How to file the Common Victualler License (Boston)
Needed to sell food made to order at a fixed place, seated or takeout. File on the Licensing Board's online form with the lease, a floor plan, each owner's personal information form and the wage theft form, once the Certificate of Occupancy is in hand. A new address, or hours outside 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., goes to a public hearing after the neighborhood process. ISD issues the food service permit only after this license.
- Agency
- City of Boston Licensing Board
- Where it applies
- Boston
- How it's filed
- Filed online
- Fee
- Varies$100 plus $1 a seat; with no seats, $100 plus a $110 takeout fee. The application also lists a $170 legal notice fee paid to the Boston Herald. Pay only when Licensing Board staff ask.
- How long it takes
- About 2 to 3 weeks; when a public hearing is needed, several weeks from filing to the hearing.
- Renewal
- Every year, for the calendar year: renew online by October 31; a late renewal pays double.
What to attach
- Signed lease, agreement to lease or deed
- Floor plan with capacity, seating, exits, kitchen and storage
- Personal information form for each owner, officer and manager
- Wage theft prevention form
- Business Entity Summary from the Massachusetts Corporations Division (not for a sole proprietor)
Official links
Checked against the agency's own page.
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