Pick the wrong FSSAI category and you either overpay for the wrong licence - or operate under-licensed until a Food Safety Officer notices. From 1 April 2026, the turnover bands that decide Registration, State, and Central have changed.

If you manufacture, pack, store, distribute, sell, import, or serve food in India, you are a Food Business Operator under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Section 31 says you cannot commence or carry on food business without the correct registration or licence. Section 63, as amended by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (effective 1 August 2024), makes operating without a required licence liable to a penalty that may extend to ₹10 lakh. This guide shows which FSSAI license you need after the April 2026 threshold reform, what still forces a Central licence regardless of turnover, and how to apply on FoSCoS without guessing.

What Changed on 1 April 2026 - and Why It Matters for Your FSSAI License

Until March 2026, most guides still quoted the old bands: Registration up to ₹12 lakh turnover, State licence from ₹12 lakh to ₹20 crore, Central licence above ₹20 crore. Those numbers are obsolete for categorisation.

FSSAI notified the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026 (Gazette Notification No. RCD-01002/1/2021-Regulatory-FSSAI-Part(1), dated 10 March 2026). The implementation order dated 13 March 2026 set revised annual turnover thresholds with effect from 1 April 2026:

Category | Annual turnover (food business) | Typical issuer

Registration | Up to ₹1.5 crore | State / UT registering authority

State licence | Above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore | State / UT licensing authority

Central licence | Above ₹50 crore | Central Licensing Authority

That is not a minor tweak. A unit doing ₹80 lakh a year that previously needed a State licence can now sit on Registration - if turnover is the only criterion that applies to its Kind of Business (KoB). A manufacturer at ₹30 crore that once sat under Central can now remain on a State licence - again, only if no activity-based Central trigger applies.

FSSAI’s FAQ order dated 27 March 2026 clarifies three operational points owners keep getting wrong:

  1. New applications on or after 1 April 2026 use the revised bands.
  2. Existing FBOs get time to migrate on FoSCoS; licence numbers do not change on category migration.
  3. Licences and registrations issued on or after 1 April 2026 carry perpetual validity, subject to compliance and risk-based inspections - you still pay the annual fee, but the old multi-year renewal cycle for new grants is gone.

If your CA, consultant, or old blog post still says “₹12 lakh / ₹20 crore,” ignore it for any decision after 1 April 2026.

Registration, State, or Central - How to Decide Without Guessing

Turnover is the headline test. It is not the only test. FoSCoS uses a Kind of Business eligibility matrix. Some KoBs force a Central licence even if your turnover is well below ₹50 crore.

Step 1: Confirm you are an FBO

You need FSSAI cover if you handle food for commercial purposes: manufacturing, processing, packing, relabelling, storage, distribution, retail, catering, restaurants, cloud kitchens, mid-day meal contracts, e-commerce food sales, import, or export. Petty operators still need Registration under Section 31(2) of the Act unless a specific exemption applies (for example, street vendors covered by deemed registration under the Street Vendors Act, 2014, as clarified in the 2026 reforms).

Step 2: Apply the April 2026 turnover bands

Use your food-business annual turnover, not a vague “group revenue” figure that mixes non-food lines. Match the band in the table above.

Step 3: Check activity-based Central triggers

Even below ₹50 crore, a Central FSSAI license is commonly required when your KoB is one of the following (always verify the live FoSCoS matrix before you pay):

Multi-state operators: the head office typically needs Central cover; each unit still needs its own Registration, State, or Central authorisation based on that unit’s turnover and KoB. One Central certificate on the HO letterhead does not magically cover every factory and warehouse.

Step 4: Do not confuse capacity legends from old PDFs with the new turnover order

Older licensing schedules mixed production-capacity cut-offs with turnover. The March 2026 order expressly supersedes earlier turnover-threshold categorisation. For the decision you make today, start with the 1 April 2026 turnover bands plus the current KoB matrix - not a 2022 blog screenshot.

Quick decision checklist

Documents, Fees, and the FoSCoS Application Path

All fresh applications go through the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) at foscos.fssai.gov.in. There is no parallel “private FSSAI registration website” that issues a valid 14-digit licence number.

What you typically upload

Exact annexures vary by KoB, but State and Central licence applications (Form B pathway) usually need:

Registration (Form A pathway) is lighter - identity, premises proof, and product details - but incomplete or mismatched addresses still get bounced.

Fees you should expect (government side)

As reflected in FSSAI’s revised Kind of Business eligibility / fee schedule published on FoSCoS around early April 2026:

Pay only on the government portal. Consultant fees are separate and optional. FSSAI’s FAQ confirms that when migration moves you from State down to Registration because of the new thresholds, fees already paid against the State licence can be adjusted against Registration annual fee - do not assume you must pay twice.

Processing reality, not brochure timelines

Section 31(4) of the Act gives the Designated Officer a decision window; if a licence is neither issued nor rejected within two months of application, the applicant may start the food business after that period, subject to later improvement notices. Do not treat that as permission to skip applying. Inspectors still ask for your FSSAI number on day one of a raid or sampling visit.

For Registration under the reformed framework, FSSAI has emphasised simpler onboarding for micro units (including instant registration pathways where eligibility fits). State and Central licences still go through scrutiny. Wrong KoB selection is the most common self-inflicted delay.

