Restaurant Licences in India: The Complete Checklist

Licensing is the stage that most often delays an opening, not because it is hard but because it is started late. Here is the full list, who issues each one, and the order we apply in.

What licences do you need to open a restaurant in India?

Almost every restaurant needs five: an FSSAI licence or registration, a health and trade licence from the local municipal body, a fire department no-objection certificate, a shops and establishment registration under the state act, and GST registration, which becomes mandatory once turnover crosses the threshold and is in practice taken before opening. Depending on what you serve and where, you may also need a state excise licence for alcohol, an eating house licence from the police, music licences, a signage licence and an environmental consent for larger kitchens.

Which FSSAI licence does a restaurant need?

It depends on annual turnover, and the bands changed on 1 April 2026 under the FSSAI order dated 13 March 2026. Food businesses with turnover up to 1.5 crore take a basic FSSAI registration. Above 1.5 crore and up to 50 crore they take a state licence. Above 50 crore they take a central licence. Businesses operating in more than one state, and certain business categories, follow the specific eligibility rules on the FoSCoS portal. Most independent restaurants now fall under registration or the state licence. The 14-digit FSSAI number must be displayed at the venue and printed on bills.

How does GST work for restaurants?

Standalone restaurants charge 5 percent GST without input tax credit. Restaurants inside hotels where room tariffs exceed 7,500 rupees a night charge 18 percent with input credit. Registration becomes mandatory once turnover crosses the threshold set under the GST law, and in practice every restaurant registers before opening because suppliers and aggregators ask for the GSTIN. Confirm current rates with your accountant, as GST rates are revised by the GST Council.

What does the liquor licence involve?

Each state runs its own excise rules, fees and categories. Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka each have separate bar licence types, annual fees that run into lakhs, and conditions on distance from schools and places of worship, minimum seating, and bar layout. Start the application the moment the site is confirmed, because excise approval is routinely the last licence to arrive and a bar cannot trade without it.

In what order should you apply?

• Week 1: GST registration and FSSAI application using the lease and layout.
• Week 1: excise application if alcohol is on the menu.
• Weeks 2 to 6: municipal health and trade licence with the approved layout.
• Weeks 4 to 8: fire NOC once sprinklers, extinguishers and exits are installed.
• Weeks 6 to 8: eating house licence where required, signage, music licences, shops and establishment.

Common reasons applications get rejected

A layout that does not match what the inspector sees on site, no separate hand-wash basin in the kitchen, kitchen exhaust discharging towards a neighbour, missing fire exits or blocked escape routes, and property documents where the landlord's permission for commercial use is missing. We walk every site against the checklist before any application goes in.

Rules change by state and municipality, so treat this as the map rather than the territory. Table & Fork confirms the exact list for your site early in the project and coordinates with a licensing agent so nothing is started late. Reviewed on 8 October 2026 against the FSSAI order of 13 March 2026 and the FoSCoS eligibility table (fssai.gov.in and foscos.fssai.gov.in). Licensing conditions vary by business category and state, so have a licensing professional confirm your list.