FSSAI License Verification Online — Check 14-Digit FSSAI Number
FSSAI license verification checks whether a 14-digit FSSAI number belongs to a real food business and whether its license or registration is currently valid. Enter the number in a verification tool or on FoSCoS, then compare the business name, address, category and status. An Active status means the license or registration is currently in force.
You have a number on a snack pack, a restaurant bill or a supplier's invoice. Or you are about to list a kitchen on Swiggy or Zomato and the buyer's team has asked for proof. You need a straight answer: is this number real, whose is it, and is it live today? Enter it above. The sections below explain what each result means and what to do next, depending on who you are.
Number Format
14-Digit FSSAI Number
Status Results
Active · Suspended · Cancelled · Expired
Time Needed
About a minute
What Is FSSAI License Verification?
FSSAI license verification is a look-up of a food business's 14-digit number in FSSAI's records. The official place for this is the FoSCoS portal, run by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The result tells you who holds the number, what category it is and whether it is currently valid.
It answers one question: does this business have a current FSSAI license or registration? It does not test the food, and it does not rate hygiene. Use it as a first check, then act on what it shows.
Why You Should Verify an FSSAI License or Registration
Verify because a number printed on a pack or bill can be copied, mistyped or out of date, and the check takes under a minute. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 requires food businesses to hold a license or registration. Section 63 of the Act punishes running a food business without one, with up to six months' imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh.
What you check depends on your situation.
| You are | Check this | A good result looks like | If it fails |
|---|
| A consumer | The number on a pack or bill | Active, and the name matches the brand or restaurant | Report it through FSSAI's complaint channels and skip the purchase |
| A buyer or retailer taking stock | The supplier's number | Active, right category, address matches the dispatch address | Hold the order and ask for the certificate |
| A restaurant or cloud-kitchen owner | Your own number | Active, with your name, address and kind of business | Fix the record or pay the due fee on FoSCoS |
| A Swiggy or Zomato seller | Your number, before you list | Active, and the address matches the kitchen | Sort it out before listing, or the platform may block you |
How to Verify FSSAI License Online
Enter the 14-digit number, complete the security check and read the result. It takes about a minute.
1
Find the 14-digit FSSAI number
On packaged food, the number is printed near the FSSAI logo. Restaurants show it on the cash bill, menu or the wall certificate. A pack can show two numbers: one for the brand owner and one for the manufacturer or packer, so check both. Copy all 14 digits.
2
Enter the number in the verification tool
Type the digits without spaces. An FSSAI number is made of digits only. If the tool rejects it, count the digits first.
3
Complete the security check
Solve the simple code or question so the tool knows you are not a bot. Then press Verify.
4
Review license status and business details
Read the business name, address, category and status. Do they match what you were told? If the name is a different business, or the address is another city, treat it as a mismatch and ask the seller to explain. For a decision that matters, repeat the search on FoSCoS using its FBO search option.
What Details Can FSSAI License Verification Show?
A verification result usually shows the business name, premises address, license or registration category, kind of business and current status. Some records also show the authorised food products and the dates.
| Detail | What it tells you |
|---|
| Business name | Whose number it is. Compare with the brand or bill |
| Address | Where the licensed premises are |
| Category | Registration, State License or Central License |
| Kind of business | Manufacturer, restaurant, retailer, importer and so on |
| Status | Active, Suspended, Cancelled or Expired |
What it cannot show: whether the food is safe, whether the premises were inspected recently, or whether the person selling to you is the license holder. A genuine number can still be used by someone else.
What Changed in 2026: Perpetual Validity and the Suspended Status
For licenses and registrations issued or renewed on or after 1 April 2026, there is no fixed expiry date. The Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026, notified on 10 March 2026, replaced Regulation 2.1.7 so that a license is valid unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered.
The catch is the annual fee. If the annual fee, or the annual compliance return, is not paid or filed on time, the license is treated as suspended. During suspension, the business should not carry on food activity. So for a newer license, Suspended is the status to watch, not Expired.
Older licenses may still show a fixed validity date, and some show Expired. Whether an older license moved to perpetual validity depends on whether it was issued or renewed after 1 April 2026, so read the date on the FoSCoS record.
