Temporary food events facility compliance and permits
If your planning to give away or sell food at a temporary community event, you'll need to apply for a Temporary Food Facility (TFF) permit.
Temporary events are short-term gatherings like fairs, festivals, circuses, or other public events that happen no more than 25 days within a 90 day period. These events are often focused on civic, public, or educational purposes and must be approved by the Department of Environmental Health.
At these events, food is usually served from booths or stalls, which we call Temporary Food Facilities (TFFs). Our job at the County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health is to review these TFFs to make sure the food is safe for everyone.
Who needs a temporary food facility permit?
You are required to apply for a temporary food facility (TFF) permit from our office if you are participating at the temporary event as a:
- Event coordinator responsible for organizing food-related activities at a temporary event;
- Vendors who plan to operate a food booth or temporary food facility (TFF) and do not hold a mobile food facility permit from the County of Santa Clara.
What are my obligations?
The event coordinator will work closely with the Department of Environmental Health to ensure safe and successful food services at the event. Your responsibilities include:
- As the event coordinator, only you can submit the vendors' applications to our office as we do not accept applications directly from vendors.
- Submit your application, vendors' applications, supporting documentation, site plan and payment to our office at least two weeks before your event.
- Get acquainted with TFF operators' requirements at temporary events so you can help guide them. Be sure to review the special licenses required for certain food and beverage service and conditions at the bottom of this page.
- If you operate a TFF, you must have an Environmental Health permit whenever food or beverage (unpackaged or prepackaged) is sampled, sold, prepared, or given away to the public.
- Review the special licenses required for certain food and beverage service and conditions at the bottom of this page. Get a license for each condition that applies to you.
- If you are an out-of-County mobile food vendor or you will operate a food booth, complete your permit application. Provide this completed application to the event coordinator who will submit it to our office on your behalf.
- The food you provide to the public must come from sources that comply with all applicable laws.
- You cannot provide food stored or prepared in a private home unless that food is prepared by a cottage food operation that is registered or has a permit. Permitted operations are inspected by the Department of Environmental Health.
- Post your permit in clear view on your food booth, cart or truck when you're onsite the community event.
- Comply with temporary events food safety requirements outlined at the bottom of the page.
- Occupied mobile food facilities (MFFs) must have an HCD Insignia to operate in California. Contact the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) at (916) 255-2501 or their website for more information on how to obtain an HCD Insignia.
Permit application and fees
Event coordinators
Start application for event coordinator
Vendors without Santa Clara County MFF permit
Vendors with Santa Clara County MFF permits
As an in-County permitted MFF, you can operate at a community event without completing a TFF application and paying TFF permit fees as long as you meet these requirements:
- Have a current permit decal;
- Have an annual Environmental Health permit;
- Be in good standing to operate in the County of Santa Clara.
| NUMBER OF FOOD OPERATIONS | EVENT COORDINATOR FEE |
|---|---|
| 1 food operation | $ 0.00 |
| 2 to 10 food operations | $ 224.00 |
| 11 to 20 food operations | $ 330.00 |
| 21 food operations or more | $ 452.00 |
| PERMIT TYPES FOOD VENDOR CATEGORIES | PERMIT FEE: 1-12 DAYS PER EVENT | PERMIT FEE: 13-25 DAYS PER EVENT |
|---|---|---|
| Risk category 1 (RC1) Low risk | $ 128.00 | $ 128.00 |
| Risk category 2 (RC2) Moderate risk | $ 191.00 | $ 265.00 |
| Risk category 3 (RC3) High risk | $ 244.00 | $ 315.00 |
| Sampling only and limited to small sample sizes with no food and beverage sales | $ 116.00 | $ 116.00 |
| Mobile food facilities - carts and vehicles permitted by our office, the Department of Environmental Health of Santa Clara | No temporary event fee required if vendor is operating under annual permit from our office | - |
| Mobile food facilities - carts and vehicles permitted by our office, the Department of Environmental Health of Santa Clara | Fee will depend on menu items' risk categories RC 1, 2 or 3. See below. | Fee will depend on menu items' risk categories RC 1, 2 or 3. See below. |
| Veterans and Craven Act nonprofits are exempt from permit fees, but not late fees, reinspection fees, or enforcement fees. | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
Risk category 1 (RC 1) | Low risk examples
- Prepackaged, non-potentially hazardous foods (non-PHFs).
- Prepares only non-PHFs. Examples include prepackaged foods/beverages, kettle corn, candies.
- Heating and serving commercially manufactured ready to eat foods with no further processing/cooking. Examples include canned chili beans, hot dogs, nacho cheese.
- Food operation may operate on a single day or for multiple days.
Risk category 2 (RC2) | Moderate risk examples
- Potentially hazardous food (PHF) that is prepared and cooked for same day service to customers (hamburgers, tacos, chicken wings, cut melons, etc.).
- No cooling of PHFs is allowed. Example: An operator conducting a high-risk operation (RC3 – cooking and cooling PHFs to serve cold or reheat at the event) who has a valid annual health permit at a brick-and-mortar food facility or MFF operation and is inspected by the local enforcement agency may be downgraded to RC2. You must provide a copy of your permit with the TFF application.
- All prepared food is to be discarded at the end of day (includes hot food and any cold food that have exceeded 41⁰F).
Risk category 3 (RC3) | High risk examples
- Food that is prepared, cooked and cooled in advance of the event (such as potato salad, chicken pot pies, and tamales, etc.) at an approved facility that is permitted and inspected by the local enforcement agency (i.e., you are not the permit holder at a brick and mortar fixed food facility; you are renting kitchen space or using the facility with the facility owner's permission).
- Food that is prepared at an approved food facility for multi-day use.
- Must submit Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for review and approval.
- All prepared food is to be discarded at end of day (includes hot food and any cold food that have exceeded 41⁰F).
Additional licenses, registration and permits
If any of the following applies to your operations at the event, secure the required license or permit. Submit any required licenses, registrations and permits with your application package. We cannot issue you event-related permits without them.
| Offer | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Pre-packaged processed foods commodities like baked goods, noodles, fresh vegetables, seafood, snack foods, dietary supplements | A Processed Food Registration (PFR) from the California Department of Public Health – Food and Drug Branch If you use a co-packer and receive the food a day or more before the event, complete the Advance preparation and storage activities at approved kitchen section on the TFF application. |
| Manufacture of milk, ice cream or soft-serve products | A CDFA license |
| Foods from a home kitchen | A Cottage Food Operator registration or permit from any jurisdiction correct? |
| Potentially hazardous foods (PHFs) will be held at room temperature | An approved Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC) plan. Is this a one-time thing from SCC? See Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC) Guidelines for guidelines. >>Show sample plans? Is this a shared thing submitted by event coordinator? |
Food safety requirements
Be sure to review and comply with the following food safety requirements: