• Only registered cottage food operators can prepare food at home for a temporary event. All cottage food requirements must be followed including packaging and labeling requirements. 
• Other than the above exception, no food preparation is allowed at a private residence for items served or offered to the public. All preparation of food for a temporary event must be conducted at the event unless you are annually permitted with CCHHS and have an approved permitted kitchen.

Only annually permitted vendors are allowed to prepare food in their pre-approved food facility before a temporary event. All other temporary food vendors must prepare the food on site at the event. 

Yes. Food given away during any public, temporary event must have a health permit.  

Yes, CCHHS Environmental Health has an interlocal agreement with Douglas County to perform certain program functions. This includes all invasive body decorating (IBD) and temporary food health permit events that occur in Douglas County.

CCHHS EH issues same day permits. However, a late fee is assessed for both Carson City and Douglas County if the application is submitted less than five business days before the event. Please see the fee schedule above for temporary events.

Cottage Food Vendors are only required to obtain a health permit when doing on site sampling at an event. If you plan to pre-package and prepare all samples at home and bring them to an event, you do not need a health permit. 

No. If a fixed facility (grocery store, restaurant, etc.) already has a permit through CCHHS EH, and the food will be sampled inside the store, a temporary food permit is not required. If the establishment wishes to sample or sell food outside, a temporary food permit is required.

Existing food establishment permits do not extend outside of the approved fixed facility. Unless the establishment has a catering permit, all existing food establishments must obtain a temporary food permit when operating outside of the approved facility. 

A temporary food permit is required any time open/ exposed food is being offered to the public at a temporary event. If food items that are not individually prepackaged and/or on-site preparation is required (opening of package and contact with food items), a temporary food establishment permit must be obtained. 

A temporary food establishment permit must be obtained to cover each separate food vendor that is preparing, serving or offering food to the public. 

• Unless pre-approved by EH, no temporary event vendors are allowed to store food overnight anywhere. All food must be discarded each day after the event, and new food must be purchased and prepped the next day.
• Please keep all receipts of purchased food for a health inspector to review.

Yes, eggs are required to be kept at a cooler temperature while being sold and therefore require an inspection to make sure that they are within the proper temperature range. 

• No, you do not need a temporary food permit if you are only selling whole fresh vegetables. 
• However, if you plan to cut some vegetables for sampling, you will need to obtain a temporary food permit. 
• Environmental Health is also required to request documentation, such as a producer's certificate, showing that all produce is coming from an approved source. 

Yes, this falls under a TCS food. An inspection is required to make sure that all frozen items are being held within the proper temperature range.

• No, you do not need a temporary food permit if you are only selling sealed containers of honey.
• However, if you place to sample any honey, you will need to obtain a temporary food permit. 
• Environmental Health is required to request documentation, such as a producer’s certificate, showing that all honey is coming from an approved source. 

Annually permitted mobile food units and caterers operating in the Carson City or Douglas County are required by NAC 446.743 to inform the local health authority. We have a simplified form to be filled out called the Annually Permitted Vendor Application. If you are not sure which application to fill out, please contact our office.

• The event coordinator is responsible for assuring all temporary event applications are turned in before the event. 
  •  Send list of approved food vendors to EH.
  • Send temporary food health permit application to all food vendors.
  • Provide a vendor map to EH before the event.
  • Communicate a required time for all vendors to be set up, ready for inspection.
  • Carson City events may require a separate Special Event Application. Please reach out to Carson City Community Development, Business License Division at 775-887-2105 or Special Event Permits | Carson City for more information.

• Carson City does not charge temporary event fees for non-profits. However, non-profits are still subject to late fees for temporary events.
• Douglas County does give a fee reduction for non-profits attending temporary events, please see the fee schedule for more information.
• All Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Non-profit tax id’s must be added to the applications in order to be given the reduced fee.

• Per NAC 446, the following is a list of temporary food establishment permit exemptions: 
  •  Bottled water and canned soft drinks.
  • Coffee or tea, or both, with powdered nondairy creamer or ultra-pasteurized dairy creamer packaged in individual servings. This subsection does not include beverages such as lattes and espresso that are mixed with a dairy product by the vendor during preparation.
  • Commercially prepared acidic beverages, including, without limitation, orange juice, lemonade and other similar beverages, that are served from the original, properly labeled container without the addition of ice or other regulated food products.
  • Draft beer and other alcoholic beverages that are served without the addition of ice or potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food).
  • Foods from an approved source prepared for a “cook-off” or judging contest in which food is not provided to the general public.
  • Hermetically sealed and unopened containers of non-potentially hazardous beverages which do not require refrigeration.
  • Hot chocolate prepared without the use of potentially hazardous food (time/temperature control for safety food) or reconstituted dairy products.
  • Non potentially hazardous prepackaged baked goods, with proper labeling, from an approved source and requiring no on-site preparation.
  • Non potentially hazardous and unopened prepackaged food from an approved source with proper labeling, including, without limitation, honey, jerked meats, potato chips, popcorn and other similar foods.
  • Produce sold from a produce stand at which no food preparation, breaching of produce or product sampling is performed.
  • Commercially prepared, prepackaged and unopened individual ice cream containers and ice cream bars that are appropriately labeled as to ingredients and manufacturer. 
  • Shelled or unshelled nuts, including flavored nuts for sample or sale, unless the nuts are processed at the event site.
  • Food supplements that are offered for sample or sale without the addition of regulated food items. Such food supplements include, but are not limited to, vitamins, minerals, protein powder mixes, energy drinks and herbal mixtures, provided that they are from an approved source.

• A temporary event involves preparing and serving food or offering invasive body decoration (i.e. tattoos) to the public 14 days or less at a single location.  
• Examples include but are not limited to: 
  •  Open houses, sports events, fairs or carnivals

• Time/Temperature control for safety food (TCS) includes any animal food (a food of animal origin) that is raw or heat-treated or consists of raw seed sprouts, cut melons or garlic-in-oil mixtures which are not modified in a way that prevents bacterial growth.
• Some examples of TCS foods include:  
  •  Cut fruits and vegetables, mixed drinks, ice, charcuterie boards, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and crustaceans, milk and dairy products, cooked rice, and cooked beans, baked potatoes, tofu and soy protein foods, eggs (except those treated to eliminate Salmonella).

Once we process your application, we will send an email with the amount owed and a link to make your payment online. Fees must be paid before the day of inspection at the event.  

You will receive your health permit on the day of the event after the health inspections are completed.