Health approvals

Approval to operate

What Island Health gives a Food premisesIn BC law, any place where food for the public is sold, prepared, packaged, stored, served or transported — a restaurant, a food truck, a bakery, a warehouse. The Food Premises Regulation sets the rules for all of them, with a few exceptions.All terms in the glossary that doesn’t serve food to eat on the spot — a food processor, a bakery with no retail counter, a food shop, a commissary — instead of an Operating permitIsland Health’s permit to run a restaurant, café, food truck or other food service business. You get it after the pre-opening inspection, pay its fee each year, and post it where customers can see it.All terms in the glossary. It follows the same Plan approvalIsland Health’s review of your floor plan, equipment and menu before you build or renovate a food premises. Nothing gets built until it is approved, and the pre-opening inspection checks you built what was approved.All terms in the glossary and pre-opening inspection, and must be in place before you open.

Who issues it
Island Health
Cost
No yearly fee: the Health Act Fees Regulation charges only operating permits.

Do you need it?

You need it if

  • You process, bake, pack or sell food that isn’t eaten on the spot: a food processor, a bakery with no retail counter, a grocery or specialty food shop, a commissary.

You don’t need it if

  • You serve food to eat on the spot — you need an operating permit instead.
  • You sell only whole fresh fruit and vegetables, or PrepackagedSealed in its package before it reaches the customer, the way it will be sold. Prepackaged food must carry the federal food label.All terms in the glossary foods that aren’t Higher-risk foodFood that bacteria can grow in, or produce toxins in, unless it is kept cold or hot — meat, fish, dairy, eggs, cut fruit, most cooked meals. The law calls it “potentially hazardous food”. It must come from an approved kitchen, never a home one.All terms in the glossary.
Where this comes from

Sources

How to get it

  1. 1

    Get your plans approved

    The same plan review every food premises goes through: floor plan, equipment, menu or product list, and the application form.

  2. 2

    Write your food safety and sanitation plans

    Where food is processed or prepared, both plans must be approved by a health officer — they are part of the application.

  3. 3

    Pass the pre-opening inspection

    The Environmental Health Officer (EHO)Island Health’s inspector. Your EHO reviews your plans, inspects before you open and afterwards, and is the person to ask before you change your menu, equipment or layout.All terms in the glossary checks the space was built as approved. Health approval must be in place before you open.

Where this comes from

Sources

Where to send it: Island Health offices

Applications go to the Environmental Public Health office for your area. Island Health’s form says to return it to the nearest office; it doesn’t say whether email is accepted, but every office publishes an email address — ask when you first get in touch.

Island Health Environmental Public Health offices and the areas they serve
AreaOfficeEmail
Greater Victoria, the West Shore and SookeVictoria (Gateway Village), 250-519-3401gateway_office@islandhealth.ca
Cowichan Valley, Saanich Peninsula and the Southern Gulf IslandsDuncan, 250-737-2010HPES.Duncan@islandhealth.ca
Nanaimo, Oceanside and Alberni-ClayoquotNanaimo (250-755-6215), Parksville or Port AlberniHPES.Nanaimo@, HPES.Parksville@ or HPES.PortAlberni@islandhealth.ca
Comox Valley, Strathcona and the North IslandComox Valley (250-331-8518), Campbell River (250-850-2111) or Port HardyHPES.Courtenay@, HPES.CampbellRiver@ or HPES.PortHardy@islandhealth.ca
Island Health lists the Saanich Peninsula — Sidney, North Saanich, Central Saanich — under its Duncan office, not Victoria.
Where this comes from

Sources

Once you have it

  • The Health Act Fees Regulation charges only operating permits, so there is no yearly fee for an approval to operate.
  • Your premises is inspected and its reports published like any other food facility.
  • A new owner or new address needs a new application; renovations need plans approved first.
  • Keep your Food safety planYour written account of where food could become unsafe in your kitchen and how you prevent it — cooking and cooling temperatures, for example, and what you do when one is missed. BC requires one from every food premises, alongside a sanitation plan.All terms in the glossary on site and follow it.
Where this comes from

Sources

What comes next

Federal food labelsCFIA and Health Canada rulesMunicipal business licenceYour municipality

Which businesses need it

BakeriesIf you only bake to sellPackaged food makersMaking sauces, preserves, snacks, frozen meals or other packaged food to sell.Kombucha, juice & coffee makersMaking non-alcoholic drinks, or roasting coffee.Grocers & specialty food shopsRunning a grocery, market store, deli counter or specialty food shop.Butchers, delis & fishmongersCutting and selling meat, fish or deli foods.Meat, poultry & egg producersA food premises permit for selling meat

The rules behind this page

Last checked 9 October 2026. We check this guide regularly against Island Health, provincial and municipal sources, but regulations and laws change often and we can’t guarantee it is complete or current. Confirm with Island Health and your municipality before you apply, build or sell.

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