Food Licensing
Updated fees from 1 July
Starting from 1 July 2025, your food registration fees will include the Food Business Levy - (mpi.govt.nz). Click the link to view the current fees.
View all Licensing fees and charges.
Depending on where and how you plan to sell food, you might need one or more of these:
| Registration | Register to operate under a Food Control Plan or National Programme. |
|---|---|
| Permission | Approval from the landlord to register a homed-based kitchen on private land. Approval from Council for selling on public land in the form of a permit. |
| Permit | A mobile shop or market stall licence to operate a mobile food business. |
Licensing under the Food Act 2014
The Food Act 2014 came into effect in March 2016. It aims to promote food safety by focusing on food production processes and, to a lesser degree, the physical food premises.
The Act has a risk-based approach where businesses that are higher risk will operate under more strict food safety requirements than lower risk food businesses.
Depending on the type of business you have, you may:
- need to operate under a Food Control Plan (FCP),
- need to operate under a National Programme (NP) or
- be exempt (i.e. not need to operate under a plan or a programme).
Use the 'My Food Rules' tool (mpi.govt.nz) to determine what you may need. As a general guide, food manufacturers, restaurants, cafés, takeaways, dairies, grocery stores and similar food businesses will need to register.
Scope of operation
If you operate across multiple districts or your scope of operations is a National Programme (NP), you can register with Council or Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), however you will require a third-party verifier.
If you are required to hold a Custom Food Control Plan, you must register with MPI.
When you register your FCP with Council, we will contact you to complete a verification within six weeks of registration. Please ensure you submit your application when you are ready to start trading.
Food Business Registration and Renewals
All food businesses must be registered under the Food Act 2014, unless they meet specific exemption criteria. You can find out if an exemption applies to your business in the Exemption section on this page.
Please ensure that the relevant Scope of Operation form is completed and included with your Food Registration application. This information is required to assess the food activities conducted by your business and process your registration.
If you need help completing a form or have questions, please contact compliance.admin@rotorualc.nz or call 07 348 4199.
Once you have submitted the online application form you will be contacted by our Compliance Team.
If you are using the PDF application form, please contact us on 07 348 4199 to book an appointment with a licensing officer.
New Registration
Please complete the online form by clicking the button below.
Registrations are issued for different time periods depending on the type of plan:
- Food Control Plans are valid for one year
- National Programmes are valid for two years
Once your application has been assessed and approved, you will be issued a Certificate of Registration. Your business can begin operating from this point.
For new food businesses, an initial verification is carried out within 6 weeks of registration, to confirm food safety requirements are being met.
Please note:
It is an offence to operate a food business without a valid registration. Businesses that begin operating before approval may be subject to enforcement action, including infringement fines.
Renew Your Food Registration
It is important to renew your food registration before it expires. You cannot renew a registration after it has expired.
If your registration has expired, you will need to re-register by:
- Submitting a new Food Business Registration application (online form).
- Paying the full registration fee
- An initial verification will be conducted within six weeks from the date of registration
Re-registering your business may change how often your business is verified.
A valid registration is required. Operating without one may result in further action by the registration authority, such as an infringement notice or other follow-up action.
Renewal process
We will send you a renewal notice before your registration expires.
Tell us if your email or postal address has changed.
When you receive your renewal notice:
- Check that all details are correct.
- Follow the instructions to pay your renewal fee.
New/Change of ownership
If you have just taken over a food business, you need to apply for your own food control plan registration. You cannot change the name of the registration from the previous owner’s name to your name.
If you sell your business, you must notify Council.
The new owners must notify as soon as possible of taking over the business and a new registration application must be submitted.
Email complianceadmin@rotorualc.nz if you need to update any registration details.
What happens after you register
If your registration is approved, a Council verifier will contact you to arrange for a verification, confirming that the food you make is likely to be safe and suitable. They will inspect the premises and verify your plan. Verifications will have two possible outcomes:
- acceptable
- unacceptable.
Depending on the outcome, the next verification date will be set. Businesses with good compliance history are inspected less frequently than businesses with repeat non-compliances. Serious non-compliances or a history of unacceptable outcomes may result in enforcement action.
Verification of your food business
All registered food businesses must be checked to confirm they are producing safe and suitable food. This check is known as a verification.
Once your registration is approved, a verifier will contact you to arrange your first visit.
Who carries out your verification
Who verifies your business depends on the type of plan you operate under:
- Food Control Plan (FCP)
Verification is carried out by a Food Verifier from Rotorua Lakes Council.
- National Programme (NP)
Verification is carried out by an independent verifier recognised by MPI.
If your business operates under a National Programme, you must provide a confirmation of verification services letter from your chosen verifier before your registration application can be accepted.
Find a verifier on the Ministry of Primary Industries website - Getting your food business verified | NZ Government
How often verifications occur
How often you get checked will depend on the risk level. Businesses with strong food safety practices may be verified less often, while those needing improvement may be checked more frequently.
Verification Frequency
Determining Verification Frequencies 26 July 2022
- New businesses are verified within 6 weeks of registration
- Existing businesses are generally verified within 3 months to 18 months of renewal
Preparing for your verification
There are several things you can do to prepare for your verification.
- Have your Food Control Plan details on site
- Ensure staff are familiar with food safety procedures
- Make sure records are complete, organised, and easy to follow
- Ensure any cleaning, maintenance, or repairs are up to date
- Allow enough time — most verifications take around 2 hours, but this may vary depending on your business
If you use electronic records, ensure they are accessible during the visit.
What we assess
The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) have identified five verification criteria for the purpose of checking your level of compliance with good food safety practices and record keeping – as required with a food control plan or a national programme.
These major criteria include:
Verification criteria | Description |
Confidence in management | Includes registration, scope of operations, management of the plan and corrective actions. |
Food Safety Behaviour | Includes staff training, personal hygiene, knowledge of products, food standards code compliance |
Process control | How food is managed, temperatures, hazard control, suppliers and receiving goods. |
Environmental control | Includes cleaning, storage, pest control, maintenance and premises design. |
Compliance history | Includes improvements and previous issues as well as how corrective actions and complaints have been managed |
Within each of these criteria there are several verification topics some of which are mandatory for verifiers to review. Initial verifications cover all audit tops with subsequent verifications covering the mandatory and food safety audit topics identified by MPI.
Verification topics not covered during a verification are generally reviewed on the next verification. We will need to verify enough topics to be certain you understand how to manage your food safely.
Verification Outcomes
At the end of your verification, you will receive one of two overall outcomes:
Acceptable - an acceptable verification outcome indicates that the food business is generally meeting the requirements of the Food Act and applicable food safety measures. Corrective actions may still be raised for any non-compliances identified during the verification and must be addressed within the required timeframe.
Unacceptable - an unacceptable verification outcome may be issued where significant or critical non-compliances are identified, where there is a substantial number of non-conformances, or where the overall level of compliance is insufficient. In these cases, corrective actions will be required to address the identified issues.
Closing out your Verification
If issues are identified, your verifier may issue corrective actions (CARs). These are steps you must complete before the verification can be closed.
Please note:
- All verifications must be formally closed out, even if the outcome is acceptable or unacceptable
- You will need to provide evidence or records to confirm issues have been resolved
- In some cases, a follow-up visit may be required
- Time spent on follow-up work is cost recoverable
- Two consecutive unacceptable verifications will lead to a Food Safety Officer intervention
If you do not understand what is required of you, please contact a Licensing Officer at complianceadmin@rotorualc.nz
Booking your next Verification
After your initial verification, it is the food business operator’s responsibility to ensure future verifications are carried out on time.
This means you must contact Rotorua Lakes Council to book your next verification before it is due by emailing complianceadmin@rotorualc.nz
Taking over an existing food business
If you are the new owner of a food business, you may or may not need to re-register your Food Control Plan or National Programmes. This depends on how much the business is changing, or not.
Significant Amendment to Food Registration
If your food business is registered with Rotorua Lakes Council, you may apply for a significant amendment to your Food Registration.
If your food business is not registered with Rotorua Lakes Council, you must contact the relevant registration authority you are registered with or the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) - (mpi.govt.nz) to complete this process.
Rotorua Lakes Council can only process amendments for food businesses registered with us.
What is considered a significant change?
A significant change in circumstances includes any change to:
Make changes to the scope of operation
If you are changing the scope of your operation by making or selling different types of food, this may result in your operation being a different level of National Programme or requiring a Food Control Plan.
Change the legal entity of your business
You cannot make changes to the legal entity; you are required to apply for a new registration if you wish to do this.
New Food Business Registration - online form
Change the trading name of your business
If you wish to change the trading name of your business.
Change the physical address of your food business
If you wish to change the physical location of your food premise, you will have to have another verification to ensure your new site is suitable. Usual verification costs will apply.
Add a new Site
If you wish to add a new site.
Surrender your Food Business Registration
If you wish to surrender your Food Business Registration
Voluntarily Suspend Operations
If you wish to Voluntarily Suspend Operations the minimum time frame is 3 months and the maximum time frame is 12 months.
Please use the form below if you need to make any of the changes listed above.
Change of Details
Updating contact details or postal address
Please use the form below if you need to make minor changes such as updating your postal address, email address or phone number. There are no charges to make these changes. Please use the form below.
Voluntary Suspension of your food business
If you are planning to temporarily stop operating your food business, you can apply for a voluntary suspension of your registration. Link to Significant amendment
Cancelling your food business registration
If you have stopped operating your food business and no longer require registration, you must notify Rotorua Lakes Council to have your registration cancelled. Please use the form below.
Registration exemptions
Certain activities and businesses are exempt from having to register. Examples include:
- Fundraising up to twenty times a year
- Once-a-year operations (such as at a Christmas Parade)
- Some accommodation providers
- Some clubs and organisations where the sale of food is not the primary activity.
Read more about who is exempt from registering on the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) website.
Mobile shops, food trucks and market stalls
If you intend to sell food from a non-fixed location such as a food truck or market stall, you will likely need an additional permit and/or permission from the landowner. Read more about permits for these types of food businesses on the Selling in Public Places page.
Food Business Levy
The Food Business Levy was introduced by central government in 2024.
It’s an annual fee that comes in to effect from 1 July 2025 and applies to all food businesses.
As your registration authority, we will:
- collect the levy for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)
- transfer the levy directly to MPI
If the levy isn’t paid on time, your debt will be sent to MPI. They may also charge penalties, including interest.
How we’ll charge the Food Business Levy
The Food Business Levy will be charged annually in August. The levy applies to all food businesses operating under a National Programme or a Food Control Plan—no matter when your registration renews.
Your total fee will include:
- the council’s registration or renewal fee
- the annual Food Business Levy - (mpi.govt.nz)
- a $12.65 collection fee for processing the levy
How the Food Business Levy is applied for multi-site registrations
If you run a food business with multi-site registration, the way we apply the levy will depend on the type of registration.
Registration type | How the Food Business Levy is charged | Example |
|---|---|---|
Template Food Control Plan | Food Business Levy charged per site | If you run your business from three sites, you will pay: a registration or renewal feea Food Business Levy for each site, andthe Food Business Levy collection fee. |
National Programme | Food Business Levy charged per registered business | If you run your business from three sites, you will pay: registration or renewal feeone Food Business Levy, and the Food Business Levy collection fee. |
Food Business Levy fees
The levy will be phased in over three years.
Year | Fee (includes GST) |
|---|---|
1 July to 30 June 2027 | $99.19 |
1 July 2027 | $132.25 |
Report A Business That Sells Food
If you are concerned about the way a food business is operating, you can report it to Rotorua Lakes Council using the link below:
