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Licences

Food stall licences

All food stalls at events are required to hold food stall licences. These are separate from the event permit that you require as the organiser, and are all about ensuring the public are safe when eating at your event.

As the organiser, you are responsible for ensuring all food vendors at your event are licensed.

Using pre-licenced vendors

By selecting vendors who already hold 6 or 12 monthly food stall licences, the process is easy. You simply need to supply the names and licence numbers of your vendors to your event facilitator. We recommend asking the food stall holders to provide you with a copy of their food stall licence. Alternatively, you can contact us and request a list of current food stall licence holders.

Using un-licenced vendors

If your food vendors are not pre-licenced, they need to obtain a temporary one day food stall licence.

Process

1. Contact us early on. We will send you a questionnaire and information for you to distribute to the vendors. A facilitator can help you with this initial contact.
2. Compile all of the completed questionnaires from your vendors (including those already registered) and submit them with a site map to us at least 60 days before your event.
3. We will assess the risk posed by your vendors and may suggest some measures you can take as the organiser to minimise this risk (eg extra washing up facilities, refrigerated storage, etc) or suggest measures the vendors can take.
4. Un-licenced vendors are required to attend a basic food hygiene training workshop before the event. This can often be combined with any stall holder meetings that you are planning to hold.
5. Inspectors try to attend every event but will target the high-risk events during busy periods. An inspection of the food stalls will be carried out on the day of the event and officers may suggest further measures to improve the conditions of the stalls. If the food stall is found to be satisfactory, the unlicenced vendor will be issued a temporary one day food stall licence that should be displayed at the stall. Pre-licenced food stalls already hold food stall licences as they have been inspected prior to the event and found to be satisfactory.
6. After the event, we will invoice you for the unlicenced stalls' fees.

If vendors are not pre-licenced, we reserve the right to either refuse licences or limit the number of one day food stalls at your event.

Types of licences

Mobile food van/stall licences can be issued on a daily, 6 or 12 monthly basis.

Many pre-licenced food stalls hold 6 or 12 monthly licences and these are acceptable for trading at events and festivals.

Temporary one day food stall licences are issued on the day of the event and must be coordinated by the event organiser who must liaise with us before the event.

Food premises licences (e.g. A, B, D and E grades) are held by registered food premises and allow trading from that address only. They do not cover trading off site at festivals or events. A separate food stall licence is required for this.

Additional information

Where do I get my licences?

Visit our Graham Street office or contact us for help.

What are the fees to inspect all of the food stalls?

$40 per stall, per day or an hourly rate of $155 per hour to inspect all the stalls at the event. We will invoice you directly for the total amount. We strongly recommend that you build this fee into the pitch fee charged to your vendors.

My vendor has a food premises licence and wants to trade at my event from a stall, do they require a food stall licence?

Yes, a food premise licence relates to the fixed address of a registered kitchen. To operate a food stall at a festival or event they will still require a food stall licence. At our discretion, they may not be required to attend the food hygiene training workshop.

My vendor holds an Auckland City Council food stall licence do they require a separate licence for this event?

No, as long as their food stall licence is valid and has not expired they will not require another licence. You will need to supply us with your vendors food stall licence numbers (ENV or L/EFS) so we can check they are licenced.

My vendor is licensed by another council, can they operate in Auckland city?

Auckland City Council will accept current food stall/mobile trader licences from vendors registered with other councils. A copy of the licence must be supplied to your event facilitator.

What are the consequences if my vendors do not have food stall licences?

If you, as the organiser, have failed in your duty to ensure all of your food stalls are licensed by either checking they hold a current licence or by applying for food stall licences on their behalf, then you may be prosecuted and/or future events could be jeopardised. Inspectors also have powers to make food stalls cease trading on the spot: food can be seized, and individual vendors can be prosecuted. The consequences for the event can be severe including opposition to the event in the future and the negative publicity associated with food poisoning.

The following event licensing information has moved: liquor licences fire permits extending shop trading hours amusement device licences/fireworks fire hydrant permits temporary building permits consultation. You'll find it on the Auckland Council website

Updated November 2011