Temporary food permit checklist (free)
- Event, dates and booth
- Menu and food sources
- Where food is prepared
- Hot and cold holding
- Handwashing and dishwashing
- Water, waste and trash
Modeled on: FDA Food Code 2026
Vendors selling food at a fair, festival or market
Which event, and when?
Free checklist for a temporary food permit at a fair, festival or market: menu, food sources, handwashing and hot and cold holding.
- Free to read
- No sign-up until the draft
- Hands off to the right door
ePlan fills in
- County
- Event site
- Aerial photo
How it works
Temporary food permit checklist, from one answer
- Tell us the event, dates and menu.
- ePlan lists the Food Code items the inspector checks.
- Read the checklist free. Running the event yourself? Start a special event permit application.
What you get
Temporary food permit checklist and 1 more document
The check is free. The paperwork after it is drafted at the Special event permit door.
Special event permit application
- Event, dates and site
- Vendors and food
- Site map
- Safety and cleanup
From public data
What ePlan fills in, and from where
- County and cityU.S. Census Geocoder
- Event site and booth areaUSDA NAIP aerial imagery
14 days
in a row is the longest a temporary food establishment can operate with a single event under the model Food Code
Source: FDA Food Code 2026, 1-201.10(B) definitions
Ready for the paperwork?
Describe the event and get the special event permit narrative, event safety plan and site layout notes your city asks for. Free to read.
Questions
Temporary Food Permit for an Event: what people ask
What counts as a temporary food establishment?
Under the FDA Food Code, a food establishment that operates for no more than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single event or celebration. The Food Code is a model, so your state or county's adopted version sets the actual rules.
How hot or cold must I keep food at an event?
Food that needs time and temperature control for safety must be held at 135°F or above when hot, or at 41°F or below when cold, under the FDA Food Code.
Can I sell food I made at home?
Not in a permitted food establishment under the FDA Food Code, which bars food prepared in a private home. The code does leave room for state laws on non-perishable home-made food, such as bake sales, outside regulated establishments.
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Temporary Food Permit for an Event: check it free
Answer it and ePlan opens the Special event permit door with your answer filled in.