How to Get a Punjab Food Authority Licence for Your Food Business
PFA licence fees run from Rs 800 to Rs 200,000 a year, set by your answers on stock, sales and rent. We tested the calculator ourselves.
Every food business in Punjab needs a Punjab Food Authority licence, and it lasts one year. The fee runs from Rs 800 for the smallest shop to Rs 200,000 for a large factory or online food business. PFA sets your fee from answers you give about your business. Trading without a licence is a criminal offence with a prison term of up to one year.
We read PFA's fee notification and the Punjab Food Authority Act 2011 at source on 21 September 2026. We also ran real business profiles through PFA's own licence category calculator the same day, so the grades below are what the system actually returned.
What the PFA licence costs
The fees come from PFA notification No. DG(PFA)(ADA)5-417/2022/97, dated 6 January 2022, in force from 1 July 2022. Each business type has nine grades, from A for the smallest to I for the largest. The calculator returned the same figures on 21 September 2026, so this is still the schedule in use.
| Grade | Shop (R) | Eatery (EAT) | Manufacturer (M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Rs 800 | Rs 1,500 | Rs 4,000 |
| B | Rs 1,500 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 8,000 |
| C | Rs 4,000 | Rs 10,000 | Rs 16,000 |
| D | Rs 8,000 | Rs 20,000 | Rs 35,000 |
| E | Rs 16,000 | Rs 35,000 | Rs 50,000 |
| F | Rs 25,000 | Rs 50,000 | Rs 75,000 |
| G | Rs 35,000 | Rs 75,000 | Rs 100,000 |
| H | Rs 50,000 | Rs 100,000 | Rs 150,000 |
| I | Rs 75,000 | Rs 150,000 | Rs 200,000 |
Online food businesses have their own four grades: EC-A Rs 75,000, EC-B Rs 100,000, EC-C Rs 150,000 and EC-D Rs 200,000.
Wholesalers are the gap. The notification sets no wholesaler scale at all. But when we ran the smallest possible wholesaler through the calculator, it returned grade W-A at Rs 4,000. So PFA charges wholesalers and warehouses on a scale that is not in the notification it links from its licence page, and we could not find the document that sets it. If you run a wholesale business or a cold store, use the calculator rather than the table.
How PFA decides your grade
Your grade is not a matter of opinion. PFA scores you on a fixed set of questions, and each answer adds points.
A shop answers six questions: investment or stock value, average sales per day, rent, number of employees, location, and monthly utility bills. A restaurant answers nine: investment, inventory value, sales per day, rent, employees, seating capacity, location, menu range and utility bills. A manufacturer also answers on machines installed, units produced per day and number of products.
The questions do not count equally. For a shop, each step up in investment or daily sales adds 15 points, rent and location add 9, and staff and bills add only 6. For a restaurant, daily sales carry the most weight. So the money questions decide most of your fee.
These are the results the calculator gave us on 21 September 2026:
- The smallest karyana store, lowest answer on every question: R-A, Rs 800.
- A typical neighbourhood karyana store with Rs 200,000 to 400,000 of stock, Rs 10,000 to 20,000 of sales a day, rent of Rs 10,000 to 15,000, two or three staff, on a small urban street, with bills of Rs 4,000 to 7,000: R-C, Rs 4,000.
- The smallest store with only its investment raised to the top band, over Rs 1.8 million: R-C, Rs 4,000. One answer jumped it two grades.
- The smallest store with only its staff raised to the top band, more than 18 people: R-B, Rs 1,500. The same change on a lighter question moved it one grade.
- The smallest dhaba: EAT-A, Rs 1,500.
- A small dhaba with Rs 150,000 to 300,000 invested, 16 to 25 seats, 4 to 6 staff, a menu of 6 to 10 items, next to a main road: EAT-C, Rs 10,000.
You can run the same calculator before you apply, on PFA's portal at cell.pfa.gop.pk. Answer honestly. A PFA team visits your premises to check before the fee is set, and giving false information is a separate offence under section 30 of the Act.
How to apply for a PFA licence
PFA says you apply once the business is running, because the team has to see the premises. You need three things: a photo of yourself, both sides of your CNIC, and a photo of the business.
- Download the Punjab Food Authority app on an Android phone, or go to a PFA one window counter.
- Choose Apply for License, enter your details and confirm the verification code.
- Enter the business name, city, town, full address and business details, and upload the three images.
- Wait for a Food Safety Team or an Enforcement Team to visit and verify the premises.
- After the visit you receive an SMS with the fee. Pay it at any Allied Bank branch or through EasyPaisa.
- Receive the licence by courier at your business address, or collect it from the one window within a week, or download it from the link in your business profile.
PFA states that it processes an application in 7 working days, and then sends the licence for printing and dispatch within 15 days. If you generate more than one challan by mistake while registering, PFA says to send the department an application asking it to remove the extra ones.
The licence lasts one year, so it has to be renewed every year. Separately, PFA may grade your premises on how well it meets food standards. If it does, it issues a category certificate that you must display where customers can see it, under section 8A of the Act. You can appeal that grade within 60 days.
What happens if you trade without one
Section 15 of the Act says no one may use any place for a food business without the prescribed registration or licence. Section 32 sets the punishment for making, selling, storing, distributing or importing food without one:
- imprisonment of at least three days and up to one year, and
- a fine of at least Rs 10,000 and up to Rs 500,000.
A second conviction under the Act doubles both the prison term and the fine, adds a further fine of up to Rs 200,000, and cancels the licence, under section 34.
PFA can also act without going to court. Under section 39 it can suspend or cancel a licence and impose a fine of up to Rs 1 million. It must give you a hearing first. A suspension cannot last more than seven days at a time, and lapses 30 days after the first order unless the licence is cancelled. You have 15 days from the order to appeal to the Appellate Authority.
These are the same powers PFA uses when a customer reports unsafe food.
What changed in September 2026
The Punjab Food Safety Laws (Amendment) Act 2026 was published in the Punjab Gazette on 10 September 2026. It does not change the licence fees or the penalties above.
It does two things a business owner should know. It places PFA under a new Food Safety and Consumer Protection Department. And it adds section 39(5), which lets the Appellate Authority call for the record of any PFA proceeding and pass its own order, after giving the affected person a hearing. That gives an appeal against a fine or a cancellation more room than before.
A PFA licence is only one of the obligations on a food business. Restaurants and marriage halls in Punjab must also issue computerised receipts, staff are owed the rights set out for shop workers, and a larger business may need sales tax registration with FBR.
Common questions
How much is the PFA licence fee?
From Rs 800 for the smallest shop to Rs 200,000 for the largest manufacturer or online food business, depending on your business type and grade.
How long is a PFA licence valid?
One year. It has to be renewed every year.
Which documents do I need?
A photo of yourself, both sides of your CNIC, and a photo of the business.
How do I pay the PFA licence fee?
After the verification visit you get an SMS with the amount. Pay it at any Allied Bank branch or through EasyPaisa.
What is the fine for running a food business without a licence?
A court can impose a fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 500,000 and imprisonment of three days to one year. PFA can separately fine up to Rs 1 million.
Can I appeal a PFA fine or cancellation?
Yes, to the Appellate Authority within 15 days of the order, and you must be heard before any adverse order is passed.
Last checked and sources
Last checked 21 September 2026. The fee scale for retailers, eateries, manufacturers and e-commerce food businesses is taken from Punjab Food Authority notification No. DG(PFA)(ADA)5-417/2022/97 dated 6 January 2022, issued after the 37th Punjab Food Authority meeting of 23 November 2021 and in force from 1 July 2022, which we read as a scanned image linked from PFA's apply for licence page. The grades and fees in the tested examples, including the W-A wholesaler grade at Rs 4,000, are what PFA's licence category calculator at cell.pfa.gop.pk returned when we submitted those profiles on that date; the point weights are read from the same calculator. The three required images, the one year validity, the payment at Allied Bank or through EasyPaisa after an SMS, the delivery by courier or collection from the one window within a week, the 7 working day processing time and 15 day dispatch, and the procedure for removing wrongly generated challans are taken from PFA's own pages at pfa.gop.pk. Sections 8A, 15, 30, 32, 34 and 39 are read from the Punjab Food Authority Act 2011 as published on the Punjab Code at punjablaws.punjab.gov.pk, which incorporates the Punjab Food Safety Laws (Amendment) Act 2026, LIX of 2026, published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary) on 10 September 2026. We could not find the notification that sets the wholesaler scale, and we did not find a rule on PFA's own pages about medical certificates for food handlers, so we say nothing about either. Nothing here is legal advice; confirm your own category with PFA before relying on any figure.
About the author
Author
Fajr Riaz is a well-talented author at Pakera.pk with expertise in creative content creation/writing and storytelling. Fajr's strength lies in creating engaging articles, detailed guides, and straight narratives that connect with readers and give meaningful insights. With her accurate attention to detail and passion for writing, Fajr has established herself as a pivotal pillar at Pakera and is invaluable.