Penalties, Notices, and the Cost of the Wrong Category

Operating without a required licence

Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (post Jan Vishwas amendment, w.e.f. 1 August 2024): if you are required to hold a licence and you manufacture, sell, store, distribute, or import food without one, you are liable to a penalty which may extend to ₹10 lakh. Petty operators exempt under Section 31(2) still need Registration - “exempt from licence” is not “exempt from FSSAI entirely.”

Unsafe, misbranded, or sub-standard food

Separate sections of the Act cover unsafe food, misbranded food, sub-standard food, misleading advertisements, and obstructing Food Safety Officers. Those penalties stack on top of licensing failures. A valid FSSAI number on the label does not cure an unsafe batch.

Marketplace and buyer consequences

Beyond the Act, practical damage hits faster than adjudication:

Common category mistakes that create exposure

  1. Using Registration after crossing ₹1.5 crore food turnover without upgrading
  2. Holding State cover while running import or multi-state HO operations that the matrix marks Central
  3. Putting one licence number on products from an unlicensed second unit
  4. Changing the kitchen address or brand entity without amending FoSCoS particulars
  5. Assuming perpetual validity means “no annual fee and no inspections”

Perpetual validity removes the old forced re-application cycle for eligible grants issued on or after 1 April 2026. It does not remove annual fee payment, labelling duties, recall duties, or risk-based inspections.

After You Get the Number - Labelling, Returns, and What Else Still Applies

An FSSAI license is necessary, not sufficient. Once authorised:

Food processing units that only chase FSSAI and ignore Consent to Establish / Consent to Operate or fire approval discover the gap during a joint inspection - not during onboarding.

If you already published an internal compliance calendar around the old ₹12 lakh / ₹20 crore bands, rebuild it. The April 2026 reform is exactly the kind of silent threshold shift that creates under-licensing risk for fast-growing cloud kitchens, dark stores, and mid-size manufacturers.

Related reading on this site: the FSSAI compliance checklist for food processing businesses covers post-licence hygiene and documentation; this article is the licence-category decision after the 2026 threshold change.

FAQ

What is the difference between FSSAI Registration and an FSSAI license?

Registration is the lighter authorisation for eligible petty / smaller food businesses. From 1 April 2026 it covers annual food turnover up to ₹1.5 crore where the KoB allows Registration. A State or Central licence (often called “FSSAI license” in search) is required above that band, or earlier if your Kind of Business is licence-only on FoSCoS.

Do I need a Central FSSAI license if my turnover is under ₹50 crore?

Yes, if your Kind of Business is marked Central on the FoSCoS eligibility matrix - for example importers, many exporters, certain e-commerce food operators, multi-state head offices, and other specialised categories. Turnover above ₹50 crore is sufficient but not always necessary for Central cover.

When did the new FSSAI turnover limits start?

FSSAI’s order dated 13 March 2026 implements revised thresholds from 1 April 2026. Registration: up to ₹1.5 crore. State: above ₹1.5 crore up to ₹50 crore. Central: above ₹50 crore. Older ₹12 lakh / ₹20 crore figures no longer govern categorisation.

Is FSSAI licence renewal still required every 1–5 years?

For licences and registrations issued on or after 1 April 2026, FSSAI has introduced perpetual validity subject to compliance and risk-based inspections. You still pay the applicable annual fee and remain open to inspection, improvement notices, suspension, or cancellation for non-compliance. Confirm your grant letter and FoSCoS status rather than assuming an old renewal calendar.

What is the penalty for running a food business without an FSSAI license?

Under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as amended by the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 (w.e.f. 1 August 2024), carrying on a food business without a required licence attracts a penalty that may extend to ₹10 lakh. Separately, marketplace delisting and buyer rejection often hit before any adjudication ends.

Can one FSSAI number cover factories in two states?

Generally no. Multi-state operations typically need Central authorisation at the head office level, and each unit needs its own Registration, State, or Central authorisation based on that unit’s turnover and KoB. Do not print one unit’s number on products from another unauthorised premises.

Where do I apply for an FSSAI license in 2026?

Apply only on the official FoSCoS portal: foscos.fssai.gov.in. Select the correct Kind of Business, upload documents, pay the government fee, and track the application there. Third-party sites cannot issue a valid FSSAI licence number.

Get the Category Right, Then Keep the Rest of the Stack Visible

The 2026 FSSAI license reform is good news for micro and mid-size food businesses - higher Registration and State ceilings, perpetual validity for new grants, cleaner migration rules. It is bad news only if you keep operating on outdated thresholds or ignore Central-only KoBs.

Decide the category with the April 2026 turnover bands plus the live FoSCoS Kind of Business matrix. Apply on the government portal. Budget the annual fee. Then put FSSAI on the same calendar as GST, labour, fire, and pollution - because Food Safety Officers are not the only people who can stop a food unit.

Check your compliance posture free at complianceradar.in. Describe your food business once and get the timeline of FSSAI category obligations plus the other centre, state, and sector approvals that usually travel with it - before a notice or a buyer audit forces the inventory.

This article is general compliance information, not legal advice. Confirm current forms, fees, KoB eligibility, and migration timelines on FoSCoS and with your Designated Officer or Central Licensing Authority before you apply or change category.