Temporary Food Facility Permit for Community Events

You need a temporary food facility permit if you are a food vendor who is selling or giving away food or beverages, including samples, at a community event that is two or more consecutive days in length.

Wineries or breweries may not need a temporary food facility permit: 

• Guidance to Community Events for Wineries and Breweries

A community event is "…an event of civic, political, public or educational nature, including state and county fairs, city festivals, circuses and other public gathering events approved by the local enforcement agency" (California Retail Food Code 113755).

A permit is required for each point of sale location operating at the same time. For example, a kettle corn vendor who sets up a booth at two farmers markets held at the same time, on the same day, would require two permits.

These are the steps to take to obtain your temporary food facility permit.

A non-fee permit may be granted to food facility operators claiming veterans’ exemptions. Operators must complete the veteran's exemption application and present proof of veteran status.

• Download veteran's exemption application (PDF: 112 Kb)

It is important to determine your temporary food facility type and understand the operational requirements before submitting your site plan designs.

The permit types are defined by the level of food preparation performed at your temporary food facility: moderate, minimal or minimal - prepackaged/non-potentially hazardous.

• Temporary food facility definitions and operational requirements
• Community event guidelines for sampling food

You must submit your permit application 30 days before your event.

To receive a copy of the Temporary Food Facility application packet, please email EH@sonoma-county.org or you may call our office at (707) 565-6565.

Incomplete applications will not be accepted and will be returned.

Application Checklist

Your permit application should include: 

• Pages 2-5 of the community event food permit application
• Page 6, if you will be using a commissary
• Application fee, as determined by the permit type identified in step 1 above. See fee schedule for current fees.                                                                                                     
  

If preparing food off-site:

• A commissary agreement or your cottage food registration or permit

If hiring a caterer from out of county:

• A commissary agreement signed by the commissary operator and the Environmental Health jurisdiction for the county in which the commissary is located.

If selling or giving away prepackaged food you may need to submit a processed food registration and/or a cannery license from the California Department of Public Health. Contact information for these state programs is available here:

• Agencies that Oversee Special Food Processes

On the day of the event, you will need to:

• Post your original temporary food facility permit (copies are not valid) on the food facility at a location visible to the public.
• Conduct a self-inspection of the food facility, using the self-inspection checklist, to ensure your food facility is in compliance.
  • Download the self-inspection checklist (PDF: 180 Kb)
• Post the self-inspection checklist on the food facility at a location visible to the public.

Important: you must post original documents; copies are not valid.

• Commissary agreement(PDF: 132 Kb)
• Community event guidelines for sampling food
• Temporary food facility definitions and operating requirements
• Self-inspection checklist (PDF: 180 Kb)
• Guidance to Community Events for Wineries and Breweries