Food Service Permit — Boston (ISD Health)
Boston restaurants need a Food Service (Establishment) Permit from ISD Health, which requires the Common Victualler license and Certificate of Occupancy first.
What it is. The mandatory health permit for any establishment selling, serving, or storing food.
Who issues it. City of Boston — Inspectional Services Department (ISD), Health Division (City layer).
When you need it. Before opening. Prerequisites: a Common Victualler license, a Certificate of Occupancy and Certificate of Inspection (Building Division), Food Manager Certification, and Allergen Awareness Certification.
How to apply. Apply to ISD Health after obtaining the CV license and building certificates; pass the health inspection.
Fees. Per ISD fee schedule — see source (⟢ VERIFY).
Renewal. Annual (⟢ VERIFY).
What SpoonSeal tracks. The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
References
- City of Boston, How to Get a Food Service Permit — https://www.boston.gov/departments/inspectional-services/how-get-food-service-permit — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.