Renewal retail food application

Step 1.Before you apply

You can renew a license as early as 90 days before it expires. The Department will try to remind license holders of the approaching deadline to the email provided at application. Failure of a reminder does not excuse any applicable late penalty.

Step 2.Watch the online training videos

Online training videos provide helpful and detailed overviews of the application process. They are on the Online Training Videos webpage. They show how to register for an account. How to complete licensed establishment and entity registration records. And how to apply for new business licenses or amendments.

Step 3.Gather all required documents

Make sure you have everything from the "Required documents" section below.

Important notes to keep in mind about your documents:

• All materials must be digital files saved as a .pdf or .jpg. Do not include any other file types. The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection cannot accept other file types.
• Use numbers or letters but not characters such as symbols (/ ? < > \ : * | “ ^) or spaces that could cause complications.
  • For example:
    • Good file name: drivers-license-name-2022.pdf
    • Bad file name: last name/ id.pdf
• In some cases, you might need to combine documents and upload them in a single .pdf. You can use a free, online tool to merge documents into a single file.
• Legal documents must be signed, dated and executed. All pages of large legal documents (such as a lease) must be included in the application.
• All materials must be legible.
• Incomplete applications will be rejected.

Step 4.Renew in Denver's Online Permitting and Licensing Center

In Denver’s Online Permitting and Licensing Center:

• Click on the Business Licenses tab.
• On the "My Records" page, select "Renew Application" for the license you want to renew and follow the prompts. "Renew Application" is on the right side of the page in the "Action" column.

This will begin and guide you through the application.

You can save and resume within 30 days any time during the application process. After 30 days, you must start again.

After the online application is complete, you will be prompted to submit fees in the online portal. These can be paid with a bank account or a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card.

Step 5.Pay required fees

License fee:

The license fee for the retail food license depends on which food-processing activities are performed. The fee is determined by adding $25 for each of the following activities:

• Selling prepackaged cold foods
• Scooping ice (including bagged ice for retail sale)
• Heating commercially processed foods or cold holding foods
• Cooking raw animal products
• Cooling cooked foods
• Reheating previously cooked foods
• Serving raw or undercooked animal products (beef, eggs, fish)
• Specialized process (fermentation, curing, sous vide, etc.)
• Infusing products with hemp

If you are applying as a nonprofit and want to request a fee waiver:

• A nonprofit fee waiver

Step 6.City application review and next steps

The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection tries to conduct an initial review of a complete application within seven business days. The review process might take longer if it is incomplete or requires police review (if applicable).

• All application-related communications will be sent through email, from DLCPNotifications@denvergov.org. Do not respond to these emails as this inbox is not monitored.
• If the application is incomplete, the applicant will receive a "notice of deficiency" email. This allows 14 days for corrections. License endorsement requests and incidents on a background check need police review.
• All applications will be closed if they are not completed within 12 months.

Step 7.License issuance

Once approved, the applicant is emailed a copy of the business license. This allows the license holder to start operating.

The licensee should read "Once you have your license" below and follow the requirements.