Catering Business Permit Requirements in Chicago, IL

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Illinois Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM)

   Illinois food establishments must operate under the supervision of a Certified Food Protection Manager, under the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act and the Illinois Food Code (77 Ill. Adm. Code 750), which adopts the FDA Food Code. Certification is earned by taking an accredited course and passing the exam through an ANSI/ANAB-accredited provider such as ServSafe, Prometric or the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, and is valid for five years. The certificate must be kept at the establishment. A catering operation based in Chicago must also hold the Chicago Department of Public Health food service sanitation certificate, which CDPH will grant by reciprocity to a holder of an ANSI-accredited CFPM.

   Official government source

   No state fee. Course and exam prices are set by the ANSI/ANAB-accredited training providers.·1-2 days for the course and exam; the certificate is valid for five years

   No state fee. Course and exam prices are set by the ANSI/ANAB-accredited training providers.

   1-2 days for the course and exam; the certificate is valid for five years

2. Illinois Sales Tax Registration (Retailers' Occupation Tax)

   Catering sales of prepared food are taxable in Illinois. Register with the Illinois Department of Revenue for Retailers' Occupation Tax, online through MyTax Illinois or by filing Form REG-1. The combined rate in Chicago is 10.50% effective August 1, 2026 (the 6.25% state rate plus Cook County, City of Chicago, and RTA local taxes), up from 10.25% previously.

   Official government source

   Free (no IDOR registration fee)·About 1-2 business days for a registration submitted online through MyTax Illinois; four to six weeks for a mailed paper Form REG-1

   Free (no IDOR registration fee)

   About 1-2 business days for a registration submitted online through MyTax Illinois; four to six weeks for a mailed paper Form REG-1

1. Chicago Retail Food Establishment License / Shared Kitchen License (BACP)

   Catering operations in Chicago need a City of Chicago food license from BACP -- a Retail Food Establishment license if operating from your own fixed commercial kitchen, or Shared Kitchen Operator/User licenses if using a shared commissary kitchen. The correct license name is 'Retail Food Establishment license'; there is no separate 'Food Service Sanitation License.' CDPH performs a pre-opening sanitation inspection as part of the licensing process.

   Official government source

   Retail Food Establishment: $660 (0-1,000 sq ft), $940 (1,001-2,500), $1,110 (2,501-4,500), $1,320 (4,501-10,000), $1,650 (over 10,000 sq ft). Shared Kitchen: $660 Operator, $330 Supplemental, $330 Long-Term User (2 years), $75 Short-Term User (90 days).·3–8 weeks (application, pre-opening inspection)

   Retail Food Establishment: $660 (0-1,000 sq ft), $940 (1,001-2,500), $1,110 (2,501-4,500), $1,320 (4,501-10,000), $1,650 (over 10,000 sq ft). Shared Kitchen: $660 Operator, $330 Supplemental, $330 Long-Term User (2 years), $75 Short-Term User (90 days).

   3–8 weeks (application, pre-opening inspection)

2. Chicago Business License for Catering (BACP)

   Chicago licenses businesses by activity category rather than issuing a general license on top of a food license. A caterer's operative license is a BACP food license: a Retail Food Establishment license if you work from your own fixed commercial kitchen, or Shared Kitchen Operator/User licenses if you use a commissary kitchen. BACP's Regulated Business License ($1,000 for a two-year term as of January 1, 2026) applies only where BACP classifies your activity as regulated and no more specific category fits -- it is not routinely required in addition to a food license. Confirm your classification with BACP at 312-74-GOBIZ (744-6249) before paying for a second license.

   Official government source

   Retail Food Establishment license $660 (0-1,000 sq ft), $940 (1,001-2,500), $1,110 (2,501-4,500), $1,320 (4,501-10,000), $1,650 (over 10,000 sq ft); Shared Kitchen Long-Term User $330 for two years or Short-Term User $75 for 90 days. Regulated Business License, if BACP classifies your activity as regulated, is $1,000 for a two-year term (effective January 1, 2026).·Chicago does not publish a processing time; the process includes zoning review, a City debt check and a pre-opening inspection -- allow several weeks

   Retail Food Establishment license $660 (0-1,000 sq ft), $940 (1,001-2,500), $1,110 (2,501-4,500), $1,320 (4,501-10,000), $1,650 (over 10,000 sq ft); Shared Kitchen Long-Term User $330 for two years or Short-Term User $75 for 90 days. Regulated Business License, if BACP classifies your activity as regulated, is $1,000 for a two-year term (effective January 1, 2026).

   Chicago does not publish a processing time; the process includes zoning review, a City debt check and a pre-opening inspection -- allow several weeks

Official Sources

• Chicago BACP — Business Licensing
• Illinois DPH — Food Service Sanitation Manager Certification
• MyTax Illinois — Sales Tax Registration

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