FSSAI License vs FSSAI Registration
Both carry a 14-digit number, but they are different permissions for different sizes of business. A registration is for small food businesses. A license (State or Central) is for larger ones, and the first digit of the number usually tells you which you are looking at.
| | Registration | State License | Central License |
|---|
| First digit | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Meant for | Small businesses | Mid-sized businesses | Large or specified categories |
| Turnover band from 1 April 2026 (as reported) | Up to ₹1.5 crore | ₹1.5 crore to ₹50 crore | Above ₹50 crore, and some categories at any turnover |
The turnover bands above are as reported after the 2026 changes and used to be lower. Many practitioner guides say a license starts with 1 and a registration with 2, which is how we read the number here. To apply, see our FSSAI registration page or our FSSAI license page.
How to Read a 14-Digit FSSAI Number
A 14-digit FSSAI number has five parts: type, state, year, issuing authority and a serial number. Here is a sample number shown in our tool, decoded as an exercise. We do not say anything about whose number it is.
| Digits | Meaning | In 23315008001575 |
|---|
| 1 | Type (1 = license, 2 = registration) | 2, a registration |
| 2–3 | State or UT code, 00 for a Central license | 33 |
| 4–5 | Year the number was first issued | 15, so 2015 |
| 6–8 | Code of the issuing authority | 008 |
| 9–14 | Serial number of the business | 001575 |
Two cautions. First, FSSAI uses its own state codes, not the GST state codes, so do not read 07 as Delhi or 27 as Maharashtra. Use the status result to see the state. Second, an FSSAI number has no check digit. A number can look perfect and still not exist, so decoding is not verification.
What If the FSSAI Number Is Invalid, Expired or Not Found?
Start with the simplest fix: re-read the number and search again. If it still fails, the action depends on the result.
| Result | Likely meaning | What to do |
|---|
| Invalid number | Wrong digit count or a typo | Recheck the digits against the pack or certificate |
| Not found | A typo, a pending application, a fake number or a gap in the tool's data | Search FoSCoS directly, then ask the seller for the certificate and application details |
| Active | License or registration is in force | Check name, address and category match |
| Suspended | Often an unpaid annual fee or return, or an enforcement action | Do not buy or list until it is Active again. Owners should pay or file on FoSCoS |
| Expired | Older fixed-term license that ran out | The business should not operate. Owners should check FoSCoS for the next step |
| Cancelled | Withdrawn by the authority | Treat as having no license |
If you are a buyer and the number looks fake, do not confront the seller on your own. Keep the photo of the pack or bill and report it through FSSAI's channels.
Who Needs FSSAI License Verification?
Anyone who eats, buys, stocks or sells packaged or cooked food in India. In practice, these groups use it most.
Consumers - to check a pack or a restaurant before buying.
Restaurant and cloud-kitchen owners - to confirm their own record is correct before a platform audit.
Retailers and wholesalers - to check suppliers before taking stock.
Manufacturers - to check co-packers and ingredient vendors.
Swiggy and Zomato sellers - to confirm status and address before listing.
If you are setting up a food business and do not yet have a number, see FSSAI registration. Tax details for the same business can be checked with our GST verification tool, and its MSME record with Udyam verification.
Is LegalDev's FSSAI Verification Tool Free?
Yes. You can use the tool on this page free of charge.
A private tool is only as current as its data, so use it as a quick first check and confirm important results on the official FoSCoS portal. LegalDev India is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with FSSAI or any government body. Any fee you pay us is for consultancy services you ask for, not a government charge.
FAQs About FSSAI License Verification
Enter the 14-digit number in the tool above or on FoSCoS, complete the security check and read the name, address, category and status.
Near the FSSAI logo on packaged food, on restaurant bills and menus, and on the license or registration certificate.
The license or registration is currently in force. It does not mean the food is safe or that the business was inspected recently.
The status will say Expired for an older fixed-term license past its validity date. Licenses issued or renewed on or after 1 April 2026 do not expire but can show Suspended.
For licenses issued or renewed on or after 1 April 2026, yes. There is no renewal cycle, but the annual fee and return still apply.
Both are 14 digits. A registration is for small businesses and starts with 2. A State or Central license is for larger ones and starts with 1.
The number was not found. It could be a typo, a pending application, a fake number or missing data. Search FoSCoS and ask the seller for the certificate.
Yes. The 14-digit number is enough. The result gives you the name to compare.
Not always. A pack can carry the brand owner's number and the manufacturer's or packer's number. Check both.
Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provides for imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh. Using a fake number can also attract other laws.
Not as a rule. Platforms ask for a valid number and can block or suspend listings when it fails. Check your status before you list.
No. It shows the business holds a license or registration. It is not a test result or a quality rating.