Caterer permits and licenses, by state
A caterer's license lives with the kitchen, but the work moves from venue to venue, so the rules follow the food, not the address. You answer to county health for the kitchen, the state for your staff and any alcohol, and a separate temporary permit when you serve the public. Here is every credential you need, broken down by state and city.
These federal credentials apply to every caterer in the United States. State, county, and city requirements stack on top of them. Pick your state below to see what your state adds, then drill into your city for the local permits.
Federal requirements for caterers
These apply nationwide, so they are the same in every state. Your state and local guides below cover everything that stacks on top.
Federal level
2 credentials
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
A nine-digit federal tax ID for your business. Nearly every caterer needs one, because catering almost always means employees, and you need an EIN to hire, to form an LLC or corporation, and before you can get an Oregon BIN. A solo owner with no employees may use their SSN instead.
- Issued by
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Fee
- $0 (free)
- Renewal
- None (one-time)
- Processing
- Immediate online, about 4 weeks by mail
FDA Food Facility Registration
A caterer that cooks at its licensed kitchen and serves event guests is a restaurant or retail establishment in the FDA's eyes and is exempt from facility registration. Registration applies only in the narrow case where a caterer also manufactures packaged food for wholesale to stores or other businesses. Most event caterers never trigger it.
- Fee
- $0 (free; registration only)
- Renewal
- Every 2 years (renew October to December of even-numbered years)
- Processing
- Immediate online via the FDA FURLS system
Select a state
Each state guide covers the statewide credentials every caterer needs, plus city-by-city specifics for the cities we cover.
Run a caterer across more than one city?
Every jurisdiction has its own renewal calendar. CredentiAlert tracks them all in one dashboard so nothing slips.