Public Food Service and Lodging Establishment Licenses
The division licenses and regulates certain public food service establishments and public lodging establishments in Florida.
How to use this page:
- Decide which license type suits your business and click the guide link.
- Read through the guide carefully.
- Gather all required items.
- Click the Apply Now button on the guide.
Food Service Guides by Type
Permanent Food Service (Seating):
- A restaurant with seats for dining in. Permanent Food Service licenses are sometimes referred to as ‘fixed food service’ licenses as they generally are a structure with walls, floors, and ceiling that are permanently fixed to the ground.
Permanent Food Service (Non-Seating):
- This is a restaurant that offers take out or delivery but doesn’t have seats for customers to dine in.
- A food service that only provides catering services and nothing else.
- Note – Any public food service establishment licensed by the division may also provide catering services without holding a separate catering license.
Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicle or Hot Dog Cart:
- A food truck or hot dog cart where food is prepared or served.
- This is a self-service device that dispenses servings of food and doesn’t need replenishing between each operation. Generally food items served from vending machines are pre-packaged (milk cartons, packaged sandwiches, etc…).
- This is a specialty food service license for carts that operate within a theme park or entertainment complex meeting criteria defined in 509.013, F.S. (Florida Statute)
- This is a specialty food service license intended for educational institutions meeting the criteria defined in 381.0072, F.S. (Florida Statute).
Temporary Commercial Kitchen (TECK) Guide
- Temporary Commercial Kitchens (TECK) are mobile kitchen facilities that are typically used when fixed kitchens are unavailable e.g., have been damaged by a fire, or when a fixed kitchen is being refurbished. They may also be used temporarily after a natural disaster, such as a hurricane and are contained in a variety of modular structures, such as portable cabin structures, modular buildings, towed trailers, or standard freight containers.
Temporary Food Service Events:
- A temporary license for preparing food at fairs, carnivals, festivals, or other temporary community events.
Temporary Food Service Events (EN ESPAÑOL):
- Un evento temporal de servicio de comida es un evento cuya duración es de 30 días o menos donde se prepara, se sirve o se vende comida al público, además, se anuncia y se reconoce como tal en la comunidad. Un establecimiento temporero de comida o un proveedor es quien participa en estos eventos temporales.
Lodging Guides by Type
- Five or more units in a building or complex.
- The rental periods are for at least 30 days or 1 calendar month (whichever is less) – OR – the rental unit is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests.
- 75% or more of the units in the apartment building or complex are available for rent as nontransient occupancy – meaning the rental unit is considered to be the renter’s sole residence and the stay is not temporary.
- One or more units in a single complex of buildings.
- The unit is rented more than 3 times in a calendar year and the rental periods are less than 30 days or 1 calendar month (whichever is less) – OR – the rental unit is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests.
- More than 25% of the units in the apartment building or complex are available for rent as transient occupancy – meaning the rental unit is not considered to be the renter’s sole residence and the stay is only temporary.
- Family home structure with no more than 15 sleeping rooms (bedrooms).
- Has been modified to serve as a transient public lodging establishment.
- Provides accommodation and meal services generally offered by a bed and breakfast.
- Recognized as a bed and breakfast in the community in which it is situated (or by the hospitality industry).
- If the limitations of a continental breakfast are exceeded, a plan review and separate public food service license is required (a continental breakfast serves only: packaged, individually portioned foods, coffee/tea in urns or closed delivery systems, milk/juice from a closed, disposable bag delivery system or individual containers).
- Rents transiently (temporary – not the sole residence).
- Has sleeping room accommodations for 25 or more guests.
- Provides the services generally provided by a hotel and is recognized by the community as a hotel.
- Rents at least six units transiently (temporary – not the sole residence).
- Has exits from each unit that exit outside the building (not into an inside hallway).
- Offers daily and weekly rates.
- Provides off-street parking for each unit.
- Has a central office on the property with specific hours of operation.
- Provides a bathroom or connecting bathroom for each unit.
- Is recognized by the community as a motel.
- You have a time-share property (an arrangement where several joint owners have the right to use a property as a vacation home for an allotted period of time).
- You rent to guests outside the timeshare owners for temporary stay occupancy.
- You have a single unit or group of units that you rent transiently (temporary – not the sole residence).
- The unit or group of units is located in a condominium or cooperative (a building where the units are individually owned).
- You have a single unit or group of units that you rent transiently (temporary – not the sole residence).
- The unit or group of units are single-family homes, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes or quadruplexes.
For more information and how to apply click the link for each license type. For more detailed definitions we recommend you refer to the applicable laws and rules.
Our statutory definitions for Public Food Service and Lodging Establishments
Quick Links
Need Help?
All requests for public records, complaints, forms, and applications for licenses can be obtained by contacting the Customer Contact Center.
Steven von Bodungen, Director
Division of Hotels and Restaurants
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1011
Telephone: 850.487.1395
Email: dhr.info@myfloridalicense.com