Licences you need to open a restaurant in India

The registrations a new restaurant, café or cloud kitchen usually needs, what each one is for, and the order to get them in. Written for owners, not lawyers.

Rules differ by state and by city, and they change. This is general information, last checked in October 2026, not legal advice. Your municipal office, the state portal or a consultant has the final word for your address.

Needed by almost every restaurant

• FSSAI registration or licence. Every food business needs one before it starts selling. Which one you need depends on your yearly turnover; see the FSSAI guide for the 2026 limits. Apply on the FoSCoS portal.
• GST registration. Needed once your turnover crosses the threshold for services (₹20 lakh a year in most states, ₹10 lakh in some special-category states), and many owners register from day one so they can issue proper tax bills. Read GST on restaurant bills for what the bill must show.
• Shop and Establishment registration. Registers your business and your staff under the state’s labour law. Usually applied for online with the state labour department within a few weeks of opening.
• Health or trade licence from the municipality. Issued by your city corporation or municipal council after a hygiene check of the kitchen. Names differ: “health trade licence”, “trade licence”, “eating house licence”.
• Fire safety NOC. From the state fire department. Commonly required once you cross a seating or floor-area limit, or use LPG banks. Get the layout checked before you build, because changing exits later is expensive.

Needed only in some cases

• Eating house licence (police). Some cities ask for a separate police licence for places that serve food on the premises. The rule has been changed or removed in some cities, so ask your local office before paying an agent for it.
• Liquor licence. Only if you serve alcohol. It is a state licence, it is the most expensive one on this list, and it can take months, so apply early.
• Music licence. If you play recorded music, check what the copyright societies ask for in your area; live performances may need a separate permission.
• Signage licence. Some cities charge for a board outside the shop, especially a lit one.
• Pollution board consent. Larger kitchens, or those with a diesel generator, may need consent to establish and operate from the state pollution control board.
• Lift licence if your building has one for customers.

A sensible order

1. Sign the rent agreement with the kitchen use allowed in writing; you’ll need it for every application.
2. Get PAN, a bank account in the business name, and GST registration.
3. Apply for FSSAI and Shop and Establishment.
4. Have the fire layout approved before the fit-out, then the fire NOC and the municipal health licence once the kitchen is ready.
5. Liquor, music and signage as they apply to you.

Display the FSSAI number on the board, the menu and the bill. A delivery app will also ask for FSSAI, GST and PAN before it lists you.

After you open

Keep every licence, receipt and renewal date in one folder, and set reminders. Inspectors ask for bills too: a running bill number series, GST shown correctly, and daily sales records you can hand to your CA. RestroSimplify keeps those for you from the first bill.

Planning the money side too? Try the profit and break-even calculator.