Food Vending License Requirements in New Jersey

A food vending license is one of the most important items you will need in food service. In New Jersey, the food vending license allows a license applicant to sell food, legally, for distribution or consumption. The state of New Jersey grants food vending licenses to those who meet the food vending license requirement criteria of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

Applicant must provide three passport size pictures and a copy of the applicant’s driver's license or state identification or passport.

If the applicant is the one supplying the food service, he must provide his Social Security number. If the applicant is applying on behalf of his or her employer(s) or the owner(s) of the business, then applicant must provide their Social Security numbers.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services offers a food vending license application on its website. The application consists of an information section about the applicant or applicant’s employer and a brief statement about what your business will entail. If the food is to be sold on public property, the affidavit must be signed by the body or organization who controls the public property, and if the food is to be sold on private property, the affidavit must be signed by the property owner or his representative.

The Certificate of Authority is a legal document issued by the New Jersey Division of Taxation. The certificate is given after you obtain corporate and federal tax identification numbers. You must register your food service as a business and then you register the business for tax and employer purposes to obtain the corporate and federal tax identification numbers.

The party providing the food service must register their business with the United States Food and Drug Administration.

A fee of $14.38 is required for each location where the applicant or the applicant’s employer will provide the food service. If the applicant plans on providing food services through a vending machine, the applicant must also pay an additional fee of $40 for the first vending machine and $5.75 per machine for any other used vending machine.

Regardless of whether a food vending license was issued in the middle of the year, all food vending licenses expire on December 31 of the year when the license was issued. Applicants or their employers must again repeat the requirements above and submit all documents no later than December 20. Failure to comply will result in a $100 late fee.