Retail Food Store Permit
About
A Retail Food Store permit is required for an establishment, or section of an establishment, where food or food products are offered to consumers and intended to be comsumed off-premises.
Food service establishments that are located within retail food stores are subject to this requirement and exempt from regulation and inspection under the Hotel, Food Service Establishment and Public Swimming Pool Inspection Act, compiled in title 68, chapter 14, part 3.
No person shall operate a retail food store without holding a valid permit issued to the person by the commissioner on or before July 1 of each year.
Every person now engaged in the business of operating a retail food store, and every person who shall thereafter engage in retail food store business, shall procure a permit from the commissioner for each retail food store so operated or proposed to be operated.
Each permit shall expire on June 30 next following its issuance.
No permit shall be transferred from one (1) location or individual to another.
Permits shall be posted in a conspicuous manner.
Requirements
A completed Retail Request form is required to be submitted to TDA Food and Dairy at the address or fax number found on the form. Once the form is received by TDA an inspector will call to set up an initial inspection. The permit fee is due up on inspection.
Fees
The Retail permit fee is dependent on the size of the establishment and the types of items sold in the establishment. The retail permit is required to be renewed on an annual basis.
The permit fee to operate a food establishment shall be in accordance with the following schedule:
Retail food stores that contain within the premises a food service establishment that prepares potentially hazardous food shall pay a permit fee as follows:
No. of Seats Amount of Fee
0-50 $210.00
51 or more seats $360.00
Retail food stores that contain within the premises a food service establishment that offers self-service foods and does not prepare potentially hazardous foods shall pay a permit fee of thirty-five dollars ($35.00); and
In addition to the above fees all retail food stores shall pay an annual permit fee of fifty dollars ($50.00).
If the permit fee is delinquent for more than thirty (30) calendar days, a penalty fee of one half (1/2) the permit fee shall be assessed, in addition to the permit fee. If a check is returned for any reason, a penalty fee of one half (1/2) the permit fee shall be assessed, in addition to the permit fee. The permit fee, plus any penalty fee, must be paid before the permit is issued.
When application is made for a permit to operate any food establishment after January 1 of any year, or such other date as commissioner may establish by regulation, the fee charged for the permit shall be one half (1/2) the annual rate; however, where the establishment was subject to permit requirements prior to January 1 or such other date as commissioner may establish by regulation, of any year, no such fractional rate shall be allowed.
A copy of the retail permit application, with fees, can be found at: http://www.state.tn.us/agriculture/forms/FD_RF_application.pdf
Additional
Basic requirements for a retail establishment can be found at: http://www.state.tn.us/agriculture/forms/FD_RF_basic_requirements.pdf
Any further questions contact TDA Food and Dairy at 615-837-5153