FSSAI Registration: Who Needs It and How to Apply (2026)

If your business makes, packs, stores, moves or sells food, the law expects you to hold an FSSAI registration or licence. FSSAI stands for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the body that sets food safety rules, and the registration is its way of knowing who is in the food chain and holding them to a standard. It matters for a food stall and for a factory alike, and the tier you need depends mostly on how big you are. This guide explains who needs it, how the three tiers work by turnover, the documents you will gather, the online application process, and how validity and renewal work. It keeps the exact numbers general where they are revised over time, so check the current thresholds on the FSSAI portal before you file.

Who needs an FSSAI registration

The simple rule is that if food changes hands for money at any point through your business, you need an FSSAI registration or licence. The list of covered businesses is long and includes:

• Makers and processors: manufacturers, packers, and units that process or repackage food.
• The supply chain: storage units, cold stores, transporters, distributors and wholesalers.
• Sellers: retailers, kirana shops that stock packaged food, supermarkets and hawkers.
• Food service: restaurants, dhabas, canteens, caterers, cloud kitchens and tiffin services.
• Small and home-based sellers: home bakers, pickle and masala makers, and anyone selling food online through social media or delivery apps.

The point to take away is that being small does not exempt you. A single stall or a home kitchen still needs at least the basic registration, and delivery platforms usually will not list you without an FSSAI number.

The three tiers, set by turnover and scale

FSSAI approval comes in three tiers, and which one you need is decided mainly by your annual turnover and the scale and reach of your operation. Understanding the tiers stops you applying for the wrong one:

• Basic Registration: for the smallest food businesses below the basic turnover threshold, such as petty retailers, small hawkers, home-based sellers and tiny units.
• State Licence: for medium businesses whose turnover is above the basic threshold and up to the state ceiling, operating within a single state, such as mid-sized manufacturers, larger restaurants and storage units.
• Central Licence: for large businesses above the state ceiling, and regardless of turnover for importers, exporters, operators at ports and airports, large manufacturers, and businesses working across several states or supplying government.

As your turnover grows you move up a tier, so treat the licence as something that follows the size of your business rather than a one-time box to tick.

Which tier fits your business

Here is a plain comparison of the three tiers, kept general on numbers because the exact turnover limits are set by FSSAI and revised from time to time:

If you are unsure which band you fall in, base it on your expected turnover for the year and the scale of your activity, and when in doubt confirm on the FSSAI portal, because applying under too low a tier can mean re-doing the application.

Documents you will need

The exact list depends on the tier and your kind of business, but most applications draw from the same set of documents, so gathering these in advance makes the filing quick:

• Identity proof: a government photo ID of the proprietor, partners or directors.
• Address proof: proof of the business premises, such as a rent agreement or a utility bill.
• Photograph: a passport-size photo of the applicant.
• Business constitution: proof of the entity, such as a partnership deed or incorporation papers where relevant.
• Food details: a list of the food products or categories you deal in.
• For licences: additional papers such as a layout plan of the unit, a list of equipment, a water test report where required, and a food safety management plan, since a licence expects more than a basic registration.

Higher tiers ask for more, so a Central Licence application is heavier than a basic registration. Prepare clear scans, because unreadable uploads are a common reason for a query and a delay.

The online application process

FSSAI registration is handled online through the official FSSAI portal, and the broad flow is the same across tiers even as the forms are updated:

• Create an account: sign up on the FSSAI food licensing portal.
• Choose the right category: select basic registration, state licence or central licence based on your turnover and activity.
• Fill the form: enter the business, owner and premises details and the food categories you handle.
• Upload documents: attach the identity, address and other papers for your tier.
• Pay the fee: the fee depends on the tier and the number of years you choose.
• Submit and track: the department reviews the application, may seek clarification, and for licences may inspect the premises before approval.

Once approved, you receive your registration or licence carrying a fourteen-digit FSSAI number. That number is not just for your file, it must be displayed on your premises and printed on your food packaging and, in many cases, on your bills, so customers and inspectors can see you are registered.

Validity, renewal and staying compliant

An FSSAI registration or licence is issued for a fixed period, which you choose when applying, commonly anywhere from one to five years, with the fee scaled to the period. It is not permanent. You must renew it before it expires, and the sensible practice is to begin the renewal comfortably ahead of the expiry so there is no gap in which you are trading without a valid licence. A lapsed registration can attract penalties and can get you delisted from delivery platforms.

Beyond renewal, staying compliant means keeping your details current. If you change premises, add a new food category, or cross into a higher turnover band, update or upgrade your registration rather than carrying on under the old one. FSSAI also expects registered businesses to follow hygiene and labelling standards, so the licence is a commitment to a standard, not only a certificate on the wall.

Why registration is worth it beyond the law

It is easy to see FSSAI as one more compliance chore, but it earns its place for the business too. A visible FSSAI number builds trust with customers who increasingly check for it, it is a gate to selling on delivery apps and to institutional buyers who will not deal with an unregistered supplier, and it protects you from the penalties and shutdown risk that come with operating without one. Treated well, the registration is part of looking like a serious food business rather than an informal one.

The bottom line

If you deal in food, FSSAI registration is not optional, and the tier you need follows your turnover and scale, from basic registration for the smallest sellers up to a central licence for large or multi-state operators. Gather your documents, apply through the FSSAI portal under the right category, display your fourteen-digit number, and renew before it lapses. With the licence in place, IndiaCRM helps you run the food business itself, with billing, GST invoices and inventory in one free app, so your GST billing and your stock stay tidy alongside your compliance. Get the mobile app and keep the whole operation in one place.