if they are already registered under the Street Vendors Act, 2014?

No. Under the 2026 amendment, vendors registered under the Street Vendors Act, 2014 are deemed registered under the FSS Act automatically, removing the need for a duplicate FSSAI application.

Where do I apply for FSSAI registration or a licence?

Applications are filed online through FoSCoS, the Food Safety Compliance System, at foscos.fssai.gov.in, which is the official FSSAI licensing portal.