Applications and Licenses

This is a retail operation that stores, prepares, or packages food for human consumption or serves or provides food for human consumption to consumers directly or indirectly through a delivery service, whether such food is consumed on or off the premises or whether there is a charge for such food. Examples include restaurants, convenience stores, schools, markets, concession stands, etc. Learn more from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Note:  While generally a home kitchen cannot be licensed as a retail food establishment, there may be circumstances in which a retail food establishment may exist at a residence if it is located in a separate, dedicated area with a separate entrance and provided with all other equipment and finishes required by the Colorado Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations. Municipal or county zoning regulations must also be followed. Please call (970) 400-6415 for more information before considering this option and especially before beginning any remodeling. 

As defined by the State of Colorado, a mobile food establishment is a retail food establishment that reports to and operates from a commissary and is readily moveable; a motorized wheeled vehicle; or a towed, wheeled vehicle designed and equipped to serve food. Learn more from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Mobile unit plan review applications can be completed and submitted online. 

Farmers markets selling only uncut fresh fruit and vegetables are exempt from licensing requirements of the Retail Food Protection Act. Samples of products may be offered to consumers by vendors that are not licensed as retail food establishments and therefore are not required to comply with the provisions of the Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations. Unlicensed vendors should follow minimum sanitation guidelines to reduce the chance of forborne illness caused by unsafe food samples.

For more information about licensing and regulatory requirements, please contact the Environmental Health Services division at (970) 400-6415.

At times, the comprehensive Retail Food Establishment Plan Review Application doesn’t fit the operation's scope. Examples include ice cream freezers, meat freezers, chili roasters, kettle corn vendors, and mobile sales of prepackaged food from a commissary.

To that end, we have developed a simplified application. In all cases, please call our office at 970-400-6415, for consultation to determine whether or not your operation means the parameters of a "minor" operation. 

A temporary event is a single community event or celebration that occurs for a period of time no longer than 14 consecutive days. This may include town celebrations, fairs, and festivals. Temporary events do not include a regularly scheduled series of events (flea markets, sporting arenas, concert halls, movie nights); events serviced by licensed caterers; or sporadic promotional events such as grand openings.

For more information on temporary events, please visit the Temporary Events webpage.

If you are assuming ownership of a licensed retail food establishment and you meet the following conditions, you may submit the shorter Change of Ownership application rather than the full Retail Food Establishment Plan Review Packet: 

1. The facility has been closed for less than two (2) weeks.
2. The menu remains unchanged.
3. The equipment inside is unchanged.
4. The layout of the kitchen is unchanged.

If any of the above conditions cannot be met, you must complete and submit the full Retail Food Establishment Plan Review Packet. 

Please call (970) 400-6415 or email health-licenses@weld.gov to request either the shorter change of ownership application or the full retail food establishment plan review application, as applicable.