Home-based food business registration

You must register your home-based food business, and comply with food safety standards if you are preparing or storing food at home for sale to consumers. 

Preparing or storing food at home for later sale (including in-kind rewards) is considered a food business and requires registration with us. 

You must follow the same rules that apply to commercial food premises if cooking food for sale at home.

Home-based businesses must be small scale and not use more than 10% of the floor area of the home.

Examples of a home-based business include: 

  • Baking sweets, cakes, or bread at home in a domestic kitchen for sale at markets etc 
  • Preparation of food for sale to online customers.

before you start your application, you will need to check to see that your address is in the Bayside LGA. The mapping tool will allow you to do an address or property search. 

Who needs to register?

You must register your home-based food business with us, and comply with NSW food safety standards if you are handling or preparing food at home that is sold to consumers. 

A registration fee applies to recover the costs of our food safety inspection services that help keep people safe and healthy. 

You could face a penalty for operating without registering with us. 

Before you lodge

You will need the following details ready before registering: 

  • Food business details including address and contact details 
  • Development application details of your food premises 
  • Food Safety Supervisor details, (unless exempt)
  • Menu and/or list of food or drinks being prepared and/or handled 
  • Floor plan of the food preparation area in your home 
  • Waste disposal 
  • Be ready to pay your application fee when submitting your registration. 

Food safety standards

You must ensure your home-based food business is operating safely and meeting standards by: 

  • Providing adequate handwashing facilities 
  • Excluding pests and vermin from your house where practical  
  • The safe handling of food – skills, knowledge, and controls 
  • Design and construction of food premises, fixtures, fittings and equipment. 

Apply online

Press the Register online button to start the registration process, you will be asked to make a payment to complete lodgement. 

Payments can be made by MasterCard or Visa incur a service fee of 0.5% 

Apply in person

Download and print the application form and lodge your completed form at any of Bayside Council’s Customer Service Centres. 

Payment is preferred by cheque, money order, debit or credit cards (Visa and Mastercard).  

Payments can be made by MasterCard or Visa which incurs a service fee of 0.5% 

Fees and charges

A registration fee will be charged at lodgement.

  Fee 2024/25
Registration fee for a new home-based food business $69.00

Payments made by credit card (MasterCard or Visa) incur a service fee of 0.5%

Fees for 2023/24 are valid until June 30, 2024. Fees for 2024/25 are effective from July 1, 2024.

After lodgement

Once your application is received you may be contacted for further information. 

If you have any questions, contact Council’s Environmental Health Team on 1300 581 299, Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 5pm 

